About Us

Peace and Joy

“The Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep”(Jn.10:11).  The Congregation of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Good Shepherd is formed in the church through the Holy Spirit arose through the work of Mother Teresa Napoli, and faithful and vital collaboration of Fr. Bonaventura Romani of the Paulo OFM Cap.  Mother Teresa was a member of the Congregation of Daughters of the Charity of the most Precious Blood.  She got the inspiration to follow the gesture of the Good Shepherd.

Our Charism

The Congregation of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Good Shepherd was born in the Church to serve the humanity by incarnating the tenderness and the maternal solicitude of Christ, the Good Shepherd. As persons of deep God-experience, we express our charism as a community to promote, to defend and to save the life of all, preferably the poor and the marginalized in the society, especially for women, youth, elderly priests and the aged people who are alone and abandoned, through our loving service to them. Since our life is to be enriched by the spirit and practice of the Oriental and Indian spirituality, we are called to live our Charism in the Indian context which consists of different religions, rites, cultures, languages and on the other part a great disparity in the economic condition of the rich and the poor.

FHGS in India

A Brief history of our Origin: The Congregation of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Good Shepherd has its foundation in India in January 25th 1983.  “Remain united to me, and I will remain united to you.  A branch can’t bear fruits itself; it can do so only if it remains in the vine. In the same way you can’t bear fruit unless you remain in me.  I am the vine and you are the branches.  Whoever remains in me, and I in him, will bear much fruit, for you can do nothing without me” (Jn.15:4-5).  Hence with the “spirit of freedom” as well as the “spirit of solidarity and collaboration”, we put our great step at the crucial and decisive moment of our Congregation’s history in India.

Our Indian mission started in Kerala at Nedumbassery, with three sisters- two Italian sisters and one Indian sister.  At the same time there were four candidates on training in Italy to join the mission. Initially for formation of the novices we approached for help from other Congregation.  Gradually we increased in number and got convents throughout Kerala and outside.  In the past 38 years of our history, we experienced abundance of blessings and providence of God, through many vocations and various apostolic initiatives in different states such as Kerala, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. We follow both Syro-Malabar and Latin rites.

Our Apostolic Services

Caring the sick and the aged

Mother was reminding us through her last letter, the charity towards the aged that should be continues for those who are suffering for long time. In order to show the concern towards the aged, Mother started a home for the aged to give support and care to them. There is need to provide care and love of the Good Shepherd to those who have no one else to care for them. As a part of our apostolic activities in caring the aged in India, we have a home at Moonnumury and also Alappuzha.

Formation of youth

Mother Teresa is an empowering instrument for falling women (unwedded mother).  According to the founding charism, we should give more importance to the activities that could promote salvation of the young girls who are in danger.  For this we have to go and work among the youth.  Mother Teresa Napoli was offering a high apostolic ideal to bring back the fallen women and started a center at Rome to support them.

Hostels :- We are running ladies hostels as the part of our Indian apostolic activities.  Through this we provide psycho-education, spiritual direction and security to the girls in their life.

Youth animation:-  In order to adapting the vision and mission of our mother we are conducting seminars for the youth, counseling, awareness programme, etc.

Educational ministry: Moral education, value education and Christian education.  Formal and non-formal education in collaboration with other institutions.

Regular school:-  Our education system must be concentrated on value –based education.  In our society the parents usually bothered about the external growth and professional facilities.  Through education we could form a good character in the children. Therefore we should give a good life vision and build up good values in their life.  It will help them to face the realities of life and to move out of themselves and take initiative.  Our schools are trying to give not only Christian education which gives them economic independence but also a formation of mind and heart which gives them inner freedom of spirit  to be themselves and bring qualities of courage and compassion to build up a justice and caring society.  In order to continue this mission we are serving in different schools.

Special education

In the modern society, the mentally retarded children are getting neglected.  The disabled and mentally handicapped children are suffering from isolation and negation.  When a disabled or crippled child is born, parents find it difficult to accept him or her.  A person may be physically healthy but he may be mentally handicapped and psychologically, socially and spiritually diseased.  Today in our society they need our guidance; training and moral support to overcome the limitation of their disability.  By providing the training, we assess their physical and mental ability and to develop their potentials in maximum level.  Also we like to show they are valuable person in the society.  For this purpose our sisters are working in this field.

Family apostolate

We religious sent to be loving presence to the people, those who are living in darkness and despair.  Jesus sent his disciples to accomplish a mission, to announce the Good News to the poor, to heal the sick and to liberate the people those who are in slavery and cast out demons.  Religious life is a charismatic action.  It is a gift of spirit and the appearance of Gospel vitality.  As religious, our responsibility is proclaiming the Good News to the surrounding people by our witness.  We can do this by doing pastoral services in parish and house visiting.

House visiting: -Christians are living witness to Jesus Christ, the Crucified.  House visiting is a very important means to the evangelization.  Through this, we can be available to the people and to ease the problems. Through this, we can identify the problems they meet, and help them to solve it as much as possible by means of prayer, counseling, charitable activities, arranging awareness programme, seminars, informal education, care the sick and lonely, etc. Through this mission we can maintain a constant relationship with the people.

Pastoral care in Hospitals

Patients who are hospitalized- especially those with severe  or terminal illness- may feel completely alone and isolated. This is why most hospitals provide pastoral care to those in need. Hospitals aim to provide the best care for their patients, which includes meeting with their emotional and spiritual needs. It is really a healing process. They are available for any type of spiritual counseling, including praying with patients, answering ethical, moral and religious questions, providing rituals or sacraments such as baptisms or blessings or just talking. So our sisters are actively rendering their care in this ministry.

Counseling

Counseling is a process that focuses on enhancing the psychological well- being of the client, such that the client is then able to reach their full potential. Also which facilitates the personal growth, development and personal understanding, which in turn empowers the person to adopt more constructive life practices. It can be helpful in number of ways. It can enable one to develop clearer
understanding of concerns and help acquire new skills to better manage personal and situational issues and also help persons think of creative solutions to  problems.

Parish ministry

Our affective and effective solidarity with the poor and needy is based   of Christian charity and of human availability to the teaching of Christ.  By our pastoral services in parish we can be available to the needy, oppressed and those who are marginalized.  In order to follow this mission, we are animating and guiding different organizations like CLC, Thirubalaskhiam, MathruPithru Sangam, KCYM etc.

Catechism

By giving catechism we can build up a faithful community in the society.  Through this, children will get basic foundation in faith and it leads to a spirit filled life in Christ.  They will grow to ideal citizens of the society as well as enjoy the freedom of the children of God.  Thus, our people will grow into a fraternal, lovable, sharing and bearing community with one heart and mind, like the ancient church. Also, it will help the people to be faithful to God and experience the providential love of Almighty God, both in joy and sorrow.

Religious formation

Formation has the goal to help the candidate to grow into holiness and to become an integrated person.  Our congregation considers as its utmost commitment, promoting and fostering in its members the integral development of the person by means of a religious, apostolic, doctrinal and professional formation adequate to the aims it professes and to the time, which are lived in the Church and the society.

STAGES IN INITIAL FORMATION

After having examined the required certificates, in consultation with the local fraternity and after seeking the approval of her council, the Provincial Superior accepts the candidates for the ‘come and see’ programs. The different stages of formation are as follows: Pre-Postulancy, Postulancy, Novitiate and Juniorate.

  1. Come and See

Goal;

To discern the vocation of the young woman to consecrated life.

To promote the growth in Christian faith

To acquire a preliminary knowledge of FHGS

4. Novitiate

The Novitiate is the time of initiation to religious life. The Candidate is accompanied progressively, in the knowledge, in the experience of faith and in assuming the evangelical and Franciscan values according to the style of our religious family. The Novices, docile to the action of spirit, accept in their heart’ God’s love.

Goal;

Led by the Holy Spirit and following the footsteps of St. Francis, acquire the readiness to renounce all possessions in order to be united with Jesus the crucified.

2. Pre-Postulancy

The congregation willingly accepts the young girls who, by divine inspiration, wish to attain this, share our ideal of consecrated life. In this, we follow the prescriptions of the Church and our legislation prudently and diligently. The formator is expected to accompany the candidate and discerning together with her, to adapt herself to our life-style, keeping in mind also the requirements of physical and psychic health.

 Goal:-

Develop a filial relationship with God,

Foster the human and Christian formation for the pre- postulant

Enable the pre-postulant to have greater familiarity with the FHGS charism

Assist her in the process of the discernment of her vocation

3. Postulancy

The postulancy inserts the candidate into our religious family. It is the duty of the formatter of this period to accompany the postulant in her spiritual and human growth as it unfolds in the fraternal and apostolic life. Towards the end of this period, to consult with the community, The Provincial and the Council evaluates the report presented by Formator on the response and ability of postulant to live in the community according to the Charism.

   Goal;

Acquire the readiness to renounce everything to become a disciple of Jesus Christ.

5. Juniorate

The juniorate is a time of formation during which the religious, after having received the grace to profess publicly the evangelical counsels, continues her human and spiritual path, of offering herself to God and His people in the daily experience of living the vowed life.  Being inserted into the community now she gradually learns to carry out responsible the apostolic commitments entrusted to her.

Goal;

To grow in holiness as an FHGS sister, attaining maturity by integrating prayer life, community life and Apostolic life with a view to prepare herself for the perpetual vow and enabling herself to dedicate for the service of the church.

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