The RNDMs in India have always recognized the importance of vocation recruitment and so in 1970, the provincial council felt that the time had come to open a house in a more Catholic area with a view to recruiting vocations. This led to them approaching Bishop Basil D’Souza of the Diocese of Mangalore about the possibility of opening an RNDM house in the diocese. He was happy to have an International congregation come to the diocese, but wanted the RNDMs to do more than simply recruitment work. The Sisters were happy to follow his suggestions.

Belvai, a small village forty- five kilometers from Mangalore, had no church within a radius of eight kilometers, which meant that Catholics had to walk miles to attend Sunday Mass. Because of this and at the request of the priest, Father Joe Shenoy of Alankar, bought a plot of land on which a school, a church, and a parish house could eventually be built. Sisters Mary Ignatia Fernandes and Mary Stanislaus Mathew began living in a temporary accommodation from 8 April 1970. Mass was celebrated every Sunday in very simple surroundings. Children who were attending the government school received catechetical instruction from the Sisters who were also responsible for the Children of Mary Sodality.

Eventually, the Sisters bought a property, and after it was suitably renovated, they moved in and continued their pastoral and educational ministries in the area. Before long young women from the area were asking about coming to the novitiate.

The Sisters were actively involved in the parish ministry. They provided catechetical instruction for children attending the government school, Children of Mary Sodality, Sunday classes, some basic health care, mother and child health programmes, visited families, and fostered vocations to priesthood and religious life.In 1977 Sr. Mary Anselma opened the dispensary. However, after some years it was realized that the dispensary was no longer a priority, given the growing number of private clinics and hospitals in that area. The dispensary building was used for a nursery school and today a new school building is constructed recently to accommodate the growing number of admissions. We have at present 220 students.