Msgr Raymond F C Mascarenhas

Msgr Raymond F C Mascarenhas founded the only indigenous religious order, the Bethany Sisters, in 1921. He also founded the Bendur Church and parish in 1914 - 1931. The Bethany Congregation has spread worldwide and comprises 1,400 nuns, 175 convents all over India, and 15 convents abroad. The nuns have rendered a lot of service in women’s welfare, healthcare, geriatric care, and so on. 

Raymond was born on Saturday, 23 January 1875, on the feast of St Raymond of Penyafort in Shimoga, Karnataka. But later on, interestingly, he had the privilege of bearing the names of three saints - Raymond, Francis Xavier, and Camillus.

In pursuance of his inner voice, Raymond joined St Joseph’s Inter-diocesan Seminary, Mangalore in February 1891.   He received his ordination on March 4, 1900, and began life as a priest by serving the parishes of Milagres, Udyavar, and Agrar. He then chose to become the first parish priest of Bendur. He served as the parish priest of Bendur from 1914 to 1931, transforming it into a social and spiritual centre. He felt inspired to found a Religious Congregation for women in Mangalore to meet the educational needs of the poor, especially girls, and for the faith formation of Catholics. Fr. Raymond founded the religious Congregation, ‘Bethany’, on 16 July 1921.

Soon thereafter, according to the needs of the Diocese, he sent the Sisters to various places such as Puttur, Kokkada, Balkunje, and so on. In all, within nine years of the existence of the Bethany Congregation, the sisters devoted themselves to the care of more than 1,500 children in eleven different institutions. He opened more schools in the interior villages as the years passed by, and was happy to see the poor, especially girls, being empowered. In addition, he opened industrial and technical schools for the dropouts.

He passed away on 23 December 1960. Being aware of the holy and virtuous life led by Fr. Raymond, the delegates of the XIV General Chapter of Bethany Sisters resolved to take up the Cause of Raymond for beatification and canonization. On 03 June 2008, the Bishop of Mangalore presided over the Eucharistic celebration at St Sebastian Church, Bendur, and initiated the Cause of beatification and canonization of the Servant of God, RFC Mascarenhas. The documents were sent to Rome thereafter for the next phase.

On 04 December 2020, the Sacred Congregation for the Cause of Saints, Vatican, issued the Decree of Juridical Validity of the Cause of the beatification and canonization of RFC. Currently, the Cause is in progress.

*Collected from the public domain

*Updated on 11/06/2025