Who We Are
February 2, 2026 2026-02-24 17:29Who We Are
Who we are?
We are the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS) – Guwahati Province — a community of priests and brothers called to proclaim the Gospel with gentleness and zeal in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales.
Rooted in Salesian spirituality and inspired by the vision of our founder, the Servant of God Peter Marie Mermier, we are missionaries committed to parish ministry, education, evangelization, and the promotion of vocations.
Serving across Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Tripura, we dedicate ourselves to building faith communities, forming young minds, and bringing hope to the people of Northeast India.
We are missionaries with gentle hearts, courageous faith, and a passion to renew the Church.
Who is a Fransalian?
A Fransalian is a man called to be a missionary with vision — a builder of communities and a joyful herald of God’s Word.
Inspired by St. Francis de Sales, he lives the virtues of simplicity, humility, charity, optimism, gentleness, and loving surrender to God’s will.
The Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales (MSFS), founded on October 24, 1838, in Annecy, France, by the Servant of God Peter Marie Mermier, forms missionaries dedicated to renewing faith and serving the Church with courage and compassion.
To be a Fransalian is to live a mission of gentle strength and joyful service.
The Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales is under the patronage of St. Francis de Sales, with the Mother of Compassion (Mother of Sorrows) as its secondary patroness. Rooted in Salesian spirituality, we belong to the wider Salesian family, while embracing our distinct identity as Fransalians.
The Congregation was founded on 08 October 1838 in Annecy, France, by the Servant of God Peter Marie Mermier, in response to St. Francis de Sales’ vision of a society of missionary priests. As the first Superior General, Fr. Mermier offered himself and his companions for foreign missions, and soon the first missionaries set out for India. His vision was clear: to renew faith through parish missions and spiritual revitalization.
Today, the MSFS serves the Church through parish missions, foreign missions, education, evangelization, and innovative ministries. Present in 33 countries across seven continents — including the USA, India, France, Switzerland, England, Brazil, Chad, Namibia, Tanzania, Mozambique, Australia, Austria, Germany, the Philippines, the West Indies, Chile, and Trinidad — the Congregation continues its global missionary outreach.
With its Generalate in Rome, Italy, the MSFS has 1,321 professed members serving worldwide, supported by 61 novices and 352 candidates preparing for religious life and priesthood.
Nearly two centuries after its foundation, the mission continues — proclaiming the Gospel with gentleness, zeal, and unwavering dedication.
