CFIC INDIA

Our Founder
CFIC IN INDIA

Blessed Luigi Maria Monti, the founder of the Congregation of the Sons of the Immaculate Conception (C.F.I.C), a consecrated religious, called father by veneration, was born at Bovisio, small village of Milan on 24th July ,1825 to the pious parents Angel and Teresa Monti.

He was ardent to grow in the faith inherited from parents. When he was 12 Years old his father died and he became the full responsible of his family. Attracted by his zeal, industriousness and spiritual life, numerous friends joined him in prayer and other charitable activities. Eventually the group was called by the people, the company of Friars and they dedicated more time in reciting rosaries, singing psalms and reading spiritual books etc.

All the great events have a humble beginning. The story of CFIC in India is also not very different. It was the fruit of providential coincidence between the dreams of Fr.Giovanni Cazzaniga, the superior general of CFIC in the year 1973, for an opening in India and the desire of Fr.Mathew Chemmarapally,a diocesan priest ,to join a religious congregation.

In the month of September 1969 Fr.Mathew met two CFIC religious, Fr.Peter Broghi and Bro. Romeo Simoni at Cheruvandor, Kottayam. By end of the year he received an invitation from the superior General and he presented it to his Bishop. After a long silence he was permitted to join the congregation .Thus Fr. Mathew left for Rome in June 1971.After a few weeks, a group of youngsters from different parts of Kerala reached Rome. Fr.Mathew was admitted in the novitiate in September 1971 at La Storta, Rome.

Provincial Superior's Message

THIS IS THE DAY WHICH LORD HAS MADE; WE WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT (Ps. 118:24)

Christ, the sacrificial Lamb who died for our sins and rose again from the dead thereby giving us the victory through His death and Resurrection. Easter Day is the victory day for us and therefore, let us rejoice and be glad in it. The reality of the resurrection is the central fact of the Christian faith. Through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Lord gives us “eyes of faith” to know him and the power of his resurrection. The greatest joy we can have is to encounter the living Lord. The joy of resurrection which we experience in our encounter with risen Christ in our daily holy Eucharist is to be an inspiration for our Christian and religious life. We should share this joy of resurrection experience with others through our Christian and religious life. Through Baptism and a life of faith, we have already “been raised up in company with Christ” (Col 3:1). We set our hearts “on what pertains to higher realms where Christ is seated at God’s right hand” (Col 3:1). We are “intent on things above rather than on things of earth” (Col 3:2). Now the main purpose of life is to witness that Jesus has risen from the dead (Acts 10:41-42). The presence of the women at the death, at the burial, and at the resurrection of Jesus is significant. They are witnesses to the death of Jesus (Mt 27:55- 56). At the moment of the burial, they remain sitting before the tomb, and therefore, they can render witness to the place where Jesus was buried (Mt 27:61). Now, on Sunday morning, they are there once again. They know that the empty tomb is truly the tomb of Jesus. The profound experience of death and resurrection which they had, transformed their lives. They themselves become qualified witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus in the Christian communities. Jesus Himself mandated them to go to His disciples and give them the great news of the Resurrection. He encouraged them not to be afraid but go and tell His brothers to go to Galilee and there they will see Him. They received the order to announce, “Jesus is alive! He has risen from the dead!” Yes, Christ has risen and it is now our turn to carry this Good News to others as the women did. Let us not be like the chief priests and Jewish authorities who decided to suppress the truth about the resurrection. Let us be like the women and other disciples who announced the good news of the resurrection to others. The encounter with risen Lord and the resurrection experience that takes place in our daily Eucharistic Celebration should transform us as it did to the women and it should make us true witnesses of risen Christ through our words and deeds. May this Easter be an occasion for a renewal in our life with respect to our commitment to witnessing Jesus’ sacrificial love among others.