Two Indian archbishops have urged the Daughters of St. Paul to continue proclaiming the Gospel through modern media while remaining rooted in prayer, faith, and missionary service, as the congregation marks the 75th anniversary of its presence in India.
During separate thanksgiving celebrations, Archbishop Anil J.T. Couto of Delhi and Archbishop Victor Lyngdoh of Shillong reflected on the congregation's contribution to evangelization and encouraged the sisters to respond to today's communication challenges with renewed missionary zeal.
At a thanksgiving Eucharist in New Delhi, India's national capital, on June 28, Archbishop Couto recalled the congregation's early missionary years, when the pioneer sisters visited homes carrying books to share the Gospel.
"They would go house to house, two by two, carrying books in bags with the enthusiasm of St. Paul to share the Gospel," he said. "Not all families welcomed them, but they continued their mission joyfully and courageously."
Archbishop Couto praised the sisters' perseverance, saying their apostolate has helped many people encounter Christ. He also noted that, faithful to the vision of their founder, Blessed James Alberione, the congregation has embraced new forms of communication.
"Following the exhortation of their founder to adapt to every new development in the media of communication, they have now entered the digital world, walking with the times," he said.
Meanwhile, during a thanksgiving Mass in Shillong, the capital of the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya, Archbishop Victor Lyngdoh reflected on the witness of Saints Peter and Paul and thanked God for the congregation's 75 years of ministry in India.
He said the Daughters of St. Paul have touched countless lives through evangelization, catechesis, education, publications, and digital media.
Reflecting on the jubilee theme, "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel" (1 Corinthians 9:16), Archbishop Lyngdoh reminded the faithful that proclaiming the Gospel is the mission of every baptized Christian.
He encouraged the sisters to continue embracing digital platforms while remaining firmly rooted in prayer and joyful service. At a time when misinformation and hatred spread rapidly through modern media, he said, the Church needs communicators who proclaim truth, hope, and Gospel values.
The Daughters of St. Paul arrived in India on August 18, 1951, when missionary sisters from Italy were invited to the Archdiocese of Bombay—now the Archdiocese of Mumbai—by Cardinal Valerian Gracias.
Today, the congregation serves in 16 dioceses across India through publishing, media ministry, catechesis, pastoral outreach, book centers, and communication initiatives.
The congregation has also sent Indian sisters on mission to Australia, Italy, Peru-Bolivia, Germany, and the Czech Republic, reflecting its growing contribution to the Pauline mission beyond India.
