Called by God,
to live a vibrant and authentic life
as friars minor in fraternities-on-mission,
and to cultivate the Spirit of Prayer and Devotion,
we dare to risk a life according to the Gospel,
by living in obedience,
without possessing anything as Our own,
and in chastity,
according to the example of Francis and Clare.
We choose to live and work in fraternal bonding
with those on the margins
of our multi-cultural/multi-religious Society,
and to bring, to all the message
of Peace, Justice and Love of Creation.
From 1291 onwards, many Franciscan Friars had come to India to preach the Gospel till a hostile Portuguese government put an end to it in 1838; and the last friar among them died in Kolkata in 1893. Once again, in 1925, friars of the English Province had come to India but their presence was small; and the last friar in India died in Bellary in 2009. The present Franciscan presence in India was established by the Dutch friars in 1948. The Custody of Mary the Mother of God was erected on 7th November 2008.
