We, the Ursulines of Mary Immaculate (UMl) were honoured to receive an invitation to acquire a piece of land, marking the beginning of our presence in the enchanting landscape of Maina.

On June 2, 1966, the first group of sisters-Letizia, Liliana, Veronica, and Rosa-arrived. The then Parish Priest, Rev: Fr. Adolf Viegas, extended a warm welcome to the UMis, along with the parishioners to this village.

In the starting days, the sisters had to adapt, initially residing in the parish boarding house for 2 days before relocating to a rented house of Mr. Teles which is very close to the main road of Maina today. By the end of June, three newly professed sisters—

Gaudenzia, Eugene, and Blandina-joined the pioneers to contribute their services to this beautiful village and its people. Five girls too were admitted as boarders in the same house of whom one chose to be an Ursuline, rendering her service as a missionary in faraway mission land Brazil today. She is Sr.Yvonne Marie De Lima from Benaulim. Sisters Liliana, Letizia, and Gaudenzia embarked on their teaching apostolate in the parish school, while Sister Eugene dedicated herself to training young girls in embroidery and stitching. The sisters also played vital roles in the local parish dispensary and managed the church sacristy.

It was on 13 August 1966 the foundation stone for the first convent of UMI was laid and blessed by Fr. Viegas in the presence of a large gathering of schoolchildren and parishioners. When the convent building work was going on one side sisters along with the boarders were almost exiled from Maina due to some misunderstanding and had to take refuge in Mary Immaculate Convent school hall for four days. Furthermore, from there to Mater Dei convent and put up there till called back by the Patriarch to resume the work over this place. Despite facing the hardships and inconveniences of the initial stage, the hand of God was evident, culminating in the completion of the new convent building on June 11, 1967. The consecration of this new space was graced by the presence of the newly appointed parish priest, Father Cromacio Mascarenhas. Since then, the sisters have rendered their services in the parish, school and the locality. The boarding has become a cradle for vocations, blessing us with lively, zealous sisters who are an asset to the congregation serving in different parts of the world. Year after year many sisters joined the community and got transferred, each contributing to the mission through their familial visits and prayers. The year 1991 brought immense joy, with the resounding chime of silver bells heralding the Silver Jubilee of our mission at Maina, while May 31, 2016, stands as a cherished milestone, marking 50 years of Ursuline presence in this place.

Sadly, the convent boarding house, once a cherished home to many, had to be closed down due to the pandemic and could not be reopened due to the deteriorating condition of the building. If divine providence allows, we aspire to rebuild the structure, mindful of the pressing needs of our time. May St. Rita, the saint of the impossible, bless us, and may our Foundress, Blessed Brigida Morello intercede for each one of us.