On Palm Sunday a Second Collection will be made that will go toward the works and missions of the Pallottines in India. I know there have been several 2nd collections during Lent, we are not asking for a big amount; whatever you give will go a long way for the good of the missions. And if you are not able to do that, then just offer a prayer for our missionary works and you will feel blessed.
Since the last time I have written about the Pallottine Missions a lot has happened in our Province which is the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Province (ABVM). Until December 2019 we were Three Provinces in the whole of India. Since January of 2020 ABVM Province gave birth to Our Lady of Good Health Province and Gloria Dei Region. This has taken place in order to accommodate growth within the order. I have been appointed as the in-charge of the Mission Coordination work for ABVM Province.
As I have mentioned before, our ministry here helps our Province in India to continue and to support our missionary works including the formation of seminarians. Besides that here is a glimpse of some of the activities we are now engaging ourselves in:
· Home for the destitute and the aged. (A place for the destitute both men and women.) Presently we have 28 residents. Here we have two dormitories, for men and women. As the destitute are with varied psychological backgrounds, it’s difficult to keep them in one dormitory. The need of the place is to construct individual rooms for both men and women and also to make provision for the increasing number of residents and to accommodate them. Another requirement is the sustenance of the house. We are developing a dairy farm as one of the sources of income to achieve self-sustenance. We also help people with medical aid.
· Tuition Center’s in our missions: poor children are given tuition. Establishing the tuition centers is the need. There isn’t a structure to accommodate these students. Either we bring them to the church campus or any of the villages and impart education. Secondly, we support the teachers by paying their salaries from the Mission Secretariat.
· Educational scholarship to the students in mission areas (An annual program that has been carried out over the years now). Especially the poor who cannot afford to pay their school fees, financial help is given.
· Educational outreach: During this year of the pandemic, we have reached out to the students through our educational institutions: particularly distribution of smart phones and laptops as an aid to attend online classes to the needy who otherwise would have had to skip this academic year.
· House construction: Financial aid is given to the less privileged to have a better living facility. Financial aid is also needed for the construction of places of worship and presbyteries in mission stations.
Out of the 13 years since the Pallottines started ministering here, I have been blessed to serve you for 7 years. Your prayers, words of encouragement and your support helps me to keep serving you all the more. Let us keep up our good works. May our Founder St. Vincent Pallotti and our Patroness Mary Queen of the Apostles continue to guide me as I minister to you.
Thank you everyone for all your beautiful birthday wishes. It was truly over whelming!!
God Bless you.
Fr. Socorro