About Us

Some words about us

The Missionary Fathers of Incarnation (Padri Missionari Dell’ Incarnazione -PMI) is a public clerical association intended to become clerical religious congregation (institute) founded in India at Kochi by Servant of God Rev. Mother Carla Borgheri (the foundress of the Suore Missionarie Dell’ Incarnazione -SMI) in 1994 under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Bishop of Cochin.

FOUNDRESS

Mother Carla Borgheri: Annunziata Nada Borgheri (Mother Carla Borgheri) was born on February 17, 1922 in Novi Ligure She had a difficult childhood marked by loss of her father and her mother’s sickness. On August 4 1943. Nada and her mother, after a long period in Florence, moved to Rome. At the age of 22, Nada suffered from tuberculosis and was admitted in hospital. The difficulty in the hospital brought her to the profound crisis of faith and meeting with the hospital Chaplain brought in her a spiritual rebirth. Then Nada decided to dedicate herself to God and asked to join the servants of Incarnation. In 1954, she received the Habit in a new name called Sr. Carla Borgheri. Later, she left the Congregation in 1961 and on June 29 of the same year she began a new way of life to experience the Incarnate God with her friends. It was the first seed of the Congregation of the SMI and germinate in the church of God. On March 19, 1988, SMI congregation was recognized as pontifical right.

In the year 1985, the grace of the Lord inflamed in mother Carla brogheri’s heart a new light of desire and hope. We the missionaries of the Incarnation, born by the light of Holy spirit, felt inadequate in our commitment, of this most intimate knowledge of the great mystery of Incarnation. We felt the need of persons, who will bring the living Word of the Lord, to the people of God, according to the spirituality which is today more actual of the incarnate word, that is the mystery predestined by the eternity in the divine plan of redemption and of Salvation. Experiencing the incarnate God throughout the life, she had a great and long cherished desire to found a community of Incarnation Fathers.  First personally and then commonly; the entire female congregation of SMI prayed intensely that the Lord may grant us this gift. By God’s grace her dream came true with foundation of the Congregation of the Missionary Fathers of Incarnation known as PMI (Padri Missionari Dell Incarnazione) January 28^th, 1994. A young priest named fr. Xavier orappana of the diocese of Cochin, heard the call of God through our valued prayers and asked to His Bp. Joseph Kureethara to give the approval to initiate the branch of Missionary fathers of incarnation in Cochin, India. Bishop Jospeh Kureethara granted the long-desired permission. Subsequently the preparation of the statutes or constitutions which was been approved and declared valid after the scrutiny and to be carried out with good elements, and presented to the institute by Rev. Bp. Joseph Kureethara and Archbishop of Verapoly, Most. Rev. Dr. Cornelius Elanjickal. Under the guidance and providence of the Lord and material help of sisters, the long-desired activity was been started

GROWTH

The Missionary Fathers of Incarnation was started as the male section of the missionary sisters of Incarnation on January 28, 1994. The foundation stone of the first house was laid on September 6, 1994 at Kannamaly by His Excellency Most Rev. Dr Joseph Kureethara and the completed structure was blessed on January 4, 1996 and Fr Xavier Orappana was appointed as in charge of the seminary. When the seminarians were to be admitted to the Major Seminary at Aluva it was necessary to purchase property near the seminary there and foundation stone for the Study House St Paul’s Seminary was laid by His Grace Cornelius Elanilkkal, Archbishop of Verapoly on March 16, 1996. In February,1998, His Grace Rt. Rev. Dr Daniel Acharuparambil, Archbishop of Verapoly gave consent, to open a Seminary at Manjaly, near Paravur and some major seminarians were shifted to this new building. The blessing of St Paul’s Seminary was held on June 4, 1998, officiated by Msgr. Joseph Kalathiparambil, Vicar General of Verapoly, and Rev. Fr Martin Cabral OCD was appointed to be in charge of the seminarians at Manjaly from 2000. In 2000, Rev. Fr. Xavier Orappana PMI, after rendering his selfless service for few years for the PMI, he went back to his own mother Diocese of Cochin. Rev. Fr. Martin Cabral PMI succeeded Fr. Xavier Orappana and took over the office and became the Delegate Superior of the Congregation of PMI from 2000. He was appointed to be in charge of the seminarians at Manjaly in the same year. He led and initiated for the growth and spiritual well-being of the PMI for many years. In 2004, PMI has got the recognition of the Public Clerical association by Rt. Rev. Bp. John Thattumkal. Until now the PMI is spread in different Latin dioceses of India at Cochin, Arch diocese of Verapoly, Arch diocese of Calicut, Kollam and Raiganj (West Bengal). Presently we have got five communities. Now the PMI has 32 priests and 35 perpetually professed and 9 temporarily professed brothers who are doing their philosophical and theological studies. The Major Seminary is in Manjaly (Ernakulam, 1998), in the Archdiocese of Verapoly, Minor Seminary in the diocese of Cochin (Kannamaly, 1994) and the Novitiate house in the diocese of Calicut (Wayanad, 2005 and 2015).

AUTHORITY

The seat of the bishop of cochin is the always the superior general of PMI until we reach next level of recognition of religious institute of diocesan right. Presently, His excellency, Rt. Rev. Dr. Antony Kattiparambil is the Superior General and Patron of the PMI. Rev. Fr. Shiju Cleetus PMI is the newly elected Superior Delegate from April 2024-. The principal seat of PMI is in Kannamaly, diocese of Cochin. From March 2025 onwards the authority has been selected by canonical election with the presence of the diocesan Bishop of principal seat in Cochin. Fr. Martin Cabral PMI (2000-2015, 2020-2024) and Fr. Xavier Panakkal PMI (2015- 2020) were the former Superior delegates of PMI.

Charism

The Congregation is inspired by the sacred mystery of Incarnation that embraces the whole human existence. Its general aim is the glory of God by a total love. The apostolic and particular charism consists in bearing witness and making the mystery of Incarnation known, by preaching and by a good example of the life of charity and apostolate. As a first specimen, we follow as mother Mary has been followed.

Motto

“Unification of the Souls dedicated to follow Christ in a life nurtured by charitable and apostolic work” is the motto of the Congregation.

Aim

The aim of the institute is to carry out and to recognize more profoundly the mystery of Christ and thus adhere to the purpose of Incarnation. The spirituality is concretized by profoundly adhering to the mystery of Christ by adoring continuously the divine trinity with a humble and bound by living a proper and apostolic life in union with Jesus, the word of God in Blessed Virgin Mary. At present until we reach next recognition of religious institutes, we live as if we are religious with all essential properties and function and governance structure of religious institutes.