Nagaland UFS celebrates 50 years of service in North East

The Ursuline Franciscan Sisters (UFS) of the North East Province celebrated their Golden Jubilee on November 17, marking 50 years of dedicated service in the region. The commemorative event was held at Assisi Higher Secondary School Auditorium, Dimapur.
The celebration began with a Thanksgiving Mass, presided over by Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima, along with around 40 concelebrating priests. The programme witnessed participation from sisters and formees of the Province, guest sisters from across India including Rev. Sr. Lydia Serrao, Councillor General of UFS, pioneering missionaries, special invitees, and lay faithful.
In his address, Bishop Thoppil acknowledged the significant contributions of the Ursuline Franciscan Sisters to the Church and society in Nagaland and the North East. He praised their work in education, pastoral care, healthcare, and social development, describing their service as a living witness to God’s compassion.
Rev. Sr. Milly Fernandes, Superior General and president of the event, recalled the pioneering mission that began in 1975 at Meluri, Nagaland, with five sisters. She shared that the Province now comprises 169 members, including 135 daughters of the North East, and continues to serve in remote villages across the region.
Rev. Sr. Juliana Pereira, Provincial Superior, welcomed the dignitaries and expressed gratitude for their support and collaboration in the missionary journey of the UFS.
A highlight of the programme was the honouring of pioneering members, collaborators, benefactors, and institutional heads, with special remembrance of Rev. Sr. Edilburga Monteiro. The occasion also marked the Golden Jubilee of Religious Profession of Sr. Philomena Correa and Sr. Alice Mary Rego.
Speakers throughout the event expressed appreciation for the Sisters’ five decades of compassionate and transformative service. The congregation currently serves in 12 dioceses, with 169 sisters in 30 communities, and has extended its missionary presence to Europe and the United States.
The celebration concluded with a prayer of thanksgiving and a fellowship meal blessed by Rev. Fr. Johny, Parish Priest of Holy Cross Parish, Dimapur.