“THE BOARDING”. At present we have 198 Adivasi girls of the Rathwa tribe. They all study at the Salesian school, from the 6th to the 12th Std. The sisters, with the support of three teachers, are in charge of it. The aim is to provide girls of this tribe to have access to a complete and integral education. On Sundays all the girls have talks on values, sports, crafts, etc.
“SOCIAL WORK IN THE RURAL AREAS”. Following structures that are promoted either by the government or by other institutions. “SELF HELP GROUPS”: they try to teach adivasi women to defend their rights and save money to have more autonomy. “DEFENSE OF THE RIGHTS OF THE FARMERS”: the organization encourages, mutual collaboration and solidarity as means to obtain a legal ownership document of their property.
SNEHANJALI has always been the regional house and the welcome house. For some years now it has also been the community of the elderly and sick sisters. The laymen of Surat have their meetings in this house
Our chapel is open so that all believers can come and pray during the day.
MAHAD politically belongs to Raigad district, within the area of Mumbai, the Konkan region of the state of Maharashtra. It is located about 150 km south of the city of Mumbai. The Missionary Society is present in the church of Mahad "San Francis Xavier" since 2012, its missionary activities are basically directed towards the adivasis, called Katkaris. The local church of Mahad is considered "the mission" of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Mumbai.
The missionary activity of the sisters: The community participates in net-working with C.S.A (Center for Social Action), a diocesan project for the mission of Raigad. It is a collective effort of the local Church to help and promote the Katkari tribe. The sisters also give catechism to the children of the Catholic families that form the Christian community.The sisters also give catechism to the children of the more or less 30 Catholic families that make up the Christian community. A new project of the Diocese in Mahad is the ECO-SPIRITUAL- FARM entrusted to the sisters and already started in 2023.
LAY/AS OF THE MISSIONARY SOCIETY IN INDIA Sister Anju is in charge of animating and forming the group of Catholics who are the “LAY/AS” of the Missionary Company. They meet monthly, the sisters organize talks for them based on our spirituality, Constitutions, as well as topics that concern the reality and context of India. The majority of the members of this group have a very active participation in the parish, they are part of catechesis and missionary animation groups. Everyone participates in the Charisma and Spirituality of the Missionary Society.
Our missionary presence in this country, located in Southeast Asia with a Buddhist majority, dates back to 2001, in the Apostolic Prefecture of Kompong Cham. Upon arrival, the first three sisters devoted themselves to learning the local language, Khmer; and then they were destined to the area of Suong where there was a small “chapel”, a sign of Catholic presence. A few baptized people attended the Sunday Eucharist, in fact the sisters dedicated their time to the rural areas of Suong where some families lived in the process of evangelization and christian formation. In this place we were present until the end of 2004. …thus we began to know cambodia: land of rice fields, dances and art … Place where the celebrations and poverty live together; joy with suffering; the victims of antipersonal mines with hope…
In January 2005 we went to the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang. For a year we stayed in the city of Battambang where the sisters who had just arrived had the opportunity to learn Khmer, to adapt to the environment and also to know the apostolic tasks of the Prefecture, as well as to build up relationship with the different religious congregations and pastoral agents. From Battambang we began to visit and know what would be our future mission place: POIPET.
On January 24, 2006 we arrived at POIPET, full of hope, with few plans and full of desire to give ourselves to the missionary task there. Immediately we took charge of the small Christian community formed by two or three Vietnamese families and a small group of young catechumens. We also started visiting the nearby rural villages where we offered our health services and help for the physically disabled persons.
Over the years we had more knowledge of the reality of POIPET and the needs of the people, so our presence was urged to create programs and projects that were signs of the Kingdom of God that opts for the poorest, marginalized and disadvantaged. With hard work and dedication, the Christian community has also been strengthened, today they have their own parish committee, catechists and we also have local collaborators who, under our supervision are the ones who carry out the works. Thanks also to volunteers and benefactors who collaborate with their presence and financial contribution.
On December 27, 2022, the first step was taken to fulfill the dream of visiting Oddar Meanchey. Hasu, Hellen and Bondol (a member of our staff) left to meet Father Jub, the parish priest in charge, who arrived there from Prey Vihea. So we have been coming and going, visiting some families in the town and preparing the house to stay. On February 11 we had a simple Eucharist and then the blessing of the house. We were about 30 people.
