HISTORY
OF SOUTH WEST PROVINCE
The South West Province was erected in 1991. It was created by bifurcating the large province of Visakhapatnam. This South West Province consists of the two states of Karnataka and Kerala in India, the Francophone countries of Chad and Cameroon in Africa and the Philippines. The province which began with 52 priests, two brothers and a few scholastics and candidates in 1991 has grown into a large one with 148 priests, 2 brothers, 94 scholastics and over a hundred candidates to date. The first Provincial, Fr. Thomas Cherukat took over the administration of the Province on 3rd July 1991. With all the initial difficulties he with his long vision and undying zeal built it up into a strong and vibrant province remaining at the helm of affairs of the province for three consecutive terms of three years as provincial. During his tenure many new missions were opened and the existing ones were stabilized. The missions in Philippines and West Central Africa were opened in 1993 and 1999 respectively. On 3rd July, 2000 the baton of animating the province and its administration was handed over to the second and incumbent provincial Fr. Jose Parappillil. He is into his second term in office and under his able and dynamic leadership the Province is growing into newer and greater heights day by day. The whole province community is brimming with life, activity and a deep zeal for the mission of the Congregation and the Church.
Our area of activities extend to education, parish missions, preaching ministry, youth apostolate, literacy programme, rehabilitation of street children, ministry to the prisoners, rehabilitation of prisoners’ children, women empowerment programme and various other types of social apostolates as per the need of the place and people. We have taken up many mission centres especially in the remote and backward areas of India which are very much economically and socially backward.
We have taken up fifteen taluks (sub-disctricts) in Karnataka for various forms of social projects for the development of people in various dioceses of Karnataka. We have entered into contracts with the dioceses of Bangalore, Belgaum and Bellary for forty/thirty years for missionary work. There are many centres in Kerala taken up on permanent and temporary contracts with various dioceses. The province is well aware of the global mission of the Congregation and the Church at large and hence has taken up missions in West-central Africa, Philippines and established foundations in Europe and USA.
