In the year 1902 Mother Margaret Marie, the Provincial Superior of Kamptee purchased a bungalow Fox Rock on the outskirts of the Hill Station of Pachmarhi to begin a Primary School and a Boarding establishment. Due to financial crisis it was closed down in a short time. Later it was used as a summer residence for the senior sisters of Kamptee.
In 1960 Mother Francis James, the provincial superior, with her councilors decided to shift the provincial residence to Fox Rock. Thus the provincial house was shifted from Kamptee to Pachmarhi.
On December 8th 1964 the foundation stone of the present provincial house was laid by His Grace Rev. Dr. Eugene DSouza, Archbishop of Bhopal. In 1967 the Novitiate was shifted from Cusslough to Fox Rock. The building was completed in 1968. In the same year Juniorate was began which later on in the year 1982 -83 was shifted to Bhopal Regional Training Centre (RTC). Later the initial formation was also introduced in the provincial house.
As a provincial house it is the official set up for the provincial superior and her councilors. Hence all official meetings, provincial chapters, international meetings, sisters retreat,seminars, course for juniors and novices and organized time to time. Being a hill station the panoramic view and the surrounding nature and the fresh cool air is very conducive for prayer meditation etc. Pachmarhi is a summer resort for our sisters and highly sought out place for the tourist.
As part of our Pastoral Ministry the sisters went visiting the families caring for the sick and the old distributing medicines and cloths etc. the sisters also conducted tailoring classes for the young girls of nearby villages. Once they were trained for cutting and stitching they were supplied with sewing machine so that they could earn their living. At present, the novices, junior sisters and the professed sisters visit the nearby villages giving them moral values specially focusing on the empowerment of women and girl child. The sisters are also engaged in giving coaching classes to the poor children of the neighbourhood.
Fox Rock community is very much involved in the parish activities seeing to the liturgical and pastoral work of the local church. Constantly the community reaches out to the poor around us very specially the most marginalized and victimized due to various reasons and poverty.
Besides all these the main function of the Provincial House is to administer, organize and execute the programmes organized by the provincial team. |