Media Release

Nov 28:  Institute of the Maids of the Poor (IMP), a secular institute based in Lucknow,  has elected Lily Fernandes, as its new directress general.

The election was held on November 18 during the eight General Assembly of the Institute. 

Lily, 61, said that her immediate priority is to impart the spirit of the 8th General Assembly of the Institute by accompanying every member. She also said that she wants to bring to actualization ‘Mission Cum Gentes’ (Mission with people).

Born in Mangalore, Karnataka in 1951, she has lived in North India, mostly in Uttar Pradesh (U.P), since 1967. She obtained a post graduate degree in Education and Diploma in Nursing and served in the Government hospitals of U.P.for several years.

She studied Theology in Rome and diploma in integrative counseling in St Anselm’s Institute for Counselling at Kent, UK. Thereafter she served in the same Institute as a staff member for 2 years.

She also worked as Secretary of UP regional youth and vocation bureau for 6 years. She has worked in National Biblical Catechetical and Liturgical Centre (NBCLC) Bangalore, as programme coordinator and counselor several years.

For the last 6 years she has been working  as programme coordinator, professor and resident Counselor in National Vocation Service Centre (NVSC), Pune. Along with her service she has also served her institute as general secretary, general counselor, formator and vice directress general.
The general assembly also elected members, Alice Joseph, Isabella Pinto, Chinnamma Scaria, Lissy Kurien and Meskel Kelta from Ethiopia as General councilors.

 This was the first election after the Institute of the Maids of the Poor, was raised as a Pontifical Institute on October 4, 2007. The institute was founded in 1951.