“24^th January of this year (1871) was a day of great, albeit sweet, sadness for our entire Community. In the morning after Holy Mass there was a farewell for the fortunate Sisters who, after special and fitting prayers made in order to know the holy Will of God, were assigned by our dearest Superiors to the honorific and difficult task of founding our first Foreign Mission.

It was a heart-rending scene! On both sides, however, resignation to the Will of God was sweet comfort, which had shown itself too clearly in this affair to be able even to doubt it! Our excellent Mothers, General and Local, accompanied the fortunate Missionaries to Genoa, where H.E. Msgr. Giovanni Barbero was already waiting for them. They returned on the 28^th, the ship having sailed only the evening before”. (Chronicles of the Institute vol I, p.97).

Having landed in Bombay on 19^th February 1871, “eager to reach their new field of labour, the Sisters left Bombay by train for Gulbarga, the terminus of the G.I.P. Railway. Here they were met by Father Fattori. The next lap of the journey was typically Indian as they travelled by bullock cart. They jogged along by night so as to avoid the heat, and at intervals they walked along in the moonlight. While they rested under trees, thay lit fires to protect themselves from the wild animals. In spite of hardships and perils, they journeyed on heroically until at last they reached Chudderghat (Hyderabad) on 3^rd March 1871. The same evening they made their way to Secunderabad, and received a right royal welcome with even a band in attendance”. (from Shalom, pg. 5)

See video part II