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544 BENEDICTVADAKKEKARA • sanctification, is what we have at heart, namely, to bring India to Christ through St Francis, thus following in the footsteps of our early fathers who were practically the pioneers of missionary work in India after the great Apostle St Thomas 13°. Though in terms of numbers the Novitiate of Sardhana and the Study of Mussoorie did yield satisfactory results, the symptoms were too evident to be ignored that the project of establishing the Order in India had come under the grip of a mysteriously debilitating malaise. This was a home truth for everyone concerned. Therefore, without the least intention to question the validity of the enterprise, the newly elected superiors decided to carry out a diagnostic inves– tigation. Those who were directly connected with the project were solicited to make a critical evaluation of their own experience and propose ways and means for making good the failures; the Order's initiative in India had to be urgently put on the right track 131 . The involvers in this survey were: Frs John Baptist Tirinnanzi of Florence (General Commissary for the Novitiate and the Study), Regular Superiors Armand of Vannes (Ajmer), Felix of Anvers (Lahore), Sylvester of Tasson (Simla), Christopher of Castel del Piano (Agra), Leo of Hompesch (Bombay), Mgr Raphael Bernacchioni (Agra) Mgr Angelo Poli (Allahabad), Frs Symphorian of Paris (Guardian and Novice Master), Andrew of Cospiena (Maltese; member of Sardhana Fraternity), Albert of Bargo San Lorenzo (Vice Master), Hilary of Arezzo (Sardhana), Louis of Seggiano (Guardian, Mussoorie), Arsenius of Sant'Agata (Director of the Study, Mussoorie) 132 • Fr Callixtus of Geispolsheim (Prov. Strasbourg); the Under General Secretary for :Missions, tabulated the feed– back and had it condensed into a five-page Memorandum and another five-page Annesso. In the light of his five-year experience at Sardhana and Mussoorie, Fr Ar– seniU:s thought of making the Superiors in Rome visualise what it was like running a Novitiate in India under the given circumstances. It was enough to 130 AGCap G 68, rv; Novizjato e Stud.to, "Relationes Parciculares": The Cleric Students to Fr General, Mussoorie 3 June 1926. The General's reply of 26 June 1926 was an exhortation to be adequately prepared to be missionaries. 131 AGCap G 68, II, Noviziato e Stud.to, Fr Commissary to Fr General, Mussoorie 19 August 1926: "Ho ricevuto la sua de! 14 June ed ho eseguito quanto mi ha ordinato. In attesa di informazioni dai Superiori Regolari ho dovuto ritardare la risposta". The Commissary had been charged with the task of carrying out the survey. 132 AGCap G 68, II, Novizjato e Stud.to, ''Damao - Mussoorie: Memorandum, Lettere d'informazioni precedenci il Decreto de! 19.II.1927".

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