INTRODUCTION

The area of the Little Flower Mission Province of Coimbatore was allotted finally and formally to the Devamatha Province of Thrissur as its mission field to be developed and formed into a new province by the letter from Rome (Rescript Prote No. 586/49 on 8 May 1959). The area was erected as a dependant Region of the Devamatha Province on 30 December 1964, with Rev. Fr. Clemens Thottungal as the first Regional Superior, when Rev. Fr. Malachias was the Provincial. The Region was erected into a Vice-Province by the General Synaxis on 11 March 1979. Preshitha Vice-Province was raised to a Province on 8 April 2002.

The Little Flower Vice-Province was renamed Preshitha Vice-Province in the Vice-Provincial Synaxis on 25 September 1979. The word 'Preshitha' means 'missionary'. It also points to the illustrious Patroness of the Province, Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower.

TERRITORY

The territory of Preshitha Province is defined as follows: "region to the east and north of the Devamatha Province" (the area east of the main road from Shoranur through Pattambi, Perinthalmanna, Malappuram, Kondotti and Nallur to the southern branch of the Baypur River) and "the region covering the whole of the Latin Diocese of Coimbatore and the region to the west of Madras State from the Bhavani River in the south to the Calicut-Gudallur road in the north and to the south of the Gudallur-Calicut road to the crossing of the Baypur River and its southern branch to the sea."

AREA AND POPULATION

The Preshitha Province has an approximate area of 35,000 sq kms, with an approximate population of 6,500,000 and a Catholic population of 200,000 speaking Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, and English and belonging to the Latin and the Syro-Malabar rites. The Syro-Malabar Catholics will be approximately 50,000, most of whom are emigrants.

CHALLENGES

Since 1953, when the Eparchy of Thalassery was formed and since 1955 when, the area of the Latin Diocese of Coimbatore was given by the Holy See as the extended area of the Thrissur Diocese, our members realized that they had to meet a double challenge.

The first challenge was the pastoral care of the Catholics who had migrated to this area, and the second, which is equally important, to uplift the tribal people of the remote villages of Kerala and Tamilnadu. In the course of time, other challenges were also added according to the needs of the people. Substantial contributions were made in the field of education, social service and inter-religious amity.

English medium schools were developed at Coimbatore, Pollachi, Erode, Chennai, Hosur, Palakkad and Shoranur, and Perinthalmanna and a school for the differently-abled children was instituted at Chennimalai, Erode. Preshitha College of Education (for BEd) at Saravanampatty (Coimbatore) and Bharathamatha Arts and Science College at Kozhinjampara show Preshitha Province's entry into the domain of higher education.

Social activities were started at various centres in the Province. Major social projects are implemented under the auspices of PSS and ASSO at Pollachi and Attappady, respectively. Akasaparavakal, a new social institution for the homeless and the abandoned, started at Karimba, Vettathur and Kavundampalayam, receive much encouragement and support.

We are enthusiastically responding to the pastoral needs of the dioceses as and when called for. New centres have come up at Salem, Madurai, Chennai, Pondicherry, Dharmapuri and Hosur.

The Province has undergone tremendous growth in the number of personnel as well as institutions. Trusting in the Divine Providence, Preshitha Province is marching ahead with great vigour and dedication to spread Christ's Kingdom far and wide in the years to come. May our Patroness, Saint Therese of Lisieux, shower her heavenly gifts in abundance on this Province in particular, and on the CMI Congregation in general.