The Ursuline Franciscan Educational Society is registered under the Registrar of Societies on April 3, 1964 for the promotion of education to enable the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation to set up, administer and maintain educational institutions, general and special schools and vocational centres to give standardized and sound education primarily to the children of the Catholic Community compatible with the teaching of the Catholic Church and to all without distinction of caste, creed, religion or community.
A. The Founding Members of the Ursuline Franciscan Educational Society are Rev. Mother Genevive Castelino, Mother Reparata D’Souza, Mother Carita Sequeira, Mother Margaret D’Souza, Mother Ernestine D’Almeida, Mother Elise Mendonca, Sr Alicia Suares, Sr Nympha Menezes and Sr Eugenia D’Souza. Rev. Mother Genevive Castelino, Mother Reparata D’Souza and Mother Carita Sequeira were the President, Secretary and Treasurer of the Society respectively.
St Ursula’s Hr. Pry. School is the first Kannada school started in 1902 by the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters in Bolar, Mangalore. The School got the approval Dis: No. 395/D/27/District Education Council 24-11-1927 and admitted to grant the same year. At Present the school is under the administration of Catholic Board of Education, Mangalore. In 1902 an Industrial School was also opened at Bolar to educate the women in tailoring and embroidery.
B. The Fifth and the Sixth General Chapter of the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation elected Rev. Mother Ernestine D’Almeida as the Superior General and she became the President of the Society from 1968 to 1980 as specified in the bye-laws of the memorandum of the Society. Sr Severine Barrows took charge as the Secretary from 1968 to 1980 launched the mission into remote villages of Mysore, Dharwad, Bangalore, Karwar and opened school in North East state of Mizoram.
C. The seventh General Chapter in 1980 elected Rev. Mother Reparata as the Superior General and she became the President of the society from 1980 to 1992 and Sr Claudia Tauro was appointed as Secretary of the Society and worked in that capacity from 1980 to 1992. Sr Claudia Tauro, as a seasoned Headmistress made choices on the basis of priorities. She redrafted the memorandum,and equipped the personnel of the society with renewal programs. A day school as well as evening school was started in Nagaland for those who could not afford regular day school.
D. At the General Chapter of 1992 Rev. Sr Edilburga Monteiro was elected as Superior General and she became the President of Ursuline Franciscan Education Society® from 1992 to 2004. She appointed Sr Irene D’Souza as the Secretary of the Society. Sr Irene D’Souza devised the UFES manual, ‘The Heritage’ documenting files and Registers of the society and visited the staff personally. During this tenure schools were opened in Kasargod District Lucknow, Bahedi in Uttar Pradesh, Guma in West Bengal and Kanchipuram District in Tamilnadu.
The rapid growth in number Sisters and institutions necessitated in 1997 the erection of Provinces. In line with the decentralization move of the Ursuline Franciscan Congregation the power of educational institutions, which was vested with General Secretary was shared now with the Deputy Secretaries. The Provincial Councillor of the Province holding the portfolio of education became the Deputy Secretary in the concerned Province.
The New millennium ushered in new beginnings. Special School at Venur was started for differently- abled children. Pre-University Colleges were started in Hubli and Hunsur. School for children in slums at Bijapur was started in 2002. Advisory Commissions were formed at Province Level and Education Cell at Generelate level to streamline the administration in all fields.
E. The eleventh General Chapter elected Rev. Sr Doreen D’Souza as the successor of Rev. Sr Edilburga Monteiro. Rev. Sr Doreen D’Souza headed the Office of the Superior General and as the President of Ursuline Franciscan Education Society from 2004 to 2016. She appointed Sr Lily Fernandes as the Secretary to the Society. Sr Lily Fernandes translated the educational Manual ‘Heritage’ in Kannada, revised the ‘Service Rules and Rules of Conduct and Discipline’ in English as well as in Kannada. Organized the residential Basic counseling courses to the teachers, fostering ecological movement in all the schools through programs 2010 onwards, obtained certificates of Minority Educational Institution to UFES Schools, attended regularly Parent teacher Association meetings and created awareness, on PTA role in Education.
Year 2004 marks the entry of Ursuline Franciscan Sisters in to the Continent of Africa. Assisi Pre-Primary School as well as Pre-Form education at Stelling, Tanzania initiated. Sisters administer four schools in Tanzania and one school in Kenya. Schools in North Karnataka in Shanthi Nagar, Hubli, Hangal, and Shorapur were started. A First Grade Degree college was started in Hunsur, Pre-University College was started at Chennai and St Mary School at Vorkady and Assisi Central School at Bagambila obtained affiliation with the Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE).
The Year 2014 marks the Golden Jubilee year of the Ursuline Franciscan Educational Society. A well set Golden Jubilee Program was organized in Bejai, Mangalore.
The Treasurers of the Society in the years are:
Sr M. Carita Sequeira ( 1964-1980)
Sr Lilly Dias (1980-1985)
Sr Angeline Sequeira (1985-1998)
Sr Trecilla D’Mello (1998-2010)
Sr Genevive Pinto ( 2010-2016)
Sr Pramila D’Cunha (2016 onwards)
F. In 13th General Chapter (2016) of Ursuline Franciscan Congregation Rev. Sr Apoline (Susheela) Sequeira is elected as the Superior General of the Congregation. As per the ‘Memorandum’ of the society at present she is the President of the Ursuline Franciscan Educational Society. She has appointed Sr Lucy Lilly Pinto, the Councilor General as the Secretary of the Ursuline Franciscan Educational Society® from 2016. She has pioneered the ‘Ursuline Franciscan Blooms’ in schools to encourage leadership and a life of virtue among the students. Launching of Ursuline Franciscan Educational Society Website is done. She also has conducted inspection of schools to make the administration of schools more transparent and effective.
“God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called” The foundation laid by the pioneers has been exemplary launching pad for the successive members of the Congregation to march forward. May God help and bless everyone who is part of the society to have a glorious path to tread ahead.