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504 BENEDICT VADAKKEKARA achieving results. Mgr Poli's preoccupation for the well-being of his Diocese, was fully shared by the Bolognese Province of the Capuchins. The Provincial not only welcomed the Order's plan to recruit natives into its ranks without reserve but also put its men and means in Allahabad at the disposal of the General for the execution of the same 9 • Getting rooted indigenously had already become the accepted policy of many a religious congregation in India. Remorsefully, some of the Capuchins began thinking aloud and expressed their fears that they would probably be missing the bus if they too did not climb on the bandwagon. While in Europe there loomed large a certain uncertainty about the future of the religious Institutes, the future of the European missionary in India did not appear any rosier. Some of the missionaries had for long been airing their views on this score, but were always off target 10 . The election of Fr Joseph Anthony of San Giovanni in Persiceto 11 as General Minister raised their hopes, as they thought that he would be able to find a way out of the stalemated situation and push through the plan of opening the Indian Novitiate 12 • It was not long before the new team of general superiors, after a scan of the horizon, decided to launch the project of establishing the Order in India. 9 C£ APCapBologna, Classe III, Serie 8, B-3, N.1, Fr Provincial (Nicholas of Cesena) to Fr General, Bologna 17 May 1921. 10 AGCap G 68, II A, Novizjato e Stud.to (lndie), Fr Peter Mary of Sant'Arcangelo di Ro– magna (Prov. Bologna, newly made Regular Superior of Allahabad) to Fr General, Shampura– Sagar 11 August 1920: "Oh quanta desidererei prima di morire di vedere attuata la mia brama che un be! noviziato e buoni studi vengano aperti da noi qui in India, come hanno i Gesuiti, per avere nuove reclute per l'Ordine e per le nostre troppo tenue schiere nelle missioni. Cio sarebbe anche molto conforme al desiderio de! S. Padre per la creazione de! sacerdozio indigeno. Inoltre siamo in tempi che mai si sa cosa possa succedere in Europa ed agli stranieri qui in India". 11 Fr Joseph Anthony Bussolari of San Giovanni in Persiceto (Prov. Bologna) elected General at the General Chapter of 1920; appointed Archbishop of Modena in May 1926. 12 Fr John Parigi of Loro Ciuffenna (Prov. Tuscany) to Fr General, Sardhana 10 August 1920: "Un Noviziato e quel che attualmente si richiede per molte ragioni, non ultima quella di assicurare le nostre care Missioni. Gli 8 giovani che l'anno scorso scelsi per questo· scopo, proseguono i loro studi alacremente ed ora sono quasi tutti. all'ultimo anno di Gynnasiurn e al fine della Grammatica Latina". AGCap G 68-II, Novizjato e Stud.to, Fr Master to Fr General, Sardhana 28 June 1922: "None of the tertiary Brothers, who are staying with Father John Parigi has joined us yet'', the Master lamented two years later. Fr John Capistran of Antwerp (Prov. Belgium) was the first Novice Master of Sardhana.