Archbishop Perier
                                    History and Memory: Lest We Forget

In contemporary times, the word memory often evokes images of computers, storage devices, and digital capacity. While modern generations are increasingly familiar with memory cards and data storage, they may know far less about the memories of the people who preceded them—those whose sacrifices, vision, and generosity shaped the institutions and traditions we now inherit. This gap between technological memory and historical memory poses a real danger, especially during moments of celebration.

The Kolkata Province is presently celebrating its Centenary Year. While such an occasion rightly calls for gratitude, joy, and pride, it also carries a subtle risk: in the enthusiasm of celebration, we may overlook or marginalize the contributions of those who made it possible for us to reach where we stand today. Undoubtedly, the names of Salesian pioneers, leaders, and confreres who played decisive roles in the growth of the Province will be recalled and honoured. Yet, alongside them, there exists a group of collaborators—bishops, religious congregations, clergy, and laypersons—whose contributions are not always adequately recorded in history books or commemorated in marble memorials. It is to some of these collaborators that this reflection seeks to draw attention.

Archbishop Perier

Among the earliest and most significant collaborators in the foundation of the Salesian presence in Kolkata was Archbishop Ferdinand Perier, Archbishop of Calcutta. His role in the early history of the Salesians in this region was both decisive and generous.

In 1922, the pioneering group of Salesians en route to Shillong stopped in Calcutta and stayed for two nights at St. Xavier’s College. During this brief halt, Mgr. Louis Mathias visited the Bishop’s House on both days and engaged in long conversations with Archbishop Perier. During these meetings, Mgr. Mathias shared Don Bosco’s dream for Calcutta, while Archbishop Perier, in turn, shared his own hopes for the Salesians in the Archdiocese. From this very first encounter, a strong bond developed between the two men. Both were French, and their shared language and cultural background may well have contributed to this immediate rapport.

Archbishop Perier arranged for the Salesians to visit the Cathedral and the Catholic Orphan Press (COP) before they continued their journey to Shillong. This initial encounter laid the foundation for a relationship marked by trust, encouragement, and collaboration.

Two years later, in 1925, Mgr. Mathias returned to Calcutta to explore concretely how Don Bosco’s dream for the city could be realized. The Archbishop was delighted at the prospect of a Salesian presence and made an extraordinary gesture of generosity: he offered the Cathedral and the Catholic Orphan Press to the Salesians. The Salesians were poor and had no financial resources to purchase the machinery required to run the press. Recognizing this difficulty, Archbishop Perier proposed using the fund left behind by the Salvatorian missionaries in exchange for the Press.

Thus, despite their material poverty, the Salesians were able to assume responsibility for the Catholic Orphan Press and the administration of the Cathedral. This marked the first official Salesian presence in Calcutta, made possible entirely by the benevolence and foresight of the Archbishop. At the official handing-over ceremony on 31 December 1925, Archbishop Perier blessed the Salesians and their mission, saying prophetically:“I bless this humble beginning in Calcutta, and I am sure that Don Bosco will work here also the miracles which he has worked in other parts of the world.”

History has vindicated his words. The Salesian presence in India has grown abundantly. From the single Province that began in 1926, eleven Provinces have since emerged. What began as one presence in Calcutta on 31 December 1925 has now grown into forty communities across India, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

When the Salesians proposed establishing a Technical School in Calcutta, Archbishop Perier once again offered his wholehearted support. Yet again, the obstacle was financial: the Salesians lacked the funds to purchase land. At this critical moment, the Archbishop intervened decisively. The Parish Priest of Howrah, Fr. De Wachter, SJ, had accumulated a sum of Rs. 95,000 over several years. His intention was to relocate Anglo-Indian boys living near his parish and provide them with vocational training. Archbishop Perier suggested that this fund be used to purchase land and invited the Salesians to take responsibility for the training of these boys. With his full approval, land was acquired, and to put up a  temporary shed on the land further assistance came from the Vicar General, Mgr. Fernandez, SJ, who provided the Salesians with an interest-free loan. This marked the humble beginning of Don Bosco Liluah. Archbishop Perier personally blessed the Don Bosco Technical Institute, Liluah, and the first church in India dedicated to St. John Bosco on 8 December 1937. On that occasion, Fr. Sruderi, the Provincial, paid warm tribute to both Fr. De Wachter and the Archbishop for their extraordinary generosity.

Archbishop Perier’s generosity extended far beyond Calcutta. In 1928, when the Diocese of Mylapore handed over Bandel, it would normally have come under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Calcutta. However, in a magnanimous gesture, Archbishop Perier gave Bandel to the Salesians in exchange for the property they were relinquishing in Tanjore.

In April 1936, when Our Lady’s House in Shillong was destroyed by fire, the Archbishop immediately offered the Jesuits’ summer villa at Woodcot to accommodate the homeless Salesian students. Later, when the first group of Salesian students arrived at Sonada from Bandel, they were housed at St. Theresa Villa until the  Gorabari brewery was made habitable. Archbishop Perier personally visited the students at St Theresa Villa, Sonada and  invited them to compete with the Brothers of St. Mary’s, Kurseong, in “brewing the beer of fervour and holiness for the Lord.” He later presided over the blessing of the first part of Salesian College Sonada, and again in 1962, he blessed the Aspirantate at Sevoke, marking the first Salesian presence in Siliguri. His benevolence during the formative years of the Salesian mission in Calcutta and North Bengal remains unforgettable and deserves special remembrance during the Centenary celebrations.

Religious Sisters as Faithful Collaborators

Another group deserving grateful remembrance is the Sisters of Charity of St. Bartholomea Capitanio and St. Vicenza Gerosa, popularly known as the Bambina Sisters. They had been working in Krishnagar for nearly sixty years before the arrival of the Salesians in 1928. Their early mission history was marked by deprivation and hardship, yet they persevered with remarkable dedication.

When the Salesians arrived, the Bambina Sisters continued their collaboration, caring for Catholic girls at Senior Holy Family and young boys at Junior Don Bosco. During the Bengal Famine of 1944, the Partition of Bengal in 1947, and the Bangladesh War of 1971, these sisters stood at the forefront of relief efforts. Working closely with the Salesians, they provided medical care and assistance to thousands of refugees and destitute families. Their unwavering support and close collaboration during the difficult periods of our history must not be forgotten.

Other Collaborators and a Call to Gratitude

In 1938, when Fr. Sruderi sought to purchase land at Gorabari for the future Salesian College, funds were once again lacking. The Loreto Sisters of Darjeeling came to the Salesians’ aid with an interest-free loan. Later, the land at Tengra for the Provincial House was also made available through their generosity.

In the early years of Auxilium Parish, the Sisters Adorers and the FMA Sisters worked closely with the parish priest, teaching catechism and imparting basic skills to children from nearby slums. The growth of Catholic families in Don Bosco Parish, Malbasey, owes much to the pioneering efforts of the Cluny Sisters, later continued by the MSMHC Sisters.

These are only a few names among hundreds—lay collaborators, catechists, religious sisters, diocesan priests, and bishops—who have walked with the Salesians over the past century. As we celebrate our Centenary, let us turn the forgotten pages of history with gratitude. Remembering them is not merely an act of courtesy; it is an act of justice and faithfulness. Without memory, celebration becomes hollow. With memory, it becomes thanksgiving.

– Fr. T. V. George, SDB