The Capuchins

The Capuchins

The history of the Franciscan Movement covers a long period of eight centuries. After the death of St Francis in the General Chapter of Rietti, in 1232, Brother Elias was elected Minister General. He took to heart the spreading of the Order and gave permission to build large friaries in the cities, encouraged the centres of study of the Order and sent friars far and wide as missionaries. Obviously the residences of the friars began to be distinguished between large friaries in the cities and simple hermitages in the mountains. Large number of friars tended to live in the large friaries, to pursue studies and for preaching. They observed the Rule according to the interpretations given from time to time by the Popes. But there was a small number of friars who preferred the hermitages and wanted to observe the Rule more strictly and without gloss. These two tendencies were to play a vital role in the unfolding of the Order’s history even from the time of St. Francis. This controversy became more marked by the beginning of the 14th century and Pope Leo X on 29 May 1517 promulgated the division of the Franciscan Order into two separate families, the Order of Friars Minor Observants and the Friars Minor Conventuals. Though this division solved the problem temporarily the wave of further reform for more perfect return to the primitive type was brewing in the form of Capuchin reform. It took its origin from amongst the Observants of the Marches, Italy around 1525, whose leader was Father Matteo di Bascio, who was an exemplary religious and a zealous preacher. He requested the Pope, liberty for himself and other friars of like mind to wear the habit of St. Francis, to observe the rule strictly in accordance with the earliest tradition and the Pope granted it.

In April 1529, when their first chapter was held at Albacina they numbered eighteen friars and four hermitages. The chapter drew up the statutes ‘Statutes of Albacina’ as they were called, designed to safeguard the primitive observance of the rule. The Capuchins had a rough passage through the 16th century. They were harassed by the established groups of Franciscans and were forbidden by the pope to extend outside of Italy. Providentially it received a new recruit, a poor countryman who was destined perhaps more than anyone else to establish the Capuchin family. This was St. Felix of Cantalicio, the lay brother. In 1574 Pope Gregory Xlll revoked the decree of Pope Paul lll and granted Capuchins the right to establish houses and provinces anywhere and in 1619 permission to elect their own minister general. The declaration of Pope Urban Vlll in 1643, that the Capuchins are true sons of St. Francis and on 28 June of the same year had issued the Bull ‘Salvatoris et Domini’, setting forth that the Capuchins are the spiritual descendants of St. Francis in the direct line and not a mere offshoot of any other Franciscan Order.

The Capuchins from an early date undertook missions in America, Asia and Africa, and a College was founded in Rome for the purpose of preparing their members for foreign missions. Due to this strong missionary thrust, a large number of Capuchins have suffered martyrdom over the centuries. Activity in Europe and elsewhere continued until the close of the 18th century, when the number of Capuchin friars was estimated at 31,000. Like all other Orders, the Capuchins suffered severely from the secularizations and revolutions in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. During the French Revolution nearly all the provinces were disorganized or suppressed; and in the subsequent revolutions on the European continent the Capuchins suffered the fate of all other religious orders, being continually oppressed and dispersed.

As of June 2018, there are 10,480 Capuchins worldwide, of whom 7,070 are priests, living and working in 108 countries around the world: Africa: 1,357; South America: 1,657; North America: 664; Asia-Oceania: 2,339; Western Europe: 3,500; Central-Eastern Europe: 769

The worldwide head of the Capuchin Order, the Minister General, is currently Friar Roberto Genuin and the headquarters is in Rome.

The Capuchins in India

After two aborted attempts in 1632 and 1639 by the French Capuchins to implant the Order in India, they succeeded in 1922 to establish a novitiate in Surdhana, Up. The absence of strong, vibrant and populous Christian community in Northern India, and the unfavourable climatic conditions there, called for a transfer of the novitiate to a more favourable location in South India. The Province of Paris was entrusted with this venture. They were offered a little hill at Farangipet, in the diocese of Mangalore, Karnataka and the novitiate was shifted on 1st May 1930. A study house also was set up in Quilon, Kerala in 1932. Ever since the novitiate was brought to Monte Mariano, Farangipet, the Capuchins grew rapidly in number, that by the year 1962, just 30 years after migrating to the South, there were more than 500 friars distributed in 40 houses in the 5 states of Karnataka, Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Besides, a good number of them were also working in North India as missionaries and even as formators in some foreign countries like Indonesia, the Phillipines and Tanzania!

In these circumstances in 1962, constituting the Indian unit into a full-fledged Capuchin Province Br. John Berchmans Puthuparambil was appointed as its first Provincial Minister. The geographical area being so vast and the number of friars being so large, need of creating smaller jurisdictions for the sake of greater efficiency and a better implantation of the Order in various regions in India became not only apparent but also urgent. In March 1972, the General Minister and his Definitory took the historic decision to dismember the Immaculate Heart of Mary Province of India into four units namely St. Joseph, Kerala; Holy Trinity, Karnataka-Goa-Maharashtra (KGM); Amala Annai, Tamil Nadu and the Vice-Province of St. Francis, Kerala. The division in 1972 offered ample opportunities for each jurisdiction to concentrate on its own region to implant the Order employing all their persons and resources. The leap in the number of vocations and in the number of the new foundations testifies to the rapid strides each province had been making. The enthusiasm of the young provinces produced spectacular result that was evident from the fact that every province had one or more missions outside its territory.

Presently there are over 200 fraternities and nearly 1400 friars in India itself, and a good number working as missionaries in other countries. The United Indian Province of 1963 has since been bifurcated into 12 Provinces all over India, as well as 2 custodies in North India and the North East.

On 25 March 1988, the Holy See declared St Joseph Province as belonging to Syro-Malabar Church and subsequently was divided into 3 provinces –St Joseph, St Thomas and Pavanatma.

St Joseph Capuchin Province, Kerala

After a series of bifurcations since its inception 50 years ago, the geographical area of St Joseph Province, Kerala has shrunk to the Syro-Malabar dioceses of Kothamangalam, Idukki, Kottayam, Pala, Kanjirappally, Changanacherry and Thakalai as well as the Syro-Malankara dioceses of Muvattupuzha, Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta, Mavelikkara, Thiruvananthapuram, Marthandam and Parasala. We have our houses in each of these dioceses and we contribute our resources and personals in manifold ways especially in the spiritual animation of the religious communities and parishes.

In the field of Formation:

An effective system of formation is vital to build up a healthy province and so the formation of the candidates as well as the on-going formation of our friars is our primary concern. We give initial formation to our candidates in Seraphic Seminary, Bharananganam. In the novitiate house at Loreto Ashram, Muvattupuzha we accommodate novices from other provinces too. At Thellakam, Kottayam we have our Theologate, Capuchin Vidhya Bhavan, where we have students from other provinces as well as from other congregations. Our Pre-novitiate is at Alverna Ashram, Sulthan Batheri. (Pavanatma Province) Our Philosophy College is at Calvary Ashram, Trichur. (St Thomas Province)

Our Ashrams

We have at present 21 Ashrams distributed among 7 Syro-Malabar and 3 Syro-Malankara dioceses.

The Missions

We have 20 of our brothers in the North-East, Assam Meghalaya Mission. We commenced our work there in 1992 and our missionaries were enthusiastic in implanting the Order in the North-East soil from the very beginning. There are nearly 200 tribes in this region and our brothers are active only among half a dozen prominent ones and there are vocations from all these tribes, now numbering 30 in total with 10 already ordained priests. In 2003 it was raised to a Custody assuming the name Nirmala Matha. Our missionaries have established themselves in all the dioceses of Assam-Meghalaya, and have 16 foundations with numerous substations.

In 2002 St Joseph province opened the mission of Namibia, Africa and 7 of our friars serve in six centres with a number of substations.

In 2003 we have agreed with the province of Pittsburgh to assist their vice province of Papua New Guinea, providing personals to serve that mission. Ever since, 6 of our brothers are active in PNG mission.

Syro-Malabar missions outside Kerala

From 2013 the Syro-Malabar provinces were allowed to initiate missionary activities in Syro-Malabar dioceses outside Kerala. On mutual understanding the 3 Syro-Malabar provinces decided to take up 3 each of 9 dioceses and St Joseph Province has the privilege to serve in Adilabad, Chanda and Jagadalpur dioceses. Accordingly our brothers in 2014 started their mission work in the diocese of Adilabad and after getting established there proceeded to the get a foothold in the diocese of Chanda in which they succeeded in 2018. Their desire to serve in the diocese of Jagadalpur also was fructified in 2019. Ten of our brothers are working there.

Home Mission

As a part of our home mission, we began our service to the Syro-Malankara Church in 1963 when we opened a house at Mukhathala in Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese. We have brought up many centres around Mukhathala. Our school at Mukhathala holds a position of pride in the district of Kollam as the results of board exams in the Kerala syllabus English and Malayalam medium higher secondary as well as in the CBSE wings, always sets it at the top level. We have a house in Pathanamthitta diocese at Mundukottackal and another Ashram in the diocese of Parasala.

Gulf Mission

It was in 1998 that we entered the Gulf region to serve the Syro-Malabar community there. The Syro-Malabar faithful, who are residing in Gulf countries for long years for work, made a representation to the bishop of the Vicariate of Arabia and made a request to avail priests belonging to their rite to have the liturgy conducted in their own rite and for their spiritual ministry. In response to their request the bishop expressed his desire to the Syro-Malabar St Joseph province, Kerala, to send few priests to UAE and other Gulf countries to cater to the spiritual needs of the Syro-Malabar faithful. Ever since, all three provinces are sending priests to serve there and we have 7 friars currently rending their services in the Gulf.

Preaching

In the Catholic circles in Kerala, Capuchins are best known for their popular preaching, especially the Capuchin mission retreats. From early 1940s when the Capuchins entered the spiritual arena of Catholics in Kerala, they endeared themselves with their popular preaching and house visiting. That was taken over by the successive generations of Capuchins. There were no rivals to the Capuchins in the field of popular retreats in parishes and institutions in the latter half of the last century. But from mid 1980s other forms of retreats such as the popular mission of Vincentians gained the central stage along with the Charismatic movement. In spite of the heavy impact of these movements we are able to keep up the popular appeal for mission retreats to date.

Renewal Centres

It was in 1976 the Catholic Charismatic movement reached Kerala, and in the very same year we capuchins started to conduct residential Charismatic retreats at Bharananganam. It gained momentum in a short period and the Assisi Renewal Centre as it was named, became a counselling and retreat centre well known all over Kerala. Within a short time Assisi Renewal Centre became a grooming centre for charismatic preachers.

Keeping abreast all modes of retreats like, inner healing retreats, Christeen retreats, youth retreats, couples retreats and varieties of other renewal programs for priests, religious and all and sundry are being conducted here throughout the year. Almost all these programs are being conducted by our own friars. Even after 4 decades, Assisi Renewal Centre remains one of the most sought after retreat centres in Kerala.

We have also other renewal centres like Portiumcula Ashram, Kattappana and Laverna Ashram, Vagamon where many arrive for spiritual renewal.

‘Echo-Spiritual-Tourism’

We have launched a new project ‘Echo-Spiritual-Tourism’ at Nadukani, Kulamavu; a new venture combining echo-friendly stay and exercises for spiritual enlightenment, physical rejuvenation and psychological relaxation.

Counselling and Family Apostolate

Counselling and Family apostolate was a new venture launched by St Joseph province, as early as 1970 attached to our friaries and was warmly welcomed by the laity. Again the so called ‘marriage preparation course’ for those who were aspiring to get married was a project invented and introduced first by the Capuchins. For this too there was immediate and spontaneous positive response from the people at large. When both these were proved successful and beneficial, they were taken over by the hierarchy. So we have now successfully incorporated these aspects in our parish retreats and couples’ retreats in our renewal centres. Facility is provided for family counselling in all our houses and in our renewal centres.

SFO -the erstwhile Third Order

The arrival of the Third Order of St Francis in Kerala is much ahead of the arrival of Capuchins here. Puthenparampil Thommachan, a family man from Edathva, in central Kerala was the one who introduced and propagated Third Order in Kerala a century back. It was only by the middle of the last century that Capuchins took over the spiritual animation of the Tertiaries. Capuchin Mission retreats offered favourable ambience to begin new units of the Third Order in parishes which was then followed up and consolidated by the visits of the diocesan spiritual animator. Third Order was spread to all the dioceses of Kerala rather fast thanks to the enthusiasm of our mission preachers. The age old name of Third Order was modernized and replaced by SFO –Secular Franciscan Order. SFO has a Provincial spiritual animator as well as diocesan spiritual animators. In spite of the rush of so many pious associations for various age groups which have positive support of the parish priests and the whirlwind spread of the charismatic movement, though SFO has lost the front line, it still survives with a lesser number of active members.

Social Media

Once upon a time, when social media meant only press and stage, that is reading and drama, we were proud that we were abreast with both, by staging dramas and by our publication ‘Assisi Magazine’. Assisi magazine had the reputation as a family magazine and enjoyed wide circulation and popular appeal for many years. Here too we lost the prime position first of all due to the onslaught of numerous periodicals with charismatic overtone. Of late, Assisi Magazine is gaining ground as it is uploaded also ‘on line’.

In mid-eighties ‘Jeevan Books’, the publication wing of the province was launched and it flourished by and by and is vibrant now in the book publication sphere, bringing out books on various topics especially on spirituality.

Reading the signs of the times and revolutionising the traditional concepts of our ministry it was a daring venture in the field of visual media, taking into account the influence of social media, that we have pioneered recently in the cinema field by releasing successfully a movie upholding family values, which might turn out to be an incentive to many others.

Social Work

Social involvement being integral to Capuchin life we never hesitated to respond positively to the call of the times whether it be natural calamities or any social issues. Apart from our traditional social works which offer jobs to the poor, we make ourselves available with all our possible resources in emergency situations like flood, cyclone or epidemic. When the disastrous flood wrought havoc in mid Kerala, we had kept open the doors of all our Ashrams for victims of flood, and distributed hundreds of thousands of kits of essential commodities to numerous refugee camps in the flood affected areas and lent our helping hands to rebuild the houses damaged by the flood.

‘Akasha parava’

Some years back wandering beggars, orphaned children and destitute old people were a common sight on the streets in the cities, towns and even in villages of Kerala. This category of hapless poor came to be commonly addressed as ‘Akashaparavakal’ since a few decades. We Capuchins are in the forefront to take care of as well as to rehabilitate them with established homes and well organized network of asylums for old people, for orphans, for mentally or physically challenged and for differentially able people of different age groups. There are more than dozen centres of this sort which are known ‘Snehashrams’ where they are looked after. A Congregation of sisters, The ‘Franciscan Sisters of the Destitute’, is founded primarily to serve in these centres and wholly dedicated for this particular service.

Publications

We have a periodical published at regular intervals – ‘Internos’ which is the official organ of communication and news bulletin of St Joseph province released quarterly. Many of our brothers have taken pains to bring out their doctoral theses in print. Many books of academic excellence have been published by our friars.

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