About Us

Our Patron

patron St. Francis De Sales

St. Francis de Sales

St. Francis de Sales was born on August 21, 1567 in Château de Thorens near Annecy (France). He is the patron saint of the deaf, dumb, writers, journalists and also of the cities Geneva, Annecy and Chambéry.

In 1593, he was ordained a priest and in 1594 he went to Chablais mission among the Calvinists. Although,he had many challenges and difficulties, including an attempted murder on him, he brought the whole district back to the Catholicism by prayers, penitence, writing and public debates.

In 1602, St. Francis de Sales was appointed as the bishop of Geneva. Renowned for his shepherding, eloquent preaching, and spiritual guidance, he touched the lives of countless individuals.

On June 6, 1610, he, along with Jane Frances de Chantal, founded the "Order of the Visitation of Holy Mary." St. Francis de Sales passed away at the age of 55 from a cerebral hemorrhage at Lyons on December 28, 1622. His burial took place on January 24th at Annecy. Beatified in 1662, he was later canonized in 1665.

Pope Pius X bestowed upon him the title of Doctor of the Church in 1877. His most renowned works include: "Introduction to the Devout Life" and "Treatise on the Love of God." The maxim "LIVE JESUS," encapsulates the essence of St. Francis de Sales' spirituality.



Our Founder

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Servant of God Fr. Peter Marie Mermier

Servant of God Fr. Peter Marie Mermier was born on 28 August, 1790 in Vouray in the parish of Chaumont en Genevois in Savoy. He was ordained a priest on 21 March, 1813.

Father Peter Mermier was an austere priest of unbounded zeal. During his time most people were indifferent to Catholic Faith and practices, due to the influence of Jansenism, Gallicanism and the French Revolution. With a view to enliven true faith, he went from parish to parish, staying from four to six weeks in each to preach retreat. He prayed, preached and motivated the people to build up their faith. A few more priests joined his mission of preaching. He felt the need to establish a missionary congregation to carry out the preaching ministry. On 24 October, 1838 Bishop Rey issued an official document giving canonical approval to the Congregation founded by Father Peter Mermier known as the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales. He founded the Congregation of the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales for

1. Parish mission

2. Foreign missions

3. Education of the youth

His missionary zeal impelled him to ask the Holy Father for a mission abroad and he accepted a vast mission territory in India, although the Congregation was in its infancy with just eleven professed members. The missionaries came to India in 1845. Father Pierre-Marie Mermier died on 30 September, 1862.

Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales

The Congregation of the “Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales” (MSFS) also known as Fransalians was founded under the patronage of St. Francis de Sales by the Servant of God Fr. Peter Mary Mermier at Annecy, France in 1838. Barely seven years later, the Missionaries set out to preach the Word of God to the people of India. Our apostolate are primary evangelization, renewal of Christian faith, parish missions, education of the young, vocational training, social work such as street children programme, orphanages and dispensaries. The Congregation has ten Provinces and four autonomous missions in 34 countries. There are about 1.300 members in the Congregation. There are 140 MSFS priests engaged in various pastoral activities in 11 countries of African Continent (Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Tchad, Camerron, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia and Swaziland).

MSFS arrived in Tanzania in 1988. The Province of East Africa was established in 1996, encompassing Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. Currently, MSFS Missionaries in East Africa are engaged in pastoral work across various regions: the Archdioceses of Tabora, Dar es Salaam, Arusha, and Dodoma, along with the Dioceses of Kahama and Morogoro in Tanzania. In Kenya, MSFS initiated their missionary apostolate in 1997 and are currently active in the Dioceses of Meru, Machakos, and Ngong. MSFS commenced their missionary work in Uganda in April of 2001, serving in the Archdiocese of Tororo, and the Dioceses of Jinja and Lugazi. The Province of East Africa is deeply involved in parish missions, renewal programs, youth education, and various developmental initiatives for the underprivileged. Presently, there are 72 MSFS priests hailing from India, Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, serving in East Africa.