Dear Rev. Fathers and Brothers
Wish you the blessings and greetings of the feast of the Nativity of our beloved Mother!
“By the special grace of God we are called to be members of the Congregation, dear to the Mother of God. Our blessed Mother viewing our frailty took particular care of us and loved us in this Congregation.” (The testament written by St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara, in August, 1870)
After preparing the testament, and sealing it in an envelope, St. Kuriakose Elias Chavara entrusted it with the novice who was then the infirmarian. He had instructed the novice to hand it over to his spiritual director Rev. Fr. Leopold Beccaro, after his death and burial. The novice faithful to the express desire of Rev. Fr. Chavara gave the letter to Fr. Leopold on the 4th of January after the funeral of St. Chavara. How great was the confidence of our beloved founder in the novices!
Mom’s birthday is the most auspicious day for a CMI member to begin his novitiate life. Today our 78 postulants begin their canonical novitiate in our novitiate houses in Neriamangalam (20), Kozhikode (18), Budhni (13), Punalur (11), Ampazhakad (9), Velanthavalam (5), and Kenya (2). 77 novices complete their canonical novitiate and begin 90 days preparation for the vestition and first profession.
Let us offer our novices for the special intercession of our Lady so that our beloved mother will groom them as she did with His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Fr. Paul Achandy CMI
Prior General