The Bangalore foundations
In the meantime the young Brothers who had completed their novitiate went to Bangalore for their college studies. The Brothers’ first residence in Bangalore was bought by Bro. Julian Hétu in January 1963 and it was situated at 24 Palmgrove Road, in the Victoria Layout.
In the beginning of 1967, the Brothers bought a property on St.Mark’s Road, Bangalore, and soon shifted their residence from Palmgrove Road to St.Mark’s Road. In the meantime, the Brothers in India had been erected into a District in October 1966 with Bro. Jean-Paul Guindon as District Superior, and the St.Mark’s Road house became the residence of the District Superior as well as a house of studies.
The Salem foundations
Holy Cross School, Salem, was founded by Bro. Donald Nadeau in January 1963. Bro. Donald was assisted by Bro. Louis Leduc and Bro. Jean-Paul Guindon. When Bro. Donald left for Canada in August that year, Bro. Jean-Paul became Director of the school. The school presented its first batch to the Matriculation Examinations of Tamilnadu in April 1971: most of the ten candidates secured First Division and nobody failed.. Bro. Chacko Kannikat upgraded the school to the status of Higher Secondary School in June 1978. Holy Cross School was further expanded in 1993 when Bro. Gilbert Lasrado opened a primary section.
*Holy Cross Matriculation School, Ammapet, Salem : (https://www.salemholycross.com)
*Holy Cross International School (CBSE), Ammapet,Salem:(https://www.holycrossinternationalschool.com)
*Notre-Dame of Holy Cross School (CBSE), Gundukallur,Salem (https://www.notredamehcs.org)
Sterling Towers, Chennai
In 1970, the University of Bangalore decided to have a two-year course for PUC from then on. As some of our aspirants were completing Class XI in our Salem Matriculation School, we felt that it would be a loss of time to send them to Bangalore and therefore the Brothers began searching for a place in Madras where our aspirants could stay and do their one-year PUC course in Loyola College. And so in April 1971, the Brothers bought a property on Sterling Road, Madras. Bros. Aurele Tessier and Robert Thangkhanlang were sent there in April 1971 to establish that new foundation and Sterling Towers received its first aspirants two months later. The building of the new Sterling Towers began in March 2002 when Bro. Aurele was asked by Bro. Chacko to lay the foundation stone. Sterling Towers as it stands now was officially opened by Bro. John Gleason, Vicar General, and blessed by Bishop Pius on December 28, 2003.
Rahm’s House, Yercaud
In October 1971, the Brothers sold their Palmgrove property to the Franciscan Servants of Mary and simultaneously acquired a three-acre property called Rahm’s House in Yercaud. This would become a house of rest and relaxation and a retreat centre for the Brothers.
Bro. Ulysses Hamel had laboured in Bangladesh for many years. In May 1972, he joined the District of India and took residence in Calcutta where he founded Anandam Centre and worked among the youth. This Anandam Centre closed down in 1983 when Bro. Hamel shifted his residence to Bangalore.
Holy Cross Rûn, Mizoram
The Brothers of Holy Cross had left Mizoram in February 1968: because of the insurrection of the Mizos, the Brothers (who were then all foreigners) were not allowed to continue residing there. In March 1978, Holy Cross returned to Mizoram in the persons of Fr. Harry D’Silva and Bro. Robert Thangkhanlang and Bro. Dominic Sutzakhan. They settled down in Champhai, East Mizoram, where they were given a very large property by the Government of Mizoram. Holy Cross Rûn was founded in October 1978 and Holy Cross School opened three months later: that was the beginning of the high school we now have there.
Abhayadhama, Bangalore
In February 1977, Bro. Jean-Paul Pearson gathered a few street children in the Brothers’ old residence on St. Mark’s Road, Bangalore, and began educating them. This work came to be known as Abhayadhama. The Brothers having acquired a property in Whitefield, Bro. Jean-Paul and his street boys went in June 1978 and established their residence there. Abhayadhama soon became a refuge in great demand for the street urchins of Bangalore and even elsewhere. It was Fr. Laurent Landriault who introduced trades of carpentry, welding and tailoring in 1986 for the education of the Abhayadhama boys. In 2007, motor mechanics and driving was also added to the training of the boys. The new residence, built under the supervision of Bro. Dominic Sutzakhan, was opened and blessed by Rev. Fr. Hugh Cleary, Superior General, in December 2006.
Jyothi Mahal, Bangalore
When Bro. Aurele became District Superior in 1975, he began planning to make the District self-sufficient financially. This project was finally realized at the end of 1979 when the Jyothi Mahal commercial building was completed and rented out. This proved a very good investment and the District of the Brothers became financially self-sufficient from the very next year onwards.
Jeevan Jyothi I T I, Honavar
At the request of Bishop William D’Mello of Karwar, Bro. Fernand Bessette, District Superior, accepted the project of a technical institute in Honavar at the end of 1982 and transferred Bro. Robert to Honavar to undertake the construction. But it was only in June 1985 that Bro. Dominic began courses in carpentry and welding. A few years later, the course in carpentry was replaced by a course in motor mechanics. The technical institute was upgraded to an Indian Training Institute in 2005.
JEEVAN JYOTHI INDUSTRIAL TRAINING INSTITUTE (https://www.jeevanjyothiiti.org)
St. Joseph’s House, Aizawl
The latest new-born baby of the Vicariate is St. Joseph House, Thuampui, Aizawl. For many years, the Brothers working in Champhai had expressed the wish of having a residence in Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram. This dream was finally fulfilled when our Brothers bought a piece of land in Thuampui, in the suburb of Aizawl. Now St. Joseph’s House is not a mere residence: in January 2008, Holy Cross School, Thuampui was opened by Bro. Britto, the Vicariate Superior, and blessed by Bishop Stephen Rotluanga, Bishop of Aizawl.
Holy Cross School, Aizawl
Started to cater to the educational needs of the children of the Zemabawk Area where there is a good number of Non Mizos. Most of the children belong to Adivasi or Nepali communities that work in the Military and paramilitary establishments in the area.