Order of Friars Minors Capuchin (OFM Cap) is one of the First Orders of the Franciscan family; the other orders are being Order of Friars Minors (OFM) and Order of Friars Minors Conventuals (OFM Conv). All belong to the same Order of Friars Minor founded by Saint Francis of Assisi (1181-1226). The Rule of 1223 (Regula Bullata) approved by the Holy See has been the guiding principle of the Friars Minors. As the opening phrase of the Rule states the life of a Friar Minor is to ‘Live the Gospel of Christ.’ Besides the First Order, the women followers of Saints Francis and Clare are called Second Order (Poor Clares) and the Lay and Married members of Franciscan movement belong to the Third Order (Secular Franciscan Order).

Saint Francis wanted his life to be modelled after the life of Christ imitating as closely as possible in His poverty and humility. Followers of Saint Francis were also admonished to imitate the poor, humble and crucified Christ. The radical movement of the Franciscan Order shaped the life of the Church and reformed it by returning to the roots of the Gospel way of Christian living. Saint Francis insisted on the ‘Minority and Fraternity’ as the hallmark identity of the Friars. Following those Gospel principles of radical poverty and universal brotherhood, the Order flourished from the twelfth century onwards.

Historically after the death of Saint Francis, the difference of opinions among the Friars in giving emphasis on certain aspects of the Gospel way of living gave rise to various factions. Eventually, many groups were formed which later were recognized by the Church as different Orders of Observants and Conventuals, etc. History of the Capuchins goes back to 1528. A reform movement within the Observants initiated by Friars Matteo, Raphael and Ludovico, was recognised with a new constitution.

The friars of the Reform were called Capuchins due to the service they rendered to the poor, sick and homeless during the great plague that affected thousands of people in Italy in the fifteenth century. The ‘street servants’ were named ‘Capuchins’ as fondly called by children associating the ‘coffee-brown’ or ‘chest-nut brown’ colour habits of the friars and also by the simplified ‘capus,’ the hood attached to their habit at the back. The charism of the Capuchin Order is ‘Live the Gospel of Christ in Fraternity and Minority.’ The coupling of the active and contemplative aspects of the Franciscan movement was the highlight of the Capuchin Reform. Living in dependence on ‘table of the Lord’ is an expression of being an authentic mendicant, seeking help and sustenance from others when needed. Saint Felice of Cantalice, a lay brother was the first Capuchin saint who has been a model of such charismatic Capuchin, begging from door to door and bringing food to the friars. Living in brotherhood is another aspect of the charism where individualism and egoistic tendency are curtailed. Saint Francis exhorted his friars to take care of the other friar as a mother would do to her child.

The fast expansion of the Capuchin Order took place from the beginning of the fifteenth century. In 1632, the French Capuchin Friars came as chaplains to French army personnel in Pondicherry and later they moved to Madras. Many churches and parishes in present-day Pondicherry-Cuddalore and Madras-Mylapore dioceses bear witness to the missionary and pastoral work of French Capuchins. After a few decades of service, their mission ended abruptly. Later in the late 19th Century, with Canadian, American, Italian Capuchin working in Central and North India, Capuchin presence was revived in India. With the founding of the Novitiate in Mussoriee and Sardhana, later shifted to Mangalore in 1922, the number of native Indian vocations to Capuchin Order gradually increased. By 1963, Indian Province of Immaculate Conception of Mary was formed. In 1972, around 400 friars were there and the Indian Province was divided into four jurisdictions, namely St.Francis Province of Kerala, St.Joseph’s Province of Kerala, Holy Trinity of Karnataka, Maharastra and Goa, and Amala Annai Province of Tamil Nadu. As of now in 2018, there are 12 provinces in India, 2 custodies and 4 mission delegations, with around 1670 friars. Many provinces have sent their friars to mission countries. There is a Conference of Capuchin Major Superiors of India (CCMSI) which takes of the animation of the provinces.

The General Curia is situated in Rome. The General Minister and his 9 councillors animate the entire order present in all five continents, with around 10,600 friars. There is a general councillor specially designated for India who conducts canonical visitations of the provinces and animates them. The General Curia has a number of offices, like formation, economy, mission animation, communication, secular Franciscan order animation, postulation, procura, Justice-Peace, etc.

The Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans), in its attempt to remain faithful to the intentions of the founder, St. Francis of Assisi, went through many difficulties in the course of its history, which led to disagreements and divisions. The three major branches of the First Order for Religious men, the Franciscan Friars Minor, the Conventual Friars Minor and the Capuchin Friars Minor have their own organization and legal structure, but share Francis as their Father and Founder. The Capuchins are the youngest branch, going back to 1525, when some Friars Minor in the Marches wanted to live a stricter life of prayer and poverty to be closer to the original intentions of St. Francis. Thanks to the support of the Papal Court the new branch received early recognition and grew fast, first in Italy, and since 1574 all over Europe.

The name Capuchins refers to the peculiar shape of the long hood. Originally, a popular nickname, it has become the official name of the Order, which now exists in 104 countries all over the world, with around 18,000 brothers living in more than 1,800 communities (fraternities, friaries). Simplicity, closeness to the people, a fraternal spirit in our houses and our apostolate are visible signs that mark our lifestyle, while the emphasis on penance and prayer in the life of the first Capuchins needs to be revived. Besides the Capuchin Order for Religious men, there exist many contemplative monasteries of Capuchin nuns and a multitude of religious congregations for women with the Capuchin spirit, often founded with the assistance of a Capuchin friar. The Secular Franciscan Order for lay people is an independent organization encompassing the whole Franciscan spectrum. Franciscans, Conventuals, Capuchins and other members of the Franciscan Family give spiritual assistance to the Secular Franciscan Order. All these groups of professed religious and secular Franciscans form the Franciscan Family.

The Order of the Friars Minor Capuchin took root in Indian soil some 380 years ago, and bore fruit abundantly. It started like a small mustard seed when a band of six French Capuchin missionaries from Syria joined a group of French sailors to East India and arrived at Pondicherry, a small ham1et on the Tamil coast on January 8, 1632. This was the principal arrival of the Capuchins in India followed by the subsequent establishment of missions in Surat (1639) and in Madras (1642). The spiritual thirst of this ancient land, India, attracted other missionary endeavours as well.

In 1707, a group of Italian Capuchins ventured as missionaries in to Tibet, leading Rome, in 1832. to elevate the prefecture of Tibet-Hindustan into a Vicariate, comprising the whole of North India, Pakistan. Nepal and Tibet. The missionary need of the vast Vicariate, entrusted to the Capuchins, brought zealous Capuchin missionaries from France, Italy, Switzerland. Austria, Belgium. England, Ireland, Malta, America and Canada. The tireless labour of these first Capuchin missionaries contributed significantly to the Christian and the Catholic mission in India with the establishment of 35 dioceses by them. The Order also took strong roots in the Indian soil so that a novitiate was established at Mussoorie, North India as early as 1880 to cater to the local vocations.

The vibrant growth of the Order in India and the political situation of the Asian continent in general witnessed the establishment of a General Commissariat and an Indian Unit of the Order in 1921. Fr. John Baptist Trannanzi of Florence, from the Province of Tuscany was the first Commissary General while the first Indian Unit of the Order was entrusted to the four Superiors Regular of the North Indian Mission. namely: Agra, Ajmer, Allahabad and Lahore. The Indian Unit was later raised to the status of Custody (Commissariat) and was entrusted to the Province of Paris on February 21, 1927. The re-opening of the Novitiate in 1922 in Northern India and its subsequent shifting to Southern India in 1930 led to a rapid growth in local vocations so that St. Joseph’s Friary at Kotagiri. Tamil Nadu was established in 1949 as the first house of theology for the Capuchins in India. The study growth of the Order received further impetus with the appointment of Fr. Cassian Timmins, a Canadian, 10 the Commissariat in 1957, with Shanthi Ashram at Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu becoming the curia of the commissariat.

The hand of the Lord mightily blessed the growth of the Order in India, increasing its numbers from 41 (1933) to almost 200 (1960). The growth continued unabated and the Indian commissariat was soon elevated to a full-fledged Capuchin Province in 1962 under the patronage of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Fr. John Berchmans of Chirakadavu was appointed the first Provincial Minister of the Province of India. By 1967, the Indian Capuchin province consisted of some 500 friars distributed among the 40 friaries established in five states: Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. Besides, they were also working in many other Northern States of India and in Malaysia as missionaries implanting the Order. The abundant growth and the efficient organization of these fruits necessitated restructuring and smaller jurisdictions. Br. Paschal Rywalski, the then General Minister, and his definitory decided to divide the Capuchin Religious Province of India into four smaller units. This gave birth to the three Indian Capuchin Provinces and one Vice-Province: Amala Annai Province: Tamil Nadu, 51. Joseph Province: Kerala, Holy Trinity Province: Karnataka-Goa-Maharashtra (KGM), and St. Francis Vice-Province: Kerala. The decree to this effect, signed on May 09, 1972, was promulgated at St. Joseph’s Friary, Kotagiri, on May 17 the same year by Br. Aloysius Ward, the General Definitor.

The Capuchin history of Amala Annai Province goes back far earlier than 1972. Tamil Nadu enjoys a special privilege in the history of Christian tradition and Capuchin presence in India.

Tamil Nadu is a land of exceptional culture and tradition dating back to 5000 years of civilization, and its language “Tamil” is one of the living languages of antiquity like Greek, Latin and Sanskrit. The Christian tradition holds that 51. Thomas, one of the Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ, preached the Good News and was martyred at Mylapore, Madras, now known as Chennai in AD 72.

Fr. John of Monte Corvino, the first Franciscan missionary to India ministered at Mylapore from 1291 to 1292, Later, the feet of the first Six French Capuchin missionaries touched the land of Pondicherry in 1632 leading to the foundation of the first Capuchin Mission, it was officially erected in the year 1674. During this time, Fr. Ephraim de Nevers, a French Capuchin missionary, founded also the first Christian mission in Madras in the new township of the British on July 8, 1642. This efficient and effective Capuchin missionary erected the first church in Madras and founded the first English medium school in India. These Capuchins served from1632 to 1834 (202 years) in the Tamil region and became the pioneer missionaries to the dioceses of Pondicherry, Madras and Chingleput, establishing new Christian Catholic Communities, erecting churches and responding to the social concerns of the People. The first French missionaries continued their evangelization mission in South India until 1834. The mission ended due to lack of personnel caused by the French Revolution in 1789. However, the Lord’s grace ended the 109 years of Capuchin absence in Tamil Nadu, with the establishment of the Indian Commissariat in 1921 and the subsequent re-entry into Tamil Nadu in Amalashram, Srirangam, Trichy on June 13, 1943. Amalashram became one of the man cradles of the re-establishment of the Capuchins throughout India and more particularly in Tamil Nadu, with the establishment of Tamil Nadu Province in 1972.

Amala Annai Province (meaning Immaculate Conception), Tamil Nadu was established within the territorial jurisdiction of Tamil Nadu, India during the bifurcation of the united Province of India on May 9, 1972. Br. Jonathan Nathan was appointed the first Provincial with Coimbatore continuing to be the Provincial curia of the new Province. At that time there were fifty friars and seven friaries. With a steady inflow of Tamil vocations, the province grew day after day, spreading into sixteen dioceses, establishing twenty-four friaries, of which fourteen are parishes and six are animation centres. The Capuchins are a force to be reckoned with, within the Church in Tamil Nadu, with their evangelical, spiritual, pastoral and social activities all over this region. The Lord has blessed the province abundantly with vocations.

The mission and ministry of this province are not confined within its walls. Following the itinerant nature of the Order, the ministry of this province has reached far and wide. Tamil Nadu province reached the shores of Africa in 1989 by undertaking the Zimbabwe mission. The zeal and the dedication of the Tamil missionaries gave birth to a custody in Zimbabwe in 1999. In the same year, the province was also entrusted with the mission of Burkina Faso (West Africa). Apart from the African missions, the province also assists other Capuchin provinces such as: the General Vice Province of Arabia since 1987, The Capuchins of Central Canada since 1995, and the Province of France since 2003. Thus province has also responded readily to any request of the Order for ministry and mission at the international level.

The steady and vibrant growth of the Order in Tamil Nadu during the past 40 years has now come to the moment of bearing further fruits. The idea of the province’s bifurcation was initiated and reflected upon extensively from 2005 in various forums of chapters and provincial meetings. In view of a possible bifurcation of the Province, the General Definitory approved a pastoral visitation of the Province by Br. Peter Rodgers, the General Definitor and Br. Francis Christi Vattakuzhy. After consulting extensively, with individuals and groups at diverse levels, the General Definitory of the Order decided to establish two new circumscriptions (Prot. N. 00953/ 10, dated April 05, 2011).

The new Province has the Amala Annai (Immaculate Conception) as its Patroness. The boundaries of the Province of Northern Tamil Nadu will consist of the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, the Archdiocese of Pondicherry & Cuddalore, and the Dioceses of Chingleput, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Salem, Kumbakonam, Tiruchirapalli and the Diocese of Tanjore, as it subsists at the moment of the promulgation of this decree. Udhayam polytechnic college, Thenkuda, in the Province of Southern Tamil Nadu is an extra territorial house belonging to the Province of Northern Tamil Nadu. Gnanalaya, Trichy, will be the proposed Provincialate.

The Province will be responsible for the Domus Praesentiae of Burkina Faso, and the collaboration with the Capuchin Province of Prance. It will also be available for service in the General Vice Province of Arabia.

Furthermore, it is established that an extraordinary provincial chapter s hall be held within one year at which all perpetually professed friars of the Province will participate (Const. I l l, §4). This Chapter shall discuss the life and the witness of the brothers, prepare a Statute of the new Province, and draw up capitular and electoral procedures for use In the elective chapter.

The steady and vibrant growth of the Order in Tamil Nadu during the past 40 years has now come to the moment of bearing further fruits. The idea of the province’s bifurcation was initiated and reflected upon extensively from 2005 in various forums of chapters and provincial meetings. In view of a possible bifurcation of the Province, the General Definitory approved a pastoral visitation of the Province by Br. Peter Rodgers, the General Definitor and Br. Francis Christi Vattakuzhy. After consulting extensively, with individuals and groups at diverse levels, the General Definitory of the Order decided to establish two new circumscriptions (Prot. N. 00953/ 10, dated April 05, 2011).

The new Province has the Amala Annai (Immaculate Conception) as its Patroness. The boundaries of the Province of Northern Tamil Nadu will consist of the Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore, the Archdiocese of Pondicherry & Cuddalore, and the Dioceses of Chingleput, Vellore, Dharmapuri, Salem, Kumbakonam, Tiruchirapalli and the Diocese of Tanjore, as it subsists at the moment of the promulgation of this decree. Udhayam polytechnic college, Thenkuda, in the Province of Southern Tamil Nadu is an extra territorial house belonging to the Province of Northern Tamil Nadu. Gnanalaya, Trichy, will be the proposed Provincialate.

The Province will be responsible for the Domus Praesentiae of Burkina Faso, and the collaboration with the Capuchin Province of Prance. It will also be available for service in the General Vice Province of Arabia.

Furthermore, it is established that an extraordinary provincial chapter s hall be held within one year at which all perpetually professed friars of the Province will participate (Const. I l l, §4). This Chapter shall discuss the life and the witness of the brothers, prepare a Statute of the new Province, and draw up capitular and electoral procedures for use In the elective chapter.