Stephen Ferrando

Who was Stephen Ferrando?

Stephen Ferrando, was an Italian missionary belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco, an order founded by St. John Bosco. Ferrando was ordained a priest on March 18, 1923 at the Salesian Institute of Borgo San Martino, Alessandria, Italy. A few months latter he was assigned to serve in British India, as part of the third batch of missionaries dispatched. Ferrando left Venice on December 2, 1923 along with nine other companions, reaching Shillong, then the capital of the Assam province of British India and headquarters of the Prefecture Apostolic of Assam on December 23. There he was entrusted with the responsibility of forming future missionary personnel for the Prefecture, serving as the Master of Novices. He also served as the Catechist and then the Rector of Our Lady's House in Shillong and in 1929, became a Council Member of the Provincial team of the Salesians in the diocese.

At that time, the Holy See had entrusted the Archdiocese of Madras, the diocese of Krishnanagar and the Prefecture Apostolic of Assam to the Salesians.