The mission at Jonai was started by Fr Abraham Kuttiankal in 1979. He who was serving in a small country parish at Kumrikatta as assistant parish priest for an year was sent to Jonai under Dhemaji district. Jonai had catholics two years prior to the arrival of the MSFS. These were the Garos who came to work in the land of the Adis of Arunachal Pradesh. Fr Abraham gathered them together and began the Sunday services and prayer services. Gradually the Catholics of the area came together and formed a community and began Sunday mass regularly. Towards the middle of 1979, Fr Cherian Moolamattom, the Vicar General of Tezpur diocese, was called to bless and inaugurate our new building, while the sub divisional officer was the chief guest. The school was dedicated to St Francis de Sales and was named ‘Fransalian School’. But most people could not pronounce it well and so they called it as ‘French School’! Even though the school was begun in the middle of the academic year, 65 students took admissions to lower kindergarten (LKG). This included Khogen Mardi and Dubai Soren. The first batch of teachers included Lucy Touro, Lucy Emmanuel, and Alice” (Kuttiankal, 2000 p 45). Fr Abraham served the mission till 1983. Between 1990-95, the need for more classrooms and playground was met by extending the school building. Afull-fledged bookstall came into being for the good of the students and staff. Sr Theresa Kurian took up the challenge of running the bookstall while holding the position of Superior. The Silver Jubilee of the School (1979-2004) was celebrated from October 30 to November 1, 2004 with the theme ‘Bloom Where You are Planted’. The yearlong celebrations were begun on March 25, 2004 and concluded on November 1, 2004.

FRANSALIAN HIGH SCHOOL RUN BY CATHOLIC CHURCH, JONAI