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Fransalian International

"Be what you are, Be at its best!"      - St. Francis de Sales

Editorial  Introducing the MSFS St. Francis de Sales  Fr. Peter Memier MSFS in St. Lucia  Fr. Louis Favre General Assembly 1997  Wellspring Fransalian Media Centre  Suvidya College     VISAKHAPATNAM PROVINCE Congress of the FRANCE-SWISS PROVINCE NAGPUR PROVINCE PUNE PROVINCE SOUTH-WEST PROVINCE NORTH-EAST INDIA TANZANIA Vol. 1  January 1999

Fransalian International

The Pune Province came into existence from the division of the former Maharashtra-Goa Province in 1996.  It comprises of Goa, Bombay and other north-western areas of India

The Beginning and Today

The parish was erected in 1988 and Fr. Perry D'silva was appointed the first parish priest.  He had as assistants the late Fr. Louis Chirackal, and Fr. Francis Dias, now in Brazil. They started a survey of the area and identified 80 Christian families. 

Fr. Terrie was appointed the second parish priest of Shaanwadi and Fr. Nazareth as the assistant. The number of families rose to about 400. As the strength increased, the religious services were first conducted in a room, then in a small hall and later shifted to the school hall, built in 1992. But still the space was not sufficient. On feast days the services had to be held on the school grounds. There was an urgent need of a church building and it was built.

The Bishop of Pune blessed it on 24th Jan 1995. The beautiful church gave the people a sense of belonging and the number of families went up to 800. The school number had swollen to 750 by 1995.  In 1996 the Pune province was formed with its Provincialate in Shaanwadi and Fr. Jerson D'souza as its first Provincial. 8th Sept. 1998 will be a red letter day for the children and people of Shaanwadi.

The school building started in 1992 and finally reached its completion in 1998 and inaugurated by Rev. Fr. Jerson D' Souza - Provincial of the Pune Province on 8th Sept 1998. The parish and the school are the two centres of pastoral activity.

Social Service

The majority of the local people are middle and middle-lower class and at least 10 percent are very poor. Not more than 30 percent can be called rich. We also have a big slum settlement in our area. We cannot close our eyes to the needs of the people, and we have to get the parishioners involved in social work. We collect old clothes to distribute to the slum dwellers.  A doctor of the parish renders free medical  assistance to the sick on a regular basis.  Some occasionally donate medicines.  At times food is given to the poor. Fees and uniforms are given to school-going children. We have built about 60 tin shacks for those who were living in tents, got electric connections for some families and made sure that the little homes are in their own names.  We helped about 350 people to procure spectacles. We do these services irrespective of caste and creed.

The South Goa Mission entrusted to the Fransalians in 1989 comprises the Parishes of St. Sebastian's, Cananguinim (800 Catholics), St. Anthony's, Cabo de Rama (300 Catholics), and Our Lady of Fatima, Cotto Fatorpa (5,000 Catholics).   With Cananguinim as the centre, the other two Parishes lie within a radius of 15 km.

On the western side, the mission is bounded by the Arabian Sea, and on the eastern side by hills. The villages lie scattered in beautiful greenery. The people engaged in toddy-tapping, and fishing, are daily wage earners. Quite a few work in the Gulf countries or are seamen. A few are well off. The majority are middle class, and the rest poor. The majority of the workers belong to the ‘kunbi’ class.

Church attendance is good and the people’s faith strong though ritualistic.  Animism and ancestor worship are still prevalent especially among the 'kunbis'.   The parishes were looked after by Priests from the Goa diocese. The Fransalian pioneers here were Frs. Tony Nazareth, Francis Dias, Philip D'silva and Daniel Alphonso. The tireless efforts of our confreres have borne fruit.  Many have begun to frequent the Sacraments; there is an active involvement of the youth and catechists in parish activities especially in liturgical celebrations. The church at Cotto-Fatorpa was too small to hold all the faithful. Through the people's contribution especially by way of labour, a larger but elegant church was built and blessed on 4th May 1995.

Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity took up residence in the parish in 1992. They are actively engaged in looking after the health needs of the less fortunate people.

Future Plans:

Faith formation takes priority: there is much to be done to make their faith animate their daily living. Care of the youth and their employment needs and strengthening familial and neigh­bourhood bonds are among top priorities. Work on the Cotto Presbytery is on. There is an urgent need to renovate the 400 years old church and build a presbytery at Cananguinium.

The mission has made a good start, and has made tangible progress, and with God's assistance we hope to build His kingdom in south Goa.

The 1993 M. G. Provincial Congress had decided to open a Candidates House for the Southern Region to promote vocations to cater to the growing needs of the Province. In view of this Fr. Angelo Fernandes. the provincial, asked Fr. Arulanandam and Fr. Alphonse to explore the possibilities of finding a place in any of the southern dioceses. Rt. Rev. Michael B. Duraisamy. Bishop of Salem, readily accepted our request and gave permission to open a House of Formation in his diocese. He also asked us to involve ourselves in the pastoral work of the diocese besides vocation promotion and formation. In 1994, Fr. Arulanandam was sent to Sanniyasigundu to assist Fr. Xavier in his pastoral ministry while looking for a suitable site for the Formation House. The following year a plot of land was purchased at Masinackanpatty in Salem, with the help of the Holy Cross Brothers.

Fr. Arulanandam soon shifted residence to the formation house of the Holy Cross Brothers and constructed a small building in the newly purchased plot. He then began to stay there.  On 1st June 1997 Fr. Alphonse Irudayaraj was appointed to assist Fr. Arul.

The construction of the Formation House began on 31st July and was completed by the end of November 1997 and named "Jyothi Darshan" which means vision of light.

It was blessed on 5th December 1997 by Very Rev. Fr. Emile Mayoraz, Superior General.

The Bishop of Salem had entrusted to the MSFS a parish close to the Formation House. The parishioners of the newly erected parish named after "Our Lady of Good Health" felicitated the Superior General in the presence of the provincials of Pune and Nagpur.

The Historical Background

In 1986, the MSFS Congregation celebrated the 150th year of its founding. The erst­while Province of Maharashtra-Goa, felt the need for a memorial of the occasion. Thus something unique was thought out, i.e., to launch out into a new area of service in order to uplift the most neglected section of society. The target group of this service was identified as the physically handicapped poor children of rural areas.  Pune was chosen to locate this service centre.

The name Snehalaya means Abode of Love.

Choice of Rural Area

The handicapped children from rural areas are the most neglected lot; they are made to feel unwanted by their family and society at large. The reasons for such neglect and attitude towards the handicapped are, poverty, illiteracy of parents, lack of health care and hospital facilities in villages, lack of proper roads and means of transport, superstitions about the causes of handicaps, the feeling that nothing can be done to remedy the situation, etc. As a result there is a lack of interest in such children by family, society, and the public at large, and the children tend to accept their lot as a curse from God. These children have been denied their right to proper education, timely medical care and treatment, training in skills, and the right to live an independent and dignified life in society. They need love, care, protection, and support. Hence the decision was taken to establish a home for them in a rural area.

Snehalaya takes Shape

The Snehalaya project began to take shape in 1992 under the leadership of Fr. Agnelo Fernandes, provincial, and Fr. Perry da Silva, parish priest of S.F.S. Church, Shaanwadi, with the co-operation of all confreres of Pune communities. The Snehalaya project has been undertaken in close collaboration with the Sisters of the Franciscan Missionaries of Christ the King Congregation, and Bishop Valerian D'souza of Pune diocese.

Basic Aims of Snehalaya

1. To give equal opportunities to the orthopaedically handicapped by giving them access to all facilities.

2. To create awareness among the public regarding the rights of the disabled.

3. To provide proper rehabilitation programmes for the disabled.

Programmes

1. Education: formal and non-formal.

2. Medical: specialised treatment, corrective surgery, and physiotherapy to correct and reduce disability.

3. Vocational training: training in basic skills in income-generating trades.

4. Socio-Economic: community-based rehabilitation programmes.

5. Rehabilitation counselling programmes.

6. Nutrition programmes.

Achievements

1. Educational: Formal education is given to those children who can attend the neighbouring village school. Non formal and pre-school classes are conducted at Snehalaya for those who cannot attend regular school.

2. Medical: Medical assessment camps are conducted for handicapped children to determine disability and corrective measures.  Corrective surgeries conducted have been on 12 children and specialised treatment and daily physiotherapy provided.  Walking aids like crutches, callipers, and wheelchairs are provided to those who require them.

3. Training: Pre-vocational classes for all children are conducted to determine their aptitude in basic skills.  Training in skills like candle and greeting card making, needle works, tailoring and embroidery, and screen-printing is provided.

4. Out-reach: Social survey of neighbourhood villages is conducted in order to identify handicapped children. Awareness camp for parents of handi­capped children and for the general public are conducted in order to make them aware of the schemes and facilities available at Snehalaya for such children.  Specialised treatment and surgery are conducted for the benefit of non-resident children of Snehalaya who lead handicapped lives in neighbouring villages. They are also provided with walking aids.

5. Rehabilitation: counselling is conducted by the social worker of Snehalaya in order to make the handicapped children and their family members aware of, the various schemes and facilities available to them from government and charitable agencies besides public and private institutions and individuals.

6. Nutritive: Children are provided with wholesome and nutritive food in order to correct vitamin deficiencies of the body.

7. Moral and spiritual values are promoted with due regard to the religious beliefs of each child.