Milestones

Year	Month	Description
1952	July 31	Rev. Fr. John-Baptist Janssens, the Superior General, signs the decree that raises the Vice-Province of Madurai into a Province
	August 15	The above-mentioned decree is proclaimed both in Toulouse Province and in the Vice-Province of Madurai. Fr. Hubert Pinto is appointed Acting Provincial
1953	February 4	Fr. Douglas Gordon is appointed the first Provincial of the Jesuit Madurai Province
	October	The decision is taken to transfer the Noviciate and the Juniorate from Shambaganur to Kattumadam (Beschi College), Dindigul
1954	January 1	The first stone of building of Beschi College is blessed and laid. The first issue of the Tamil periodical Narkarunai Veeran is published by Fr. Paul Wenisch.
	June 10	The Novice Master Fr. I. Thomas and his Novices occupy Beschi College
1955	September	Pandit Nehru, the first Prime Minister of free India, meets the Trichy people on the grounds of St. Joseph’s College. The Fathers have a short conversation with him.
1956	January 16	Today is the 3rd centenary of the death of Robert de Nobili, founder of the Old Madurai Mission. This is celebrated in our institutions at different times during the year.
	October 10	The Kerala civil district becomes the Malabar Region, with Fr. De Roton as its first Superior.
	November	Fr. Jerome D’Souza represents India at a UNESCO meeting in New Delhi.
1958	January 4	In St. Joseph’s College, Trichy, the first TN Regional Conference of AICUF. About 600 students attend. The study theme is “Religion and Culture”
	July 31	Fr. Laurence Fernandes becomes Provincial of Madurai, succeeding Fr. Gordon.
1959	June 1	On the repeated request of Bp. Agnisamy S.J., of Kottar, the Province takes up the management of Carmel High School, Nagercoil.
1960	June 20	The new Church of St. John Britto in Oriyur is blessed.
	July 30	Silver Jubilee of Campion High School, Trichy. The school chapel is blessed.
	September 27	The Malabar Region becomes the Independent Kerala Vice-Province. Fr. De Roton is the interim Vice-Provincial. On December 20, Fr. Edamaram is appointed its first Vice-Provincial.
1961	May	The JEA, Jesuit Educational Association of India is founded.
1962	March 19	In Loyola College, Chennai, inauguration of the Berchmans Hall, for the Jesuit undergraduate students
	November 14	Fr. M. Dorairaj, the first Madurean Missionary in Africa, starts for Mwanza, Tanganyka.
1964	April 22	Fr. Arul Maria Varaprasadam becomes Provincial of Madurai, succeeding Fr. L. Fernandez.
1965	February 11	Foundation of Vinukonda, the first Jesuit Mission Station in Andhra after those established in the 18the century by the French Jesuits of the Carnatic Mission.
1967	January	A six-month Pre-Noviciate is started, even for candidates who have finished their PUC
	January 17-18	Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the general, visits Madurai, Shembaganur, Dindigul, Trichy.
	July 31	By a decree of Fr. General, the Mauritius Tamil Mission becomes a mission of Madurai Province, the first foreign mission of our Province. Fr. J. de Roton is the Superior of the Mission.
1968	January 2	On the Madras Beach, the statue of Fr. Beschi S.J., is installed among those of important Tamil Writers.
	July	The Prime Minister of India appoints Fr. Jerome D’Souza to the National Itegration Council.
1969	January 24	Golden Jubilee of the Apostolic School in Madurai
	January 31	Diamond Jubilee of St. Mary’s High School, Madurai.
	May 1	Fr. D. Gordon becomes Provincial for the second time, succeeding Fr. Varaprasadam.
1971	September	Fr. Provincial promulgates the statutes for the administration of Madurai Province and appoints two Vice-Provincials: for Pastoral Apostolate and for Education.
1972	January 15	The Jesuit theologate of Kurseong, is transferred to Delhi and called Vidyajyothi.
	June 11	Fr. Chelladurai gives his public Arangetram in Carnatic Music, the first Catholic Priest ever to do so.
	November 5	Inauguration of the Andhra Region, with Fr. J. Baliah as Regional Superior.
	November	The management of Campion School in Trichy is given back to the diocese.
	December 12	The Province takes charge of the ‘de La Salle College’ in Karumathur on the request of the archbishop of Madurai.
1973	April 22	Fr. G. Casimir becomes Provincial of Madurai, succeeding Fr. D. Gordon.
	April	De La Salle College becomes Arul Anandar College and starts new course on Rural Development, Sciences and Services (RDSS).
	September 22	In Arul Anandar College, Karumathur, the foundation stone for the proposed Tamilnadu Regional Seminary is laid by the Internuncio.
	November 21	The Botany Dept. in St. Joseph’s College is recognized as a Research Centre.
1974	February	Fr. Ignatius Hirudayam is appointed Consultor of the Vatican Secretariat for No -Christians
	May 10-30	Fr. P.T. Chelladurai directs the first Carnatic Music Summer School.
	September 8	Blessing and opening of the new premises of Aikiya Alayam, the Dialogue Centre.
	December	In Sarugani, there is celebrated the 2nd centenary of Fr. Thomas de Rossi, one of the last pioneers of the Old Madurai Mission, especially know for the daily evening prayers he wrote in Tamil.
1975	March 10	The Provicial of Madurai, Fr. Casimir, is appointed Regional Assistant in Rome.
	June 6	Fr. Rex A. Pai becomes Provincial of Madurai in succession to the new Assistant Fr. Casimir
	June	On the feast of the Sacred Heart, the foundation stone of UGARTE NAGAR is laid, a scheme to build 130 houses, out of which 25 for servants of the Sacred Heart College on 8 acres of land donated by the SHC.
1977	September 2	The Province has now a Vice-Provincial for Formation, no longer for Education.
1978	January 13-15	Provincial Congregation: A postulate on the need of a Regional Project of Theology, and another on the work among the exploited and humiliated Harijans and Tribals are sent to Fr. General.
	May	The Provincial of India decides that the scholasticate for the study of philosophy will be transferred to Madras from Shambaganur and will be called Satya Nilayam.
1979	August	Beginning of LIBA, and evening course for people already employed. St. Joseph’s starts its JIBA as a one-year post-graduate diploma course.
	December 26-29	Province Meeting on “Together towards tomorrow”. The assembly expresses itself in favour of a preferential option for the poor and downtrodden in every sphere of out apostolate.
1980	February 2-4	Celebration of Silver Jubilee of Andhra Loyola College.
	May 18	The Anglade Institute of Natural History begins in Shembaganur.
	July 11-12	Fr. Arrupe inaugurates Satya Nilayam.
	October	On the appeal of Bp. Of Kumbakonam, Fr. Pushpanather becomes Correspondent and Headmaster of the High School in Viragalur.
	Nov 30 – Dec 2	Centenary celebration of St. Xavier’s High School, Palayamkottai.
1981	April 5	Fr. Michael Jeyaraj becomes Provincial of Madurai, succeeding Fr. Rex. A. Pai.
	April 5-15	The first LASAC is held in St. Mary’s, Madurai.
1982	February 27	The Shembaganur “extra-departmental” post office is handed over to the government.
1983	January 26	Br. K.V Peter, Ex-Post Master in Shembaganur receives the Padma Shri Medal and Title.
	April 24	Fr. J. Kuriakose takes charge as Superior of the Andhra Region.
	September 23	Fr. M. Amaladoss, one of the delegates to GC is elected to be General Assistant and counsellor for India.
	December 1-3	St. Mary’s High School, Dindigul, celebrates its Diamond Jubilee.
1984	January 27-28	The Platinum Jubilee of St. Mary’s High School, Madurai is celebrated.
	February 22-26	Centenary of transfer of St. Joseph’s College from Nagai to Trichy.
	April 3	The Province Social Centre IDEAS built on the grounds of St. Mary’s, Madurai, begins its first training session.
	December 27-30	Province Assembly with the motto, “Towards Liberation Together with the Poor”
	December	Fr. Rex A. Pai is elected Provincial of India
1985	April 20	Fr. G. Casimir is chosen by the Pope to be the new Archbishop of Madurai.
	July 1	In Beschi College, inauguration of the South Indian Common Juniorate.
	November 1	Fr. Maria Louis is appointed the Holy See’s Delegate to the Sacred Heart Brothers.
1986	October 11	Diamond Jubilee of Loyola College, Chennai.
	December 5	The Satya Nilayam Research Institute is inaugurated.
1987	February 15	The new Zen Ignatian Centre in Dhyana Ashram is opened. The director will be Fr. AMA, the first Zen Master in India.
	July 3	Fr. Aloysius Irudayam becomes Provicial of Madurai, in succession to Fr. Michael Jeyaraj
	February 12-15	Fr. General Kolvenbach visits the Colleges of our Province.
1988	June 10	Inauguration of the Province of Andhra, with Fr. John Bosco as its first provincial.
	November	The Folklore Centre of St. Xavier’s College, Palayamkottai, is inaugurated.
1990	January 17	Sch. Dominic Roye is the first Jesuit to become and approved Bharathanatyam dancer when he gives his arangetram in the Bharathya Vidya Bhavan, Madras.
	January	JEPASA is a new structure of our Assistancy; Fr. Jerry Rosario is its first Assistancy Coordinator.
	February 11	With the approval of Fr. General, the Las Salette Shrine in Kodaikanal is gifted to Madurai Diocese.
	February 17	Provincial Congregation: A postulate asks Fr. General to immediately initiate the process for the formation of a dependent region Chennai Region.
	March 28	The newly formed Dalit Commission meets for the first time.
1991	June	The Madurai JRS starts schools in some 20 Sri Lanka Refugee Camps.
1993	March 6	The 450th anniversary of St. Francis Xavier landing in India is remembered in all our institution, especially St. Xavier’s, Palayamkottai.
	June 18	Fr. Donatus Jeyaraj succeeds Fr. Aloysius as Provincial of Madurai.
	June 24	The South Indian Common Juniorate is inaugurated in Thiruvanthapuram.
	July 5	Claver House, the Jesuit Residence in the Chengai Mission, is officially occupied and tow days later the Remedial School starts functioning.
	July 15	KARISAL team starts working in Sivakasi region among the child-labourer’s families of Arundhathiyar Dalits.
1994	February	Golden Jubilee celebrations of De Britto HS School, Devekottai.
1995	February 13-16	Arul Anandar College celebrates its Silver Jubilee.
1996	January	P.T Chelladurai is awarded the title “Kalai Maamani” by the Chief Minister of TN
1997	June 22	A hundred Jesuits celebrate in Oriyur the Golden Jubilee of John Britto’s canonization.
	November 9	Foundation of DACA in the presence of 3500 people.
1998	Jan 26-31	Platinum Jubilee celebrations of Carmel High School, Kottar.
	Jan 28 – Feb 1	Platinum Jubilee celebration of St. Xavier’s College, Playamkottai.
	December 27	The Province Assembly reflects on the “Challenges of the Third Millennium to Our Mission”
1999	January 16-17	AICUF celebrates its Platinum Jubilee in St. Joseph’s College where Fr. Carty founded it.
	February 8	In Arul Anadar College, the archbishop of Madurai blesses the new chapel, dedicated to God the Father.
	February 22	LASAC celebrates its Silver Jubilee.
	July 30	The Platinum Jubilee of Loyola College is officially celebrated.
	October 9	Fr. Francis P. Xavier takes charge as Provincial of Madurai in succession to Fr. D. Jeyaraj.
2000	April 14	Fr. Provicial blesses and inaugurates the Animation Centre in Vallam, Chengai Mission.
	July 16	The Pre-Novices enter Veeramamunivar Illam, specially built for them in Vilangudi.
	October 23	Fr. Ignacimuthu assumes charge as Vice-Chancellor of Bharathiar University, Coimbatore—the first Jesuit to assume such responsibility in India.
2001	February 10	The Xavier’s College of Education celebrates its Golden Jubilee.
	June	The High School in Kuppayanallur becomes a Higher Secondary School.
	August 9-12	Triple Jubilee in Dindigul: 150 years of the St. Joseph’s Parish School; 100 years of acquiring the present compound; and 75 years of the school becoming St. Mary’s High School.
	December 27-29	Province Assembly with the theme “to empower those who have lost their identity.
2002	February 14	Blessing and Official Inauguration of Veeramamunivar Illam, Vilangudi.
	February	Frs. S. Ignacimuthu and Britto Bonaventure are awarded the Tamil Scientist Award for the year 2000.
	June 26	Fr. S. Ignacimuthu becomes Vice-Chancellor of Madras University, one of the three oldest in India