WELCOME
“I have come that they may have LIFE, life in all its fullness.” Jn. 10:10
Who We Are
Since 1978 the Congregation of Tildonk has had an international congregational government, composed of members from the various provinces. With a view to fostering the internationality of the congregation, the 1978 General Chapter mandated the General Government to apply for Pontifical Status, which was granted on October 18, 1982. The General Constitutions and Directives, Fullness in the Life of Christ, were approved on September 15, 1983, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows.
Inspired by the life and charism of Angela Merici, foundress of the Ursuline tradition, and of our founder, John Lambertz, we are committed to the mission of the universal Church. Our specific mission is to make God known and loved by responding to the needs of the local Church wherever we are. In responding to these needs, our congregation accepts a diversity of ministries while giving priority to education in its broadest sense.
The 1996 General Chapter mandated that the Indian Province be divided because of the large number of sisters and great distances between houses. Thus, three provinces and a district were created in 1997. Vocations are flourishing in India and gradually increasing in the Vice-Province of DR Congo. All Ursulines throughout the world trace their roots to Saint Angela Merici. In 1818 Reverend John Lambertz, the parish priest in Tildonk, Belgium, founded a new branch of the Ursulines of Tildonk. From Belgium, the Ursulines of Tildonk expanded into other parts of Europe and Indonesia. Today they minister in Belgium, India, Canada, the United States, the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), and most recently Guyana.
What We Do
01.
Education Apostolate
The missionaries who came to Ranchi started an education apostolate first because that was the need of the hour. The very first convents were Ranchi, Khunti, Tongo, Rengarih, and Noatoli. These places had school and needlework. Convents and schools were opened very rapidly even outside Jharkhand. Ranchi was the very first school. Ranchi had a primary teachers’ training school and later shifted to Lohardaga.
02.
Special emphasis on Girls’ education
With the slogan, “When the girls are educated, the family is also educated,” the special emphasis on girls’ education took root in Ranchi Province. Thus, schools for girls are spreading far and wide in the most remote areas of the state of Jharkhand. Also, quite a few hostels for the girls from villages at Ranchi and other places in Jharkhand, like Tongo, Rengarih, Lohardaga, Khunti, Dumka, and so on.
03.
Fundamental focus on health and Hygiene
Our focus shifted from education to hospitals after stabilizing the schools. At Ranchi Province, there are 3 hospitals, namely St. Ursula Hospital, Lohardaga; St. Angela Hospital, Chanmari; and Ursula Health Centre, Dumka, and many dispensaries where countless numbers of patients are getting low-cost treatment and care. All those who cannot afford the payment of expert doctors and hospitals come to get healed in our hospitals and dispensaries.
04.
Women empowerment
Our first missionaries started their mission with needlework for women and girls. This is mainly for their livelihood and self-sustenance and to give dignity to their lives. Along with needlework, they learned religion, singing, and prayers. Thus the women and girls were empowered. Hostels for girls too are part of this mission to empower women.
05.
Dropout and rescued children
Another aspect of empowering girls took shape as the shelter home for dropout and rescued children developed. The deprived children are brought to the mainstream as they join these shelter homes.
06.
Asha Kiran Fudi
Animation of the youth—The province gives clarity to their vision and objectives of the youth by means of hostels for different age groups. The spiritual, physical, temporal needs of the hostellers are taken care and are given direction to realize their vision and objects for life. They are helped in selecting a suitable carrier to make their future successful.
07.
Enhancement of Spiritual Life
The candidates who want to join Ursuline Way of life are initiated into the early stage of formation i.e. candidacy. Those who complete Candidacy move to postulancy and those generous souls who are selected from postulants join the novitiate. The formation at the Congregation is ongoing and Juniors are taken care of at different levels and more opportunities are provided like secular studies etc. The focus of Ursuline formation is to prepare sisters who are well educated, trained in the Spiritual Exercises,trained to be teachers or Nurses or doctors or social workers and have the skills to minister in a diverse and ever changing environment. Today it requires a good sum of money to support each Ursuline in formation.
08.
Apna Ghar
When any senior lady require medical assistance and there is no one to look after, the Ursuline sisters give them shelter in Apna Ghar and they are provided both a home, and skilled nursing care. This care is administered by medical professionals and made possible by the generosity of many friends, former students and benefactors and even by the local government.
Is God Calling You?
BECOME AN URSULINE
The first step in becoming an Ursuline is to make a formal application to join the candidacy. The candidacy lasts between six months and one year. This is a time of serious planning with the intention of actually entering into the religious life and an Ursuline way of life. A candidate is not yet a member of the community. She is responsible for all her own expenses during candidacy. The candidate has the opportunity to really live life as an Ursuline Sister. The candidate joins in the community’s prayer life, both common prayer and Eucharist. She continues to nurture her own personal prayer and relationship to God. She develops a rhythm of prayer and ministry along with all the small responsibilities of living with others.
One of the things that Catholics believe is that God calls everyone to some vocation, some specific way of living out holiness. It could be as a married person, a single person, a priest or vowed religious, or a nun.
So the answer to the question is that God IS calling you. The next question you need to answer is this: to what way of life is God calling you? Do you think God might be directing you to think about becoming a nun?
Vision
“I have come that they may have LIFE, life in all its fullness.” Jn. 10:10
Support us
1. Formation of Ursulines
2. Care of sick, senior, and infirm
Through gifts, large or small, through prayers, through some contributions you can make possible the daily miracles of Jesus and His ministries throughout the world. There are a number of ways for you to support the work of the Ursulines.