In 1983, the parish in Jipapad, Eastern Samar became the Mother House of the Canossian Fathers and Brothers in the Philippines. Mons. Angelo Saverio Zanisi, a former Canossian , first came to the suburban place and started the mission in the Philippines. Fr. Vittorio Cavallaro came after a short span of time and started the Canossian mission who later was followed by Fr. Edouardo Lanzalaco, FdCC. After several years of silent work with the pastoral commitment of these three dedicated Canossian missionary priests in the depressed area of Samar, the Lord has gifted the Congregation with new vocations and new communities.
On September 26, 1986, Fr. Stefano Arnone and Fr. Carlo Bittante arrived in Manila accompanied by Fr. Sergio Pinato the Vicar General and were welcomed by the Canossian Sisters. The following year (1987) Fr. Giovanni Gentilin also came and finally on June 5, 1988, the formation house officially opened with the first group of eight young men from Luzon, Samar, and Mindanao. Since then, in the past 25 years, several groups of seminarians have entered and joined the program, majority were Filipinos but the congregation also welcomed young men from East Timor, Indonesia, India, Singapore and Malaysia.
In September 12, 2011 the Canossian Missionaries formally launched the Bakhita Canossa Foundation, Inc. as a means of support for their seminarians as well as their missionary works.
The Bakhita Canossa Foundation Inc. supports the advocacies of its Vocation which includes the promotion, propagation, and growth of the mission in the spirit of Canossian Sons of Charity- Our Lady of Sorrows Delegation in the spirit of St. Magdalene of Canossa and St. Josephine Bakhita through formation and education of priests, seminarians, and lay collaborators; Youth Development which prioritize the education of less fortunate children; Calamity and Disaster Response by providing programs that will aid the people after being devastated by calamities and also Infrastructure which comprises the establishments of churches, formation houses, youth centers and development of projects and programs for the benefit of members and beneficiaries in the Philippines and missions of the congregation in other countries, in which resources were taken from all different individual/ collective advocacies within and outside the congregation.
