The distinctive external symbol of Franciscans friars is the iconic brown habit – the tunic, hood and white cord with three knots. When someone sees someone in the habit, they know immediately that that person is a Franciscan friar. After the Second Vatican Council, many orders and congregations – particularly the women’s ones – modified or abandoned their habits. The religious who continued with a traditional habit were generally seen as more conservative and against the reforms of the council. The more liberal religious minimized or dropped the use of a habit to more closely identify with secular people. When I joined the friars twenty years ago, the habit stilled played that role. If one saw a friar wearing his habit – particularly a habit with a Franciscan Crown (rosary) attached to his cord – they could be pretty certain that the friar was a conservative one. The more liberal friars rarely wore their habits and even attended formal events in coat and tie. I even know one friar who no longer owns a habit! After the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, many left religious life. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, there were as many as 1,100 friars in my province. When I entered as a postulant close to the end of the last century, there were almost 500; today there are 291 of us.
All the Friars shall wear coarse garments, and they may mend them with sacking and other pieces of cloth, with the blessings of God.
Date |
Name of the Friars |
Events |
Year |
01 |
Jose Palimattom Vincent Soosai Fabianus Toppo Bryan Carneiro Bhaskar Reddy Michael Anand |
Solemn Vows Solemn Vows Entry Solemn Vows Solemn Vows Solemn Vows |
1996 1996 1999 2002 2002 2002 |
02 |
Leos Ekka Vinoth Robin + Denis Boers Basil Tirkey Vinod Kujur Francis Arokiasamy M. Thumma Ranjith Kumar Reddy |
Birth Birth Home Solemn Vows Solemn Vows Solemn Vows Solemn Vows |
1963 1985 1997 2013 2013 2013 2013 |
03 |
Fabianus Toppo + Theodore Caine Ankit Kumar Baghel |
Birth Home Birth |
1978 1986 1996 |
04 |
Dharmodaya Ashram - Bellary |
Foundation |
1995 |
06 |
Alphonse Moras |
Birth |
1950 |
07 |
Sleeva Reddy Tojy M. |
Solemn Vows Solemn Vows |
1998 1998 |
08 |
Joy Valooran Dominic C.J. Balthazar Pinto Bala Marneni Tony D’ Souza |
Birth Solemn Vows Solemn Vows Solemn Vows Solemn Vows |
1970 1987 1987 1987 1987 |
09 |
Anthony Joseph Archer |
Birth |
1992 |
10 |
Arokia Raj R. |
Solemn Vows |
1989 |
11 |
Jesu Raja A. |
Birth |
1985 |
12 |
Pratap Reddy Salibindla Balthazar Pinto Bala Marneni Tony D’Souza Arokia Raj R. Arulsamy A. Thomas Joseph Bobby V.T. Johnny Anthony Charles Bernard Felix Gassam Athanasius Xaxa Paul Kallan Leos Ekka John Chrysostom Salim Joseph Francis Kaviyil Babu Jose Pamplany James N. Chinnappan M. Devaraj Amaldas Belevendran |
Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry Entry |
1981 1981 1981 1981 1982 1982 1982 1982 1983 1984 1984 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1985 1986 |
13 |
+ Anthony of Padua Samson A. Basen Friary Nanasera Friary New Church at Sion Bannur Friary |
Feast Birth Foundation Foundation Blessing Foundation |
1955 1982 1992 1995 1999 |
14 |
Francis Arokiasamy M. |
Birth |
1987 |
16 |
Adarsh Y. |
Birth |
1994 |
18 |
Michael Anand |
Ordination |
2005 |
19 |
Dayanand Dharma L. Bernard |
Birth Birth |
1950 1953 |
20 |
Tony Marshall + Alphaeus Swinkels |
Birth Home |
1978 1980 |
21 |
Jamesmon P.C. |
Birth |
1970 |
22 |
Arulsamy A. Arun Junes |
Birth Birth |
1961 1978 |
25 |
Thomas M.M. |
Birth |
1949 |
26 |
Niraj Kumar Tirkey |
Birth |
1993 |
27 |
Naveen George |
Birth |
1982 |
28 |
Samson Tommy T.J. Dominic C.J. Carlos Dias Manoj Xalxo |
Entry Entry Entry Entry Birth |
1980 1980 1980 1980 1982 |
30 |
Amaldas Belevendran + Leo Remedios |
Birth Home |
1967 1970 |
