Stephen Ferrando

Stephen Ferrando born Rossiglione, Italy September 28, 1895, died June 21, 1978, was an Italian missionary belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB), an order founded by St. John Bosco. Ferrando was ordained a priest on March 18, 1923 at the Salesian Institute of Borgo San Martino, Alessandria, Italy. A few months latter he was assigned to serve in British India, as part of the third batch of missionaries dispatched. Ferrando left Venice on December 2, 1923 along with nine other companions, reaching Shillong, then the capital of the Assam province of British India and headquarters of the Prefecture Apostolic of Assam on December 23. There he was entrusted with the responsibility of forming future missionary personnel for the Prefecture, serving as the Master of Novices. He also served as the Catechist and then the Rector of Our Lady's House in Shillong and in 1929, became a Council Member of the Provincial team of the Salesians in the diocese.

At that time, the Holy See had entrusted the Archdiocese of Madras, the diocese of Krishnanagar and the Prefecture Apostolic of Assam to the Salesians.

On July 9, 1934, Ferrando was consecrated and installed as the bishop of Krishnanagar in Nadiab, the island-city in the province of Bengal; he choose Apostolus Christi, "An apostle for Christ" as his motto. When the Prefecture of Assam was elevated as the bishopric of Shillong shortly after, Ferrando was transferred as the Bishop of Shillong as its second bishop on November 26, 1935, a position he held until June 26, 1968, when he retired (The diocese was then promoted to an archdiocese, so that his successor was an archbishop).

The young diocese was faced with many challenges, none greater than the shortage of personnel. Ferrando immediately threw himself into the work of increasing the diocesan personnel. On March 18, 1932, he wrote to the Rector Major of the Salesians, "St. Francis Xavier made that emotional appeal to the studious youth of his times. From the same wonderful land of India I renew his appeal so that many may come to work in Assam... The harvest is rich... but the laborers are few."

At that time, missionaries were valued as facilitators for social improvement and uplift, and delegations were continually calling on Ferrando from the Asom, Khasis, Mundas, Karbis, Tiwas, Bodos, the Manipuris, Garos, Nagas and other tribes requesting that he assign priests, nuns, doctors, educationists and other personnel to their communities. In his annual report of 1945-46, Ferrando wrote, "This makes me very anxious, because if once a favorable occasion is lost, it is difficult to regain it." Missionaries such as L. Piasecki, A. Pianazzi, C. Vendrame and A. Ravalico expended themselves to conform and strengthen the Christians of the large and extensive diocese.

On April 10, 1936, the Bishop's House, formerly the residence of the Prefect Apostolic, went up in flames. Ferrando immediately began plans to build the diocese a proper Cathedral with adjacent seminary, bishop's house and a resthouse for exhausted missionaries.

At the beginning of 1937, Ferrando spent several weeks visiting villages and baptized hundreds of catechumens and confirmed two hundred souls.

During World War II, the British Government ordered the internment of most of the Italian and German missionaries throughout British India. While fifty-six of his missionaries were interned or expelled, he was left with thirty priests and twenty other clerics to man the diocese.

Believing it necessary to organize the local people to take up clerical positions, Ferrando founded the Missionary Sisters of Mary, Help of Christians (MSMHC) in 1942. In 1962, he succeeded at last in setting up the St. Paul's Minor Seminary in Shillong.

In early 1969, the Government of India declared that foreign missionaries must be recalled and replaced by locals. As a result of this, Ferrando too resigned and made way for an Indian citizen to be appointed; he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Troyna. Ferrando retired to Italy, where he died June 21, 1978.

Ferrando was a regular contributor of articles of missiological, cultural, anthropological, geographical and historical nature on the Assam Mission to such publications as the Bollettino Salesiano, Gioventù Missionaria, etc.