By C. M. Paul
SONADA, Darjeeling, October 27, 2026: Salesian College (Autonomous), Sonada–Siliguri, has a unique reason to celebrate as two of its former principals—Salesian Bishops Stephen Ferrando and Orestes Marengo—advance on the path to sainthood.
Pope Leo XIV authorised the decree recognising the heroic virtues of Bishop Orestes Marengo (1906–1998) on October 24, 2026, conferring on him the title of Venerable.
Principal of Salesian College Sonada from 1940 to 1946, Marengo was a pioneering missionary in Northeast India who served as Bishop of Dibrugarh and Tezpur, and later as Apostolic Administrator of Tura.
He joins Bishop Stephen Ferrando (1895–1978), former Bishop of Shillong, who was declared Venerable by Pope Francis on March 3, 2016.
Associated with the Shillong origins of Salesian College in 1933, Ferrando also founded the Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC) in 1942, championing the role of women in the Church’s mission.
Their recognition highlights the enduring contribution of Salesian missionaries to the growth of the Church in India, particularly in the Northeast, where education, pastoral outreach, and care for the marginalised became hallmarks of their ministry.
Other Salesian missionaries who served in India are also advancing toward sainthood:
Venerable Francis Convertini (1898–1976): Declared Venerable in 2017, he dedicated his life to the poor and marginalised in rural Bengal, earning deep trust across religious communities through his humility and charity.
Venerable Constantine Vendrame (1893–1957): Whose heroic virtues were recognised by Pope Leo XIV on May 22, 2026, served tirelessly in Northeast India and Tamil Nadu, remembered for his simplicity and commitment to the poor.
In the Catholic Church, the title Venerable signifies the heroic practice of Christian virtues. Beatification and canonisation require further steps, ordinarily including the recognition of a miracle attributed to the candidate’s intercession.
For Salesian College and the wider Salesian family in India, these missionary lives remain a powerful source of pride and inspiration, renewing the call to educate communities and accompany the poor in the spirit of Don Bosco.