WELCOME TO 'NOTRE DAME DE LA MOTTE' !
Mother House of the Institute of the Foreign Missions Sisters (I.S.M.E.) A Religious Congregation is a gift of God to the Church.
'The Spirit blows where it wants'. Some people get inspiration or enlightenment or special charism to fulfil a particular task in the world. The Good News of Jesus Christ inspired many people to live more intensively a particular charism of the Gospel. Others joined them to live this charism. Hence they became the Founders of the Religious or Secular Institutes.
It is good to know the life of our founder Fr. Nassoy M.E.P to know the charism of our Institute. The words of Jesus : 'Go and make disciples from all nations' (Mt. 28, 19) became a mandate for him.
Brief biography of the
Founder Fr. Louis Albert Michel Nassoy
He was born on 17th August 1879 at Pont à Mousson in France. He lost his father and his only sister when he was very young. After finishing his formation at the major seminary at Nancy, he entered the M.E.P. Seminary on 19th Nov.1899. He was ordained priest on 27th September 1903. Since he was appointed to Mysore Mission, on 15th Nov. 1903, at the age of 24, he reached India.
Fr. Nassoy was sent to Mysore (India) as missionary in 1903. He exercised his ministry at Mercara (presently known as Madikeri), in Coorg (Kodagu) district, a mountain region where the tribal 'Coorgi' people lived. There was only one high school for boys in the district, but nothing for girls. The people were deprived of many basic needs. He had then thought of founding a religious congregation. He wanted the religious 'available for all ministries, ready to go and live in the middle of the non-evangelized people, ready to visit their houses and welcome them at any time and whatever be the circumstances. He dreamed of an exclusively missionary religious congregation, in the spirit of the missionaries. of MEP Society.
Fr. Nassoy was called back to France during the First World War, and then he was retained for preaching retreats. During a retreat in Switzerland he met an Argentine lady called 'Marie Dolores'. Later on she became his collaborator in executing his projects.
Brief biography of the
Co-foundress Marie Dolor's de Fraser
“Dolorès” was her baptism name, born in Argentina on 11th October 1888, on the feast of the Maternity of Mary. In her young age, she thought of religious life but, at the age of 18, her parents gave her in marriage to an English lord. With him she travelled many times to Europe.
Widow at 38 years without child, Madam de Fraser came back to Europe with the desire to realize her dream of youth: dedicate herself to the Lord in religious life. She was in her friends’ house when she met Fr. Nassoy of Foreign Missions, confided him her intention to enter a religious community. Fr. Nassoy, after his missionary experience in India, formed a project of founding a feminine Institute which may collaborate in “mission” countries with the Society of Foreign Missions of Paris, understood that he would have in this lady already mature, intelligent, deep and volunteer for this choice for the foundation he had in mind.
After mature reflection, he spoke to Mgr. Despatures his vision of founding a missionary Institute. The project was presented to the MEP General Assembly in 1930 and it was approved. Cardinal Salliège, the then archbishop of Toulouse welcomed the new born Institute in his diocese. At Notre Dame de La Motte, in the commune of ‘Seysses’, the Founders established the ‘Mother House’.
Both of them, Fr. Nassoy and Mother Marie Dolorès, took effort to give to the religious a spirit of simplicity and of availability.
On 22nd July 1931, in the small chapel, the first mass was celebrated. So this date is considered as the ‘Foundation Day’ of the Institute.
The Institute of the Foreign Missions Sisters was erected as an Institute of diocesan right on 18th January 1935. The Institute is under the authority of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples for all that concerns the religious life and activity of its members due a special concession granted by Pope Pius XI on 11th May 1933.
Charism of the Institute
To share the life of the non-evangelized people and the most underprivileged, of those who are very far from Christ and the Church and to announce them the Good News of Salvation.
Spirituality
ISME sisters are called to live the ‘Incarnation Spirituality’. This spirituality demands renouncement and association with the marginalized ones.
Sending to Mission
In October 1937, the first missionary journey was started. Five sisters were “sent” to the diocese of Pondicherry, India. Mgr. Colas MEP, who had invited them, assigned to them the village of Chinnasalem to exercise their mission work.
After the Second World War in 1946 and in the following years sisters left for India, Hong Kong, Argentina, Japan, and Malaysia and later for Madagascar.
In 1949, a Novitiate was opened in Pondicherry for the Indian Sisters.
To-day, the Sisters of the Foreign Missions are present in a very insignificant way, in six countries of the world. The spirit of the Institute is similar to that of Paris Foreign Mission Society: ‘founded on the joyful fidelity to the Gospel and to the Church’.
Recruitment
The Institute recruits candidates from all nationalities, those who wish to follow Jesus-Christ and to go on mission where the Foreign Missions Sisters work and continue their service.
Associated laity
The Institute welcomes young girls and ladies who want to associate themselves with our sisters, to live our charism and to work with us for a limited period.