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ESTABLISHMENT OF CAPUCHIN ORDER IN INDIA- II 555 translocation of the Novitiate and the Study into a heartland of Christianity in the South. If the proposals of various locations in North India for erecting the Study fell flat, those targeted in the South failed to take of£ It was with' the landing of the Maltese Capuchins in the Diocese of Damaun (near Bombay) in 1923 that South India began to interest the Capuchins seriously. There was growing collaboration between the Maltese friars and their confreres in North India. In 1924 Fr Leo of Hompesch, the Superior of Damaun, participated in the meeting of the Regular Superiors held in Sardhana. It did not take long for the Maltese friars to get settled down in Damaun, where established families of Catholics were in plentiful. At its meeting of 6 February 1923 the General Definitory approved the canonical erection of the Domus religiosae in loco Bandora, Diocesis Damanensis 165 • These friars founded units of the Franciscan Third Order and were pastorally very active. Their efforts soon fructified; four of their recruits were already novices in Sardhana. A generous well-wisher desired to donate to them eight acres of land, on the one condition that a Friary would be erected on it. This offer was on the agenda of the annual session of the Regular Superiors that took place on 7 February 1924; the meeting resolved to accept it; the House of Philosophy was to be built there and it was to begin functioning by October 1924. The House of Theology would be built at a second stage and it would be in Mylapore 166 • The Regular Superior of Allahabad 165 Cf. AGCap AH 12, "Acta Definitorii Generalis 1920-1930", 101. 166 AGCap G 68, II, Novizjato eStudio, Fr Regular Superior to Fr General, Agra 26 Febru– ary 1924: "In questi giorni ho anche ricevuto una lettera da Mgr Pera, Vicario Generale della diocesi di Damaun dove mi informa che il vescovo e contentissimo della decisione del meeting e vuole aver notizia della risposta di V.P. Rev.ma appena che questa ci giungera.... Sano ancora consapevole che anche lo stesso Arcivescovo di Bombay brama di averci vicini''. The Resolution no 3 of the Meeting of the Regular Superiors reads: "As there are now three clerics professed and three more will be professed soon, the question of opening a house of studies was consid– ered. Mussoorie, Mylapore, Bombay were placed before the meeting. Resol. a. that the students of philosophy be sent to Bombay about October; b. That Fr Leo be commissioned to look for a house in the surroundings of Bombay, to be rented and used as a house of studies, until such rime as we get our own house;... e. Each Reg. Superior to pay the travelling expenses from Sardhana to Bombay of the students allotted to him". The Regular Superiors also decided to ask th'.e General "to give the proceeds of 'Opus Seraphicum Missarum Lucernae' for a few years for the purpose of helping us to build a house of studies". The General was requested to have two Fathers sent to Mylapore to take possession of the house there and ready it as the House of Theology.