Congregation of women consecrated to God in the Church to evangelize through the instruments of social communication. Founded in Alba, Italy by Founder Blessed James Alberione on 15 June 1915.
Blessed James Alberione always had at his heart a divine desirous yearning to reach new nations and bring the good news to the believers of other faiths. Significantly that yearning came to fruition when, on 18th August 1951, four youthful spirited missionaries of the congregation of the daughters of St Paul set foot on Indian soil in Mumbai. Venerable Thecla Merlo is the Co-Foundress of Daughters of St Paul.
On 16th of June 1969, they open their first house in Valencia, Mangalore. The community was closed in 1973 because it was difficult for them to carry out specific apostolate in the state.
After 35 years of gap, once again they were able to re-establish themselves in Bejai on 2nd of December 2008. The main incentive to come back was the fact that one sister of our congregation received a flat, gifted by her brother and she gave to the congregation. This was a sign of God’s providence for us to begin again our presence in Mangalore which had folded up in the 1970’s. We stayed 15 years in Bejai.
Gradually they felt it’s not a conducive place for us to run a community in the flat, therefore sisters started looking for a place to build a convent and once again God brought them to original place Valencia. They purchased a plot and build the convent in the year 2022. The community of the daughters of St Paul was blessed on 23-04-2022 by Most Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha Bishop of Mangalore. They are located at 2nd right cross Gorigudda, Valencia and we are belonging to Infant Jesus Ward.
They have a mixed group of sisters. Junior sisters are studying at St Aloysius College and some at Roshni Nilaya.
They have a Book shop at Milagres named as Pauline Book and Media Centre. Pauline Book and Media Centre render invaluable service to people of all age groups and religious traditions. The Book Centre is situated opposite Milagres church. The sisters engaged themselves in the mission through the book center, diffusion in schools, teaching catechism in the parish etc. They are called as Pauline Sisters.
The Pauline mission is very challenging and rewarding that’s why our beloved Co-Foundress yearned to have a thousand lives so as to dedicate them all to this noble mission “give wings and feet to the Gospel that it may travel far and wide” (Thecla Merlo) Their desire is to be a shining light in the midst of the tick darkness that overshadows our world today and keep alive the Pauline Charism with creative fidelity.