St. Francis de Sales Parish, Sateek

St. Francis de Sales Mission at Sateek, begun in 2010, was the first mission of the Missionaries of St Francis de Sales (MSFS) in the state of Mizoram. Sateek is a small village under Aibawk Subdivision, located about 35 km from Aizawl, the capital of Mizoram. The village has a population of about 1,300 people, most of whom belong to the Presbyterian Church, and their primary livelihood is agriculture.

Beginning of the Mission

At the request of Most Rev. Stephen Rotluanga, Bishop of Aizawl, the Provincial Administration under Fr Francis Thadathil decided to begin a mission in Mizoram. The village council of Sateek generously offered a plot of land, which enabled the MSFS missionaries to establish their presence there.

Fr Santhosh Chavaranal was appointed as the priest in charge of this first MSFS venture in Mizoram, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the missionary history of the congregation in the state.

Early Mission Activities

Initially, Sateek functioned as a mission station under the Cathedral Parish in Aizawl, and the priest in charge resided at the Cathedral. Later, when a house was provided by the village council in Sateek, the priest began to reside there.

On February 22, 2011, Fr Lijeesh Kaduthanathu joined the mission as Assistant Headmaster of the school and Associate Priest. With this, the first MSFS community at Sateek was formed, living in the village house with very minimal facilities.

During weekdays, the missionaries engaged themselves in school activities and building relationships with the youth of the village. On weekends, they travelled to nearby Catholic communities to attend to their pastoral and spiritual needs.

Establishment of the Presbytery

The foundation stone for the presbytery was laid on February 24, 2011. Financial support for the construction was provided by Roger Reichert and Mary Hovel, friends of the MSFS. The building was completed by August 2011.

On August 27, 2011, the house was inaugurated by Fr Francis Thadathil, the Provincial of the undivided Northeast India Province, and blessed by Bishop Stephen Rotluanga, who formally welcomed the MSFS missionaries to the Diocese of Aizawl.

The missionaries also served as assistants to the Cathedral Parish while providing pastoral care to several substations, including South Sabual, Sialsuk, Mawbuawng, Tacchhip, and Aibawk.

Construction of the Parish Church

As the mission continued to grow, Bishop Stephen Rotluanga expressed his desire to elevate Sateek to the status of a parish. However, it was first necessary to construct a church and for the missionaries to gain familiarity with the local language and parish administration.

The foundation stone for the church was laid on June 11, 2013. With generous support from various benefactors, the church construction was completed within four months.

Establishment of the Parish

The parish church at Sateek, dedicated to Mary Mother of Compassion, was inaugurated and blessed on November 16, 2013. On the same occasion, Fr Santhosh Chavaranal was installed as the first Parish Priest.

At the time of its establishment, the parish had 82 Catholic families from six villages:

• Sateek (3 families)

• South Sabual (28 families)

• Tachhip (20 families)

• Aibawk (6 families)

• Mawbuawng (13 families)

• Sialsuk (12 families)

Parish Organizations and Pastoral Life

Following diocesan norms, several parish organizations were established to strengthen the life of the community. These include the Parish Pastoral Council, Hmeichhe Pawl (Women’s Association), Thalai Pawl (Youth Association), Finance Committee, Sunday School Committee, and Evangelization Committee.

These groups assist the priests in planning and implementing pastoral programs. Regular pastoral visits, Eucharistic celebrations, and religious activities continue to strengthen the faith of the parish community. A full-time catechist appointed by the bishop also assists the parish.

Collaboration with Religious Congregations

Several religious congregations have supported the growth of the mission. These include the Brothers of St Gabriel (Montfort Brothers) of Tlangnuam, the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC) of Peace Home, Aizawl, and the Bethany Sisters of Tlangnuam.

Their collaboration has greatly contributed to the pastoral and spiritual development of the mission.

Expansion of the Mission

As the mission developed, attention was also given to strengthening the substations. A new village church at Aibawk was built and inaugurated by Fr George Panthanmackel, the Provincial, and blessed by Bishop Stephen Rotluanga on January 16, 2015.

Leadership of the Parish

On February 22, 2015, Fr Lijeesh Kaduthanathu, who was part of the pioneering team, became the second Parish Priest of Mary Mother of Compassion Parish and the Headmaster of SFS School.

Shortly before that, on February 19, 2015, Fr Daniel Lalmuanzela, the second Mizo MSFS priest, was appointed Associate Priest of the parish and Assistant Headmaster of SFS School.