Nullam dignissim, ante scelerisque the is euismod fermentum odio sem semper the is erat, a feugiat leo urna eget eros. Duis Aenean a imperdiet risus.
Nullam dignissim, ante scelerisque the is euismod fermentum odio sem semper the is erat, a feugiat leo urna eget eros. Duis Aenean a imperdiet risus.
The Little Flower Congregation has its origin on 19th March 1931 at Mookkannur, a village 7 kilometres North-East of Angamaly, in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam, Kerala. It was started,as a Society of Brothers under the name ‘Little Flower Brotherhood’ admitting two candidates – Joseph Kachira (Bro. Benedict) and Joseph Nedumpuram (Bro.Arsenius) by late Rev. Fr. Thomas Panat, a priest from the Archdiocese of Ernakulam, who was later known as Fr. Basilius CST. He started the Brotherhood with the permission of Mar Augustine Kandathil the then Archbishop of Ernakulam.
As the founder, Rev. Fr. Basilius was all in all of this community. In spite of his whole-hearted, selfless and strenuous efforts and prayers for 15 years, he could not find a steady growth of this community. Therefore, in 1945 with the consent of the members who were all Brothers, Fr. Basilius sought the permission from the Archbishop to reorganize the Congregation by admitting candidates also for priesthood. On 27 December 1945 Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil gave permission to admit students for priesthood for better realization of the aim of the Congregation, especially the Missionary and Social Apostolate (cf. Ernakulam Missam January 1946). In June 1946 the First Batch of students for priesthood was admitted. The Constitution of the reorganized Religious Institute (thereafter called Little Flower Congregation) was written by Rev. Fr. Basilius and was approved by Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil on 8 October 1947. With the reorganization there emerged a new enthusiasm and vigour in the life and activities of the Congregation. New houses were established and members embarked on several new projects in accordance with the charism of the Congregation. A Petit Seminary was started at Mookkannur on 1 June 1948. The First Ordination to priesthood in our Congregation took place on 1 June 1956.
Very Rev. Fr. Basilius was appointed in 1955 as the first Superior General of the Congregation by the Congregation for the Oriental Churches. He was then asked to revise the Constitution according to the New Oriental Code of Canon Law. The Constitution was revised accordingly and it was approved by Archbishop Mar Joseph Parecattil (later Cardinal) on 18 April 1963.
A few years later on the basis of the desire expressed by the Brothers for greater autonomy, the Oriental Congregation directed His Eminence late Joseph Cardinal Parecattil to appoint a special Commission to study the question and to report to Rome its findings. In the light of the findings of this Commission and the information gathered from the two sections viz. Priests and Brothers by holding discussions with them, His Eminence Mar Joseph Cardinal Parecattil sent a report to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches on 15 September 1977 recommending the division of the Congregation into two autonomous bodies: Clerical and Lay. Accepting this recommendation, the Oriental Congregation appointed Very Rev. Fr. Cyril, the then Superior General of the Order of the Imitation of Christ (later Major Archbishop of the Syo-Malankara Church) its delegate to pave the way for the smooth division of the Congregation. On the basis of the report submitted by him to the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, the Sacred Congregation directed His Eminence Mar Joseph Cardinal Parecattil by decree Prot. N. 512/ 68, dated 9 November 1978 to issue two decrees for the erection of two distinct Congregations iuris eparchialis.
Hence by virtue of this decree His Eminence Mar Joseph Cardinal Parecattil officially and canonically erected the community of the Fathers as a Clerical Congregation iuris eparchialis on the 8 December 1978 and named it the Little Flower Congregation alias CST Fathers.
As per the instruction issued by His Eminence Mar Joseph Cardinal Parecattil along with the Decree of Erection, a General Synaxis was convoked in 1979 for revising the Constitution and Statutes. The Constitution and Statutes thus revised and finalized in the General Synaxis was approved by His Eminence Mar Joseph Cardinal