The Congregation of the Sisters of the Little Flower of Bethany, popularly called, ‘Bethany Sisters, ’is celebrating their centenary year by building 100 houses for the poor.

Father Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas of Mangalore diocese founded the congregation  on July 16, 1921, at Bendur,  Mangalore (now Mangaluru,)  to cater to people on the margins, according to the signs of the times.

Branching out from India, the congregation has convents in nine countries of Asia, Europe and Africa.

Some 1,378 Bethany sisters, work in  26 states of India and 63 dioceses.

The congregation is dedicated especially to the advancement of girls, women and the  rural poor. They strive to alleviate poverty and transform lives.

In the social sector,  the Bethany sisters run some 56 centres.  A total of 142 sisters and  350 collaborators work for the all-round development of 150,000 women, 113,000 children, 156,000 youth as well as the uplift of the rural communities, cutting across religious and caste barriers.

They also serve families affected by  the coronavirus pandemic and thousands of migrants across India.

The Bethany Educational Society  (BES) has a vast network of primary and higher educational institutions. It has 185 educational institutions including two degree colleges, 35 junior colleges, 45 children’s homes for the poor, with 3,500 staff members in formal education and hundreds of non-formal education centres in the urban and village slums..

Bethany Sisters serve in four hospitals and 45 rural village health centres. They serve also homes of senior citizens.  These nuns  trained in allopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda, and  physiotherapy.

In 1921, the congregation started with four women teachers of St Sebastian School, Bendur, Flora Mathias (Sr M Clare BS), Marcelline Menezes (Sr M Martha BS), Alice Mathias (Sr M Lourdes BS) and Regina Gertrude Gonsalves (Sr M Gertrude BS).

The congregation was canonically erected on July 28, 1932, eleven years after it was set up. The first novitiate was opened on May 15, 1933 at Bendur. The first superior general was Mother Martha, who served from 1925 to 1946.

Today,  the tenth superior general, Sister Rose Celine, along with her council members, leads the congregation.

The centenary year (2020-2021), was inaugurated on July 11, 2020, at the original historic convent chapel in Bendur amid strict Covid protocol. Sister Celine placed a high momentum on the six ongoing projects undertaken for the centenary. — Decadal preparation made prior to the centenary by way of spiritual rejuvenation of the congregation; Introduction of perpetual adoration in 2018 in response to the last will and testament of the founder; Housing project on-going for 100 poor families across India.

  Bethany Sisters, Catholic Church