Fr. Michael Marie William Shanahan sscc is considered one of the pioneers of the missionary presence of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in India, together with Fr. Bill Petrie sscc. After obtaining a specialization in the diagnosis of leprosy in the United States, he arrived in India in 1978 and began working alongside Mother Teresa of Calcutta. For years, he devoted his life to serving the sick in the Shanti Nagar leprosy colony in West Bengal.
Later, the Archbishop of Calcutta, Mons. Henry De’ Souza (now deceased), invited him to serve as spiritual director at the Barasat Seminary. It was then that Fr. Mike began seeking vocations for the Sacred Hearts (SSCC), planting the first seeds of the congregation in the region. Since then, he has played a key role as a vocation promoter, spiritual guide, and history teacher of the congregation in the formation houses of Kolkata and Bangalore, until 2017.
Now, after eight years away from the country, Fr. Mike has returned to India to celebrate a very special moment: the 50th anniversary of the presence of the Sacred Hearts in the region. His participation has brought a special touch of joy and gratitude to this celebration. Generously, he has expressed his desire to remain a missionary in India for the rest of his life. The region is deeply grateful for his dedication, as well as for the service of all the sscc missionaries who have served in India. May God continue to bless them in their mission!
07/02/2025