1. Founder and Director Msgr. Francis Elias Dsouza -1937 to 1958

2. Fr. John Menezes-1958 to 1970

3. Fr. Jose Menezes-1970 to 1977

4. Fr. L.S. Pais-1977 to 1987

 

5. Fr. L.V.M. Fernandes-1987 to 1989

 

6. Msgr. Edwin C. Pinto- 1989 to

 Msgr Edwin C.Pinto, Director - Mount Rosary Charitable Institutions
Founder – The Congregation of Helpers of Mount Rosary

It has been 35 years since Msgr. Edwin C. Pinto came to Mount Rosary as the Director.   We do not see many big buildings around Mount Rosary campus instead the old buildings built 87 years ago are still running with required renovation. He could have demolished them and made modern buildings. But he spent his energy, and resources, to fulfill the basic needs of Mount Rosary people, ie, food, water, clothing, medicine, etc, to build people, to give them a respectful life, to train and educate the sisters, and support and educate needy children of the villages of Moodbidri, and make them self supportive. He rendered these services in and around Mount Rosary, in the 28 villages of Moodbidri, and the remotest villages of the diocese.

From where did he get the inspiration and strength to render selfless service? His inspiration and strength was the Rosary in his hand, the time he spend with the Word of God, reading, reflecting and understanding the Will of God for his daily life, the daily Eucharist he offers and the daily adoration to the Blessed Sacrament. All this he does is not just to fulfill his duty as a Priest, but he lives it in his daily life by works of charity.

This was taught to him from his childhood by his devout and hard working parents Late Mr & Mrs. Boniface Pinto and Theresa Suares from Vittal Parish, where he was born in the year 1932 on May 2. He was the eldest brother to his six brothers and five sisters. Among them three sisters are in the Religious life. He had many religious Priests and sisters in his family, among them some were very holy and Religious. He did his primary school studies at Vittal, secondary at St. Aloysius College Mangalore, where he got opportunity to sing in the college choir, to play music, and to give service as an Altar boy. During his summer holidays, when he was at home, he was spending his morning few hours in the church, to assist the Parish Priest, especially Fr. Edward Saldanha, whose holy life and offering of Eucharist kindled in his heart a desire to become a Priest. He was also working in the agriculture garden with his parents, which inspired him during his Priestly life to work for the poor agriculture marginal labourers and small farmers.

When he completed his 11th standard, at the age of 15, his father Boniface asked him, Celi, what do you want to do in future? He said at once, I want to become a Priest. His father took him to the then Bishop Victor Fernandes. He joined the Jeppu Seminary in the year 1948 with his other four companions. The Rector of the Seminary Fr. Hermannus Nanna, welcomed him and encouraged him during his initial training period in the seminary. He was good in studies, in philosophy, Theology and in Latin language and very good in Music and extra curricular activities. He was the Choir Master, good speaker, and programme conductor. He never missed daily Rosary and Holy Eucharist in his life as a Seminarian. He was giving more attention to the Scripture classes, which helped him now to speak the Word of God and give good homilies and to give classes to the trainees of Helpers of Mount Rosary.

He was ordained a Priest by Late Bishop Basil Peris on April 2, 1957. On 4 April, he offered the solemn Mass in his own parish at Vittal and on the same day, he gave First Holy Communion to his younger brother Sevrine Pinto which doubled the joy in the family.

“If you wish to be my disciple, take up your Cross and Follow me” (Mt 16/24), gave immense meaning to his life, when he was in the Seminary. ‘CROSS, MY TREASURE’, was his Motto. He says, without the Cross, Religious life loses it meaning, and the love of Christ remains superficial.

As a Diocesan Priest, he was first appointed the Assistant Parish Priest of St. Vincent Ferrar Church, Valencia., where he was known not only for his liturgical singing, but also for preaching the Word of God. He became friendly with the youth and children and even senior people in the parish, whom he was visiting daily. Very next year, in 1958, he was sent to Neeleshwar parish, now given over to Cannoor Diocese, so that, he would bring peace among disputant people over there. He made friendship with the Communist leaders, became a member of their Association and sports club through which he won the hearts of the young and old. When he finished one year of his service, the parish was handed over to Canoor diocese. In 1960, he was sent to Basrikatte, Sacred Heart Parish, then under the diocese of Mysore. Now it is under Chikmagalore diocese. There was division among Basrikatte people and families. Fr. Pinto celebrated Eucharist holily and preached the Word of God meaningfully. He constantly visited parish families and listened to the people. This made Fr. Pinto win the hearts of people. The division solved by itself. He not only built the people but also he built the new church to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He invited Bethany sisters to open their house and started Primary school and then high school. The people of Basrikatte appreciated the services of      Fr. Pinto and arranged for him to go to Kuwait to preach a Retreat for the Mangalore community over there and from there he got an opportunity for a pilgrimage to Holy land. After six years of his service at Basrikatte, in the year 1966, he was called to work at St. Antony’s church Sasthan, now under Udupi diocese. He did a lot of human development work, education for children, built a new primary school, extended St. Antony’s church school, built a grotto for Mother Mary, and started Marian devotion, gave importance for children and youth catechism, liturgy, and church singing. 23 Jacobite families came back to Catholic faith in Brahmavar during his time at Sasthan. He started “BOAT a family programme” for Mabukal families and taught them to be self supportive.

After three years of service in 1969, he was sent to Permude parish for three years. He continued his Pastoral work, teaching Christian faith, values in life and founded associations for women, children and youth. He started agricultural projects to improve the life of the village farmers, built homes for the homeless and a parish community hall.

Seeing his activities and projects of human development, the then Bishop Basil D’Souza, in 1970, asked him to organize these projects for the whole of Mangalore diocese. Before undertaking this huge responsibility, Fr. Pinto studied the techniques of social work and Agriculture at the India Social Institute, Bangalore, and Agriculture college at Allahabad. He went to Coady to do Human Development and Cooperatives studies at St. Francis Xavier university, Antigonish, Canada. All these studies helped him to found CODP (Canara Organization for Development & Peace), an independent trust for the development work of the diocese. He resided in a old house at Vamanjoor, belonging to the Social Action of the diocese.

As the Director of CODP, Mangalore, and Co-ordinator of Caritas India, Fr. Pinto instituted the following activities and programmes not only in the diocese of Mangalore but Kerala, Tamilnadu, Orissa, Bihar, Mysore, Bangalore and all over Karnataka.

• He contacted various agencies who supported Developmental works in America, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada. He came in contact with Andheri Hilfe, a German organization, which is still supporting the diocesan development Programmes.
• Re-construction and self-sufficiency programme of 28 orphanages and children’s homes in the diocese.
• Non-formal education programme for the people of nearly 80 parishes of the diocese, to help catholic families in self-employment programmes.
• established Vamanjoor Kiran center, to train social workers, and prepared them as Resource persons to give training programmes
• started self help groups in the parish villages, through family visits, training and education programmes and self-employment activities.
• implemented dairy programmes through government schemes, for the people without discrimination of caste and creed.
• started School of Agriculture at Vamanjoor to train small farmers and marginal labourers of Mangalore Diocesan villages with the help of his trained social workers.
• started building houses for the homeless at Vamanjoor, for the people who were evicted from the Panamboor harbour projet.
• He built St. Joseph the Worker church at Vamanjoor, who remember him as Vamanjoorcho Shilpi. He was the first parish Priest of Vamajoor parish.
• He supported SRA sister’s convent at Vamanjoor, and Ursuline Sisters Novitiate bldg at Samarpan.
• He founded RUSEMP a Rural Self-Employment Training centre for Young men and women of all denominations at Pakshikere.
• He launched Belthangady package programme, where in he implemented not only agricultural programmes but also animal husbandry programme, health programmes, irrigation activities, etc. The L.M. Pinto hospital at Badyar is his brain child.
• When he completed his 12 years of service in CODP, he was called to Syracuse diocese in USA and Plymoth diocese in Canada to give talks on Human development to Priests and Religious sisters. Then he was called by the Agencies in Europe, Germany, Secours Catholique France etc. On his return in 1984, he was posted as the Manager of St. Jospeh’s Asylum Workshop, Jeppu, Mangalore. It was a challenging responsibility for him at that time. Within three years time, he brought in new machines for the workshop, and saved it from liquidation and there was not a single incident of labour strike, during his tenure.

In 1987, he want sent to Ranipura as a Parish Priest. But he could not succeed there in implementing the projects of Human development or any other charitable works or parish ministry.

In 1989, he had two options, as the Director of St. Antony’s Charitable Institutions, Mangalore or Mount Rosary Charitable Institutions, Alangar. The Lord wanted him in Alangar and so he stepped into the land of Alangar on May 27, 1989. For three months he studied the situation of Mount Rosary Charitable Institution, the various health activities, he met the eleven auxiliary nurses who were giving voluntary service in the Institution, who were advanced in age and there were no new volunteers coming forward since 1974, he saw the dry and barren land with ample opportunity to implement agriculture, he saw the situation of the people around Mount Rosary, and in the villages of Moodbidri, with lack of basic needs, education, etc. He found out that he would sow a mustard seed, in the place where the Spirit had prepared the way. As a man of vision, he foresaw better possibilities to continue the good work of the Lord, among the poor, sick, marginalized, and suffering people in a more committed, effective and apostolic way.

He used all his skills of agriculture and human development work, and with the help of his social workers in Vamanjoor, he dug borewells at Mount Rosary and found water for the people, animals and the land. He made use of the land and started doing rice cultivation, improved coconut garden, vegetables and other commercial crops. He saw a barren land of 25 acres and prepared it for rubber cultivation. He improved the living condition of the aged, sick and destitute people. Then he felt an inner urge to start an Association of young, committed sisters to continue the work already begun not only in Mount Rosary but also in the local church and the universal church. He prepared himself with prayer and discussions with experienced persons, and the Bishop of Mangalore, Late Bishop Basil S. D’Souza, to establish to group of religious sisters at Mount Rosary.

• In 1990 on September 15, he received the Decree from the Late Bishop Basil S. D’souza, to start a Lay Pious Association of Helpers of Mount Rosary and the Canonical erection was done on October 7, 1990.
• He himself drew up the seven visions of Helpers of Mount Rosary, where he explained what he expects from his Congregation sisters.
• He made agreement with the Provincial of Sisters of Charity, to send two of their sisters, for the formation and training of Helpers of Mount Rosary.
• He himself visited the village parishes or the diocese on every Sundays, to speak about the Congregation to get new vocations.
• He himself trained the new candidates in prayer, scripture, singing, music, and in social work., agriculture, animal husbandry and he worked with them in agriculture garden.
• He requested the support of the diocesan Priests and religious sisters, to give spiritual classes for the trainees and sisters.
• He wrote the daily gospel explanation and gave to the sister’s communities to help them in their daily meditation and prayer.
• He renovated the Nirmala house for women at Alangar, and turned it into Novitiate for the novices and built a new Retreat center and chapel for the novices and sisters. He also built a new formation house called St. Joseph’s home.
• The old house of the Auxiliary sisters was renovated and a new convent was built at Mount Rosary;
• He renovated the old house near Mount Rosary hospital built a new Christ King convent for the sisters who give service in the hospital.
• At Nellikar a small convent for the sisters, and a children home and a chapel were built with the support of the Nellikar parish people.
• A new convent was built at Nakre and two acres of land was bought.
• A new convent was built at Manela and a kindergarten, a land donated by the then Parish Priest.
• He taught the sisters to do agriculture and animal husbandry in all the above said convents, and made them self supportive for their mission.
• He, with the help of Helpers of Mount Rosary Sisters and well wishers, improved the Mount Rosary hospital services, brought new machines and equipments and extended the in-patient ward and renovated the existing rooms in the hospital.
• As the Director of Mount Rosary he started animal husbandry programme, dairy, poultry, piggery, and also planted 5000 rubber plants, areca plants, dug seven borewells and thus provided food and basic needs for the 150 people in the Institution.
• He built a new chapel for Mount Rosary people and sisters and new presbytery for the Priest to live. He tarred the Mount Rosary roads.
• He renovated all the old buildings which were housed by the aged, sick and destitute people and improved their living conditions. .
• He built a new kitchen with steam cooking, proper ventilation, and needed facilities.
• He trained the sisters in social work, and sent them to 28 villages of Moodbidri to build people groups, self – help groups of women and men, and thus taught the people to live with group support. Through non-formal education programmes, a lot of activities were undertaken in the Moodbidri villages. Life of the people has now improved, children were educated, health is improved and people learnt to stand on their own feet.
• Together with his responsibility, as the Director of Mount Rosary, he was the founder of the Congregation of Helpers of Mount Rosary, He was the Vicar Vara of the Moodbidri deanary for two terms, during which he was visiting all the Priests of the deanery and giving them individual attention and support in their ministry.
• He was the Vicar General of the Diocese of Mangalore from 1997 Jan 10 to 2001 July 5.
• Under his leadership and guidance, Christa-Jayanthi 2000 was celebrated at Mangalore.
• When he completed five years of hard work as the Vicar General together with his heavy responsibility at Mount Rosary and the Sisters, he had no strength and health to continue as the Vicar General and he came back to Mount Rosary to continue his most important work.
• He invited Redemptorist Fathers to Moodbidri Varado and asked the diocese to donate one acre land of Mount Rosary land for their residence and mission work.
• In 2003-2004, the Council of Helpers of Mount Rosary Sisters, with the Cooperation of Fr. Victor George, the Constitutions and Statutes of Helpers of Mount Rosary Congregation were prepared and sent to the Holy See to obtain the Nihil Obstat for the erection of H.M.R. Congregation into a Religious Institute of Diocesan Right. The Nihil Obstat was obtained and Bishop Aloysius Paul D’Souza erected it as a Religious Congregation on September 15, 2005.
• On February 3, 2008, He received Papal Honour, “Chaplain to His Holiness, with the title of Monsignor. Edwin C. Pinto, for his valuable service to the church.
• On December 12, 2009, he fell unconscious with a clot in his head. But completely recovered and came back to Mount Rosary. Though he is under medication, he is continuing his work and spends his time in praying the Rosary.
• From 2009 to 2015, he gives more attention to the training of Candidates, Pre-novices and Novices, together with the Mistresses in giving them spiritual classes, scripture, Personality classes, Politeness and Good manners.
• He encourages sisters to learn music and teach in the parishes. He sent one sister to Secundarabad to learn music. 
• He supported to open the new missions in Rome and Austria.

- Some of the famous sayings which he uses at various occasions to give us right guidance are,;

• Do not get drowned in a glass of water Give importance for small things.
• Small is beautiful
• We shall cross the river when we reach the bridge.
• We shall overcome some day Nothing doing - Go ahead
• Be quick
• Do not waste your energy for unnecessary things
• Use what you have, do not worry about what you dont have
• The Lord PROVIDES God knows the best
• Marli shendi !!!
• Your left hand should not know what your right hand does Komb funkinaka ani dol bodainaka
• Thuka pot arnun jiyevnki kalith asazai
• Insha Allaha
• De Gustibus, non disputandum
• Deo Gratias
• Use your Common sense
• Eat well, sleep well, pray well and work well.
• Thumka dristi kona asazai
• A stitch in time saves nine
• A Bird in the hand is more worth than two in the bush.

The song which he sings with full of spirit and joy is,
“We are altogether again, we are here, we are here; we are altogether again, we are here, we are here, and Who knows when we’ll be altogether again, singing altogether again, we are here, we are here”

The Holy Spirit is still active in the life of Msgr. Edwin C. Pinto, and he is always inspired to do something for the Church. At the age of 83, in the year 2015, he felt an inner call to start another Lay Pious Association of women at Mount Rosary. This is for young widows, of the age 30 to 45, who have no family acquaintances, who have a desire to serve the church and also spinsters of the age 30 to 45, to continue the works of Helpers of Mount Rosary. The name of the new Association is Rosarian Sisters.

In 2018, he was inspired to re-build Mount Rosary Hospital into 45 beds super speciality hospital and the new hospital was blessed and inaugurated on October 7, 2019. 

We thank God for what Msgr. Edwin C. Pinto has been to the Congregation of Helpers of Mount Rosary and the people of Mount Rosary and especially for the Diocese of Mangalore and the universal church.