Description

The Congregation of the Malabar Missionary Brothers (MMB) was founded by Msgr. Zacharias Vazhapilly at Thrissur on 16th May 1948, Pentecost Sunday. Msgr. Vazhapilly selected October 19, 1952- Mission Sunday-for the Religious Profession of the first batch, reminding the Brothers of their missionary responsibility. This marked the canonical erection of the community. Four batches of Brothers completed Religious formation by 1959. During the first twenty-five years MMB paid much attention to get a footing in Kerala and other states of South India, through a network of charitable institutions in various centers.

Having attained a stage of stability in South India, in the year 1976 the Brothers moved to North India to take part in the missionary activities of the Northern Church. Starting in the Diocese of Sagar, we gradually spread out in to the dioceses of Satna, Bhopal, Gorakhpur, Jhansi, Bareilly, Jagadalpur & Hazaribagh Daltonganj.  Assisi Region was formed in 1996 January 6 with headquarters at Bhopal which comprised all Houses and institutions in North India. The Houses and service centers in the South continued under the Generalate. For establishing the better administrative system, MMB was bifurcated into Provinces in the great jubilee year 2000. The Assisi Province consisting of the communities and related centers in North India began functioning on June 10, with headquarters at Bhopal.

Province started to admit candidates from North India in the year 2008. Considering the better formation of candidates the Navjyoti community was divided into Provincialate and Navjyoti Gurukul. The ‘Gurukul’ started functioning in the new building on 15^th of September 2019 in the Provincialate campus.

From the beginning onwards the brothers were very passionately engaged in visiting villages for different surveys to get to know their basic needs of the people. This helped them to chalk out different programs like, health care of elders and mother and child, literacy program for dropouts, empower women by self help groups, and technical training for the unemployed youths etc.

A non formal ITI was started in 1996 with 5 trades namely Welder, Fitter, Electrician, Automobile & Driving and Printing Technology. For the better training the production centers of welding, Automobile and Printing attached to it in the same year. The Automobile section was stopped on 2005 and Welding and Printing centers are continuing till now. When the need of the non formal technical training diminished with experience of non formal education brothers started for working in the field of formal education.   An English medium school for the low income group was started in the year 2020. Due to the Covid-19 lockdown the functioning of the school was started in 2022 with 60 students. 

Under the Provincialate a social service department is working on different programs. We are conducting tailoring centers, Self Help Groups and tuition centers in the villages. The social work department also gives tailoring training in Bhopal central Jail for women. Through the centers we distribute sewing machines for the under privileged women. Children from the villages are benefitting through the tuition centers of dropouts.

Provincialate House continues as the administrative office of Assisi province and the residence for the brothers serving in the different institutions at the campus. Under the leadership of Bro. Sojan Paikada, Provincial Superior, Rev. Brothers Francis Painadath, Sunnylal Avarappattu, Amalraj Alappatt, Prakash Mannarathara and Balam Kujur are serving here.