NT BUZZ
The year 2026 marks the platinum jubilee of the presence of Daughters of St Paul in India, and 63 years in Goa. This milestone stands as a testimony to God’s enduring love.
From small rented rooms to vibrant centres of evangelisation, from fragile hopes to confident proclamation, the Pauline mission in India has unfolded as a story written by God.
Mission born of faith
The roots of this mission trace back to Blessed James Alberione, who on the night of December 31, 1900, spent five hours in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. During that vigil, he felt a clear call from God to do something for the people of the new century.
He later understood this inspiration as a mission to proclaim the Gospel using emerging means of social communication. Alberione became a pioneer in evangelising and educating through modern media, founding five religious congregations and five
secular institutes.
Desiring to reach out to more people with the Gospel, four Daughters of St Paul (of the five religious congregations) arrived in India on August 18, 1951. Venerable Thecla Merlo guided them in the new foundations.
Evangelising through media over the decades, the Pauline mission flourished across 15 states in India, with 19 Pauline Book and Media Centres serving as vibrant hubs of evangelisation and formation.
The Centres serves as spaces of encounter, where families, clergy, religious, and young people find nourishment for mind and soul. In an age flooded with information yet starved of meaning, the Pauline mission offers light, clarity,
and hope.
By engaging contemporary means of communication — print, audio visual media, digital platforms, and social networks — the sisters bring the Gospel into the heart of modern culture.
Beyond book centres, they organise media education workshops, conduct counselling sessions, animate parish communities, organise book displays, and collaborate with schools and colleges. Thus they not only distribute content but also form consciences, building responsible and faith-filled citizens for tomorrow.
A jubilee of gratitude and hope
Seventy five years of service is both a culmination and a beginning.
With renewed creativity, and unwavering trust in Divine Providence, the Daughters of St Paul in India move forward, committed to proclaiming Christ through every available means of communication, adapting to new technologies while remaining rooted in their spiritual heritage.
They celebrate the occasion, echoing Saint Paul’s confidence: that the Lord who began this good work will bring it to fulfillment.
