Our Journey in Kumbakonam

Bethany Home Mission (2000–2019)

In the spirit of our Founder, St. Louis Guanella, who proclaimed, “The whole world is your homeland,” the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence (DSMP) entered the Diocese of Kumbakonam with joy and missionary zeal. Our first mission was inaugurated on 12 November 2000, the Feast of Our Lady of Divine Providence, at Bethany Home, dedicated to the care of aged diocesan priests. The invitation to begin this mission came from Most Rev. Peter Remigius, the then Bishop of Kumbakonam, who envisioned our Sisters serving in health care, elderly care, evangelization, and education.

In response, Mother General Rev. Sr. Giustina Valicenti gave formal consent on 29 April 2000, initiating a three-year contract which would grow into a legacy of nearly two decades of service.

Ministry to the Elderly Priests of the Diocese

At Bethany Home, our sisters lovingly cared for retired priests—holy men who, as St. Paul said, "have finished the race and kept the faith." Our mission was to create a peaceful, dignified, and joy-filled environment for these spiritual fathers, recognizing their years of tireless ministry. Fortunately, the first priest to be assisted by our sisters was the Former Bishop of Kumbakonam Most Rev. Paul Arul Samy. 

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Pioneering Sisters at Bethany Home:

Sr. Josephine Boniface, Sr. Lourdu Manickam and Sr. Antoniammal Micheal were the pioneers sisters of the community in Bethany Home. They not only worked for the elderly priests, they also worked in different parishes, like Villiyavarambil Parish and its substations namely, Sendhiyavarambel, Sinivasanallur, Nadar, Iyyavadi, Murukkankudi, Thirimanapettai, Mundram kattalai, Boundarigapuram and Thirunageshwaram and also in Cathedral Parish and its Substation like Karuppur, Autonagar,Asur, Perumpandi, Chinnammal Kallarai,Swamimalai, Devanaancheri,  Jebamalaipuram etc., to teach Catechism, animate anbiyam and actively involved in Youth Ministry. At present all these sub stations belong to Our Lady of Divine Providence Parish (belonging to Servants of Charity), Guanella Nagar, Chennai Salai. 

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In June 2002, we started St. Mary’s Nursery and Primary Matriculation School at Thirumanapettai, Villiavaramphil Parish, Kumbakonam. The building for the school was rented for 2 years.  Sr.Josephine and Sr.Lourdu Manickam rented a house near the School and stayed there, whereas Sr. Elda Soscia, was the superior of Bethany Home for 2 years (2002-2004). Later the School was shifted to Murukangudi which was also rented.  And we started our pastoral mission in Villiavaramphil Parish in collaboration with the Claretian Father. On 1st March 2006, we terminated the pastoral work in Villiavarambel Parish in Kumbakonam. 

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The School was closed on 15th April 2007 due to inadequate structure and finanacial insufficiancy. The Children were settled in different Schools by the Sisters and the School documents were surrendered to the Bishop’s House. 

and later Sr. Josephine worked in Little Flower Matriculation School, Srinagar Colony, Kumbakonam which belongs to the Diocese. 

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We also served in diocesan offices such as KMSSS (Kumbakonam Multipurpose Social Service Society) and the Pastoral Centre, through the contributions of Sr. Scholastica from 2004– May 2010 and Sr.Annammal worked in the Pastoral Centre from 2003 to 2005. 

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On 23rd July, 2006, we started collaborating with our Guanellian Fathers by assisting in the Parish of our Lady of Divine Providence Church and also by doing Pastoral work in their substations. 

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On 19th March 2008, we bought a piece of land in Kottaiyur, Melacauvery, Kumbakonam in the view of starting our Guanellian Mission. 

Evangelization and Pastoral Ministry

Our Sisters have actively participated in evangelization efforts across:

• Villiavarambal Parish

• Our Lady of Divine Providence Church, Guanella Nagar, Chennai

• Mela Carvery Road, Kumbakonam (in collaboration with the Guanellian Fathers)

Key activities included:

• Catechism classes for children

• Counseling services for families in distress

• Youth formation with a focus on moral values, decision-making, and personal growth

• Prison ministry—offering spiritual guidance and moral support to inmates

Educational Mission

Our mission also embraced education as a tool for transformation:

• From 2001 to April 2007, we ran St. Mary’s Nursery & Primary School at Thirumanapettai (Villiavarambal Parish)

• Since June 2007, we have been teaching at Little Flower Matriculation School, Sri Nagar Colony (a Diocesan school)

Through free tuition and personal mentoring, we’ve helped children from underprivileged backgrounds develop strong character and a clear vision for their future.

Graceful conclusion of the Mission 

With hearts full of gratitude, the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence concluded their mission at Bethany Home on 31st May 2019. Nearly two decades of dedicated service in the Diocese of Kumbakonam stand as a testament to the unwavering love and commitment of the Sisters, who walked humbly with the poor, the elderly, and the young—serving as instruments of Divine Providence in every task entrusted to them. Though the mission at Bethany Home has come to a close, the seeds of faith, love, and service sown during these years continue to bear fruit in the lives of those they touched. The Sisters carry forward this sacred legacy in new missions, ever guided by the words of their Founder: “The whole world is your homeland.”

Beginning of St. Louis Guanella Illam

At the request of the Diocese of Kumbakonam, the Guanellian Fathers began a new mission in the Chennai Salai area. The Cathedral Parish had grown too large to manage effectively, with several substations in need of greater pastoral care. To better serve the faithful, the Diocese entrusted the responsibility of forming a new parish with about 18 substations to the Guanellian Fathers.

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Several substations — including Karuppur, Autonagar, Perumpandi, Chinnammal Kallarai, Assur, and Abuddin Nagar — were brought together to form this new parish. Our Sisters had already been serving in these substations since 2000, actively involved in catechetical ministry. They continued their dedicated service even after the Guanellian Fathers officially took charge of the parish from 23rd July 2006, while still staying in Bethany Home, Gandhinagar. 

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Initially, the Fathers rented a house while the new church and a residence for the community were being constructed. Once they moved into the new facilities, the sisters were invited to stay in the rented house and assist with pastoral ministry, particularly in the sacristy of the church. And the sisters continued to stay on the rental basis in OSJ, Abuddin Nagar. On 19th Dec,2012, the community was officially installed with Sr. Christy Santiago and Sr. T. Arockia Rani later followed by Sr. Jenifer and Sr. Siron. 

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The community was named as St. Luigi Guanella Illam in remembrance of the canonization of our Founder which took place on 23rd October 2011. On 4th Jan,2020, We shifted St. Luigi Guanella Home from the rented house to the new house [No.1306/A] which we bought in the same street.

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In addition to their pastoral and catechetical work, the sisters also introduced vocational training programs. One notable initiative was tailoring classes for young women and girls, aimed at empowering them with practical skills for self-sufficiency and livelihood.

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Today the sisters are working in different sectors. The sisters continue to work in the parish assisting in pastoral ministry, liturgical animation, animating basic Christian community and evening tuitions. Sisters also render services in Bishop’ s House Pastoral Centre and in Women welfare Commission as the Secretory.