Founder

           CST FATHERS are Catholic Religious Priests, a Religious Institute of Pontifical status, under the patronage of St. Therese of Lisieux. The name CST is the abbreviation for Congregation of Sactae Therese(alias Little Flower Congregation). Saint Therese is also known as Little Flower and the name of the Congregation of these Priests came from her name.

          The Congregation of Sactae Therese (CST) was founded by late Very Rev. Fr. Basilius Panat to work for the development of the rural people. He himself started the Congregation in a very remote village called Mookkannur in Kerala, India and worked hard for its development. Now, the Congregation has grown to four Provinces with 300 Priests and about 350 Candidates for Priesthood. The Congregation has its Head Office - Little Flower Generalate - at Thrikkkakara, Kerala. Since 1970, CST Fathers have been working in the area covering the districts of Deoria, Gorakhpur, Basti, Maharajganj, Sant Kabirnagar, Kushinagar and Siddharth Nagar of Eastern U.P. Earleir this area was part of the Diocese of Varanasi.

          In 1984 the above area was separated from the Diocese of Varanasi and the new Diocese of Gorakhpur was carved out and was entrusted to CST Fathers for various Community Development Services. CST Fathers have committed themselves to spread the values of Justice, Equity, Freedom and Love among the people and pave way for a society where the rights and dignity of all are ensured and respected, where each one is getting ones due share in the society.

          In January 2000, Gorakhpur Region of the Little Flower Congregation was raised to the status of a Province. Little Flower Province has the territorial demarcation consisting of Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Bihar and Jharkhand in India and the neighboring country Nepal. The new Province is working as a Registered Society in the name of Little Flower Mission, Gorakhpur. Little Flower Mission has established various institutions and network of activities for the integrated development of the people. CST Fathers are engaged in social and rural development,education, faith formation and charity.