PASTORAL MINISTRY

PASTORAL MINISTRY PALLOTTINE PARISHES

We are working in 18 Parishes, in the Diocese of Bacolod, Asti, Rourkela, Raipur, Jashpur, Ambikapur and Ranchi.

1. Pallottine Parish is a communion of communities:

One parish with many associations / groups (Parish Council, Catholic Sabha, Mahila Sangh, Children Group, BCC/SCC, Social Groups etc. or groups based on ward or village or Moholla etc) at the service of the parish.

2. People Centered Parish:

A parish though hierarchical yet in today’s world it has the spirit of democracy in its function. More and more laity gets involved in the function of the parish. Therefore, they have rights as well as responsibilities towards the building up of the parish.

3. Finance:

This is one of the important matters for the external development of the parish. It is sensitive issue because money gives temptation to all if not handled properly. Ther should be clear policy with regard to the collection and use of Finance.

Finance in the full pledge Parish:

Parish which is financially and pastorally self sufficient:

1. People together with the leadership of the Parish Priest manage the parish. All the temporal activities of the parish are managed by the Laity, in consultation with the parish priest.

2. Bank account is jointly operated of which the parish priest signature is must. Register is maintained with the people and money is kept in the Bank.

3.Subscription or ( 1% as per the diocesan rule or 10 % tithe as the Biblical Tradition ) Collections is done by the people and deposited in the Bank.

4. Sunday Collection is counted by the lay people and deposited in the Bank after entering in the cash register and priest registers it in the announcement book and the collection register is counter signed by the PP/ asst. pp/and counting person.

5.Advisable 40% of the total income should be used for the maintenance of the Parish: Priests salary, sacristy requirements, cleaning the church campus, repairs, electricity and water, and other daily expenses. If more than five thousand depending on the place needs the approval of the parish council and in emergency the permission of the PP.

6.40% of the total income should be kept for future development of the parish: Painting, purchase of chairs, building repairs etc.

7. 20% of the income should be utilized for the social work. Lumen Gentium, says, Church is by nature missionary. Therefore, Parish in essence is missionary. It should undertake some social concerns of the parish or outside the parish. Attending the Sunday Mass alone is not enough. Eucharistic celebration should lead to concrete actions, like adopting a poor parish, helping out poor students in the parish or outside the parish, building houses for the poor or finance for the evangelization, organize renewal program, Bible studies, training program etc.

Maintenance of the Parish Priest:

Parish Priest and the maintenance of the PP is done the Parish office.

His food, pastoral travel, laundry, telephone bills, etc. all that a parish priest needs.

Stationary and correspondence

Medical expenses of the PP

Parish guests, his guests, visitors etc.

Pocket allowance, holidays allowance, retreat etc.

1. Additional mass or Wedding mass, house blessings, (stole fee), vehicle blessings, etc. fee goes to the PP directly of which he is answerable to his superiors . Hiring priests for celebration of Mass has to be paid separately.

2. Mass intention goes to the priest

3. Offerings at the altar on Sunday Mass goes to the priest.

4.Parish Priest takes a leading role in the spiritual aspects of the parish:

5.Sacraments, sick call, family visit, preaching, teaching, counseling, etc.

6.Clerical Centered Parish:

If you reverse the function of the parish, then PP, takes leadership role both in the spiritual and temporary matters of the parish.

Finance in Missionary Parish:

Parish is financially, socially, pastorally depends onthe outside agents.

Finance:

1.Subscription is collected with the help of the parishioners and deposited in the Bank.

2.Sunday collection is counted by the PP or the sacristan

3.All the income and expenses are managed by the PP

4.Though the amount is small, yet, some amount has to be deposited for the future development and social work

5.He announces the Sunday collection during the mass and present the annual income and expenditure on the feast of the parish

6.PP makes a annual budget and submits to his superiors

Pastoral Plan:

1.Pastoral plans are made together with the parish council but prior to if there are sisters then the superior or the community and the asst. pp plan for the parish council meetings.

2.Timely evaluation is also done

NB: These are only some of the guide lines to discuss with regards to the finance of the Parish in different parishes depending on the type of the parish under consideration. Having said this, Parish Priest is the whole sole of the Parish in the hierarch

Cinque Terre
BARBASPUR (D. AMBIKAPUR)

Fr. Kishore Ekka Parish Priest

Manager, Divya High School

Fr. John Dung Dung Asst. Parish Priest,

Principal, Divya High School

Seva Sadan

Barbaspur

P.O. Ganeshpur – 497 333

Via Ramanuj Nagar

Surajpur Dist., C. G.

Divya High School

St. Vincent Pallotti Boys’ Hostel

  BARBASPUR:

1991: Barbaspur Parish became the independent Parish and Fr. William Bara become the first Parish Priest

The Barbaspur mission is situated about 80 kilometers from Diocese and 38 kilometers from the district headquarters Surajpur. The Barbaspur mission was a substation of Bishrampur parish till 1991 and it was made an independent in 1991 with a resident Priest. However, the construction of a church and a parochial house was begun way back in 1984.

In the course of time, as the existing church proved inadequate it was extended and renovated. At the completion of the work it was blessed by the Bishop of Ambikapur on July 9, 2000 and the same day was the inauguration of the new block of Divya Primary School at the hands of the local Member of the Legislative Assembly. A new parochial house too was constructed while the old one was converted into a boarding for boys.

This mission started in view of educating poor aboriginal tribals of Barbaspur area. It is far from the town. Majority of the people are tribals. They are poor and depend on the erratic monsoon for the cultivation of food grains.

BHANRIA (D. JASHPUR)

Fr. Ajay Kumar Jojo Parish Priest,

Manager, St. Vincent Pallotti Hr. Sec. School,

Rupsera – Bhanria

Fr. Prabin Ku. Sobhanayak Asst. Parish Priest,

Asst. Boarding In-charge & Teacher

Bro. Teopil Kerketta Principal, St. Vincent Pallotti Hr. Sec. School,

Rupsera – Bhanria

BHANRIA:

June 1, 1981: Bhanria Parish (now Raigarh Diocese) was entrusted to the Pallottines

Bhanria is a mission parish in the Catholic Diocese of Jashpur, State Chhattisgarh, India. It is 45 kilometers away from the Diocesan headquarters Kunkuri and 90 kilometers away from the district headquarters Jashpur.

The Pallottines were invited by then the Bishop of Raigarh to work in the Parish of Bhanria. It was formally entrusted to the Society on June 01, 1981. Rev. Fr. Anthony Correia was appointed the first Parish Priest assisted by Rev. Fr. Alois Kujur and Rev. Fr. Peter D’Souza. The existing church was a thatched hut. The Parish also had a school, a mud house under its care. A small dispensary was opened by the Franciscan Sisters of Dillingen. At the time of its being taken over, the parish had a Catholic population of about 4660 spread out in 34 villages. The residence for the priests was ready by 1982 and the construction of a new church began in 1984. St. Maria Parish of Landau, the home parish of Rev. Fr. Toni M. Kolb, sponsored many of the projects in the parish. The mother of Fr. Toni laid the foundation stone for the new school and many of the benefactors of the parish from Landau were present on the occasion. Rt. Rev. Victor Kindo, Bishop of Raigarh, blessed the new Church on May 13, 1986. The Regional Superior, Rev. Fr. Joseph Tharakunnel blessed the new parochial house on August 17, 1987.

Bhanria parish is the fruit of the missionary efforts of the German Pallottines who came to India in 1951. Bhanria was made an independent parish in 1981 and entrusted to the Pallottine Society. There are 24 Catholic villages spread over 15 to 20 sq kilometers with the Catholic population of 6850.

Bhanria area is a hilly terrain and abounds paddy fields all along the road. This area is inhabited by the tribals inaccessible thickly forest hamlets. People are economically poor, however they have genuine faith. They are pious and God fearing. Houses are made up of mud, thatched with country made tiles and without proper sanitation.

CHRIST THE KING CHURCH BISHRAMPUR

BISHRAMPUR (D. AMBIKAPUR)

Fr. Erenius Kujur Parish Priest

Fr. Suman Minj Asst. Parish Priest

Fr. William Minj Asst. Parish Priest


Bishrampur – 497 226

Surajpur Dist., C. G.

Vincent Pallotti Boys’ Hostel Mob: 07697010021, 07697010031

BISHRAMPUR:

1981: Bishrampur Parish was entrusted to the Pallottine and Fr. William Bara, became the first Parish Priest.

Bishrampur parish was established in the year 1971. It is a small town in the diocese of Ambikapur, in the civil district of Surajpur. It is 30 kilometers away from the Bishop’s House and 11 kilometers away from the district headquarters Surajpur. Surajpur district came to exist as a district from 15 August 2011; however, earlier it was part of Surguja district.

The area has many coal mines which attract numerous migrant workers, among them also Catholics. But the major portion of the parish is forest, dotted with tribal settlements belonging to various tribal groups like Oraons, Rajwars, Gonds, Pandoes, Karwas etc. The Pallottines took charge of the Parish in 1981. The tribals are petty farmers and victims of exploitation by the landlords. The Pallottines gave priority to improve the literacy of these people and soon opened a boarding for the students from the remote villages who wished to attend school at Bishrampur.

BONAIGARH (D. ROURKELA)

Fr. Rashmikant Nayak Parish Priest

Fr. Joseph Nandigama Assistant Parish Priest

Prabhu Prakash Church

Bonaigarh – 770 038

Sundargarh Dist.

Odisha Tel: 06626/244505

BONAIGARH:

1984: Bonaigarh Parish, Rourkela Diocese was started.

It was in 1884 that the bishop of Rourkela invited the Pallottines to work in the diocese. Subsequently Fr. John Baliar Singh was assigned to the proposed parish at Bonaigarh but they stayed at the neighboring Kantapali for a while as Kantapali was the main parish centre. He made a survey of the whole Bonai subdivision. Following this the contract was signed in July 1985 between the Society and the diocese entrusting the Pallottines with the pastoral care of Bonaigarh. Initially Fr. John B. Singh and Bro. Benjamin Kujur were assigned to the parish. In the subsequesnt years Fr. Thomas Lakra and Fr. Oscar Panna, Fr. Arthur Sequeira and Fr. John Konrad Barla succeeded.

Bonaigarh is also one of the four civil blocks of Bonai, which is a sub-division of the district of Sundargarh. Being the headquarters of the Bonai subdivision there were already a good number of Government offices, a small hospital, a sub-post office, a bank, a high school and a college. It had a Catholic population of about 2,000 belonging to different tribes spread over a number of villages. The new residence of priests was blessed on November 05, 1985. On May 13, 1986 the Bishop of Rourkela, Rt. Rev. Alphonse Bilung SVD, blessed a newly built community hall. Bishop Bilung also blessed the foundation stone for the new Church on November 16, 1986. Two years later the new Church was blessed by him and inaugurated by the Provincial of the Pallottines in India, Rev. Fr. Joseph Tharakunnel. The Church is dedicated to “Prabhu Prakash” (Epiphany of our Lord) and the feast is celebrated during Diwali festival.

DONGARGARH – I (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Hilarius Tigga Parish Priest

Sacred Heart Church

Dongargarh – 491 445

Rajnandgaon Dist., C. G.

DONGARGARH:

January 17, 1952: Dongargarh Mission started with the purchase of Land. But the Parish had a formal Beginning in 1964. And in 1964, Dongargarh farm started.

Dongargarh was a parish mainly for the employees of the Indian Railways. Priests travelling from Nagpur to Raipur often spent time there to minister to the Catholics. Dongargarh was an important station during the early days of the Pallottines in India. On January 17, 1952, the Society had purchased land form the locals. A novitiate house was opened here in a rented house. Thus Dongargarh has also the distinction of housing the first ever formation house of the Pallottines in India, though the novitiate did not continue there for long. The parish was formally entrusted to the Pallottines in 1964 and the Society assumed the task of evangelizing the area around Dongargarh.

KANTAPALLI (D. ROURKELA)

Fr. Sarat Kumar Nayak Parish Priest,

Manager, St. Xavier’s High School

Fr. Sanjay Tirkey Asst. Parish Priest,

Asst. Boarding In-charge & Teacher

Holy Family Church

Kantapalli – 770 043

Via Gurundia

Sundargarh Dist., Odisha

St. Xavier’s High School

St. Vincent Pallotti Boys’ Hostel

KANTAPALI:

1986: Kantapalli Parish though it was under Bonaigarh Parish, with the appointment of Fr. Simon Nazareth, it became an independent Parish. Aim was there to start the VOC for the Northern Region but did not come true.

Kantapali mission is 65 KM away from the industrial town of Rourkela which comes under the Catholic diocese of Rourkela. The origin of the parish dates back to 1951. The parish has a total area of 340 sq. Kms. The present parishes like Barsuan, Bonaigarh and Thakurpali had belonged to this parish. Kantapali had a Catholic population of 4,000 practically the whole of it being tribal. Gurundia also had formed part of this parish.

The Pallottine presence in the parish began when Fr. John B. Singh and Bro. Benjamin Kujur who were assigned to the proposed parish at Bonaigarh had initially taken up residence in here in 1984. Shortly after, they had shifted to Bonaigarh itself. It was only with the appointment of Fr. Simon Nazareth in 1986 that Kantapali itself had its resident Pallottine priest. One motive behind taking of this parish was to build here the Vocation Orientation Centre for the students from the North. However, it was not materialized.

Under the leadership of Fr. Simon the parish soon made great progress. Various social welfare programs were launched aimed at the education, training etc. of the population and to provide them with proper medical aid. It is note-worthy that many of these were implemented with assistance from the government itself. The parish also runs a school with boarding for boys and girls and Grihini (training for girls in household management). A new school building was blessed by Bishop Alphonse Bilung, SVD and inaugurated by the Provincial, Fr. Mathew Panakal, on May 19, 1999. Following the transfer of Fr, Simon, some of the program ran into trouble. In the following years Fr. John Sobha Sunder and Fr. Libnus Toppo held the post of Parish Priest.

We have a parish in the center, a school up to high school, two boardings, one for girls and the other for boys. The boys’ boarding has 188 students and the girls’ boarding has 160 girls. Children stay in the boardings and study in our school. The girls boarding is managed by the Congregation of the Handmaids of Mary.

RAIPUR – II (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Benjamin Behra Parish Priest, St. John the Baptist’s Church, Kapa

Director, T.T.C., Kapa

Fr. Manoj Nand Asst. Parish Priest

Fr. Willam Bara Asst. Parish Priest

St. John the Baptist’s Church

Lodhipara, Kapa – 492 005

Raipur, C. G. Tel: 0771/2283335

St. Vincent Pallotti Technical Training Centre

ST. JOHN BAPTIST CHURCH KAPA

September, 8 1996: Kapa Parish was erected and handed over to the Pallottines.

KHALARI (ARCHD. RANCHI)

Fr. Sunit Ku. Baxla Parish Priest & Manager, Adarsh Vidyalaya

Fr. Julianus Ekka Principal, Adarsh Vidyalaya High School

Christ the King Church

Khalari – 829 205

Ranchi Dist., Jharkhand

Adarsh Vidyalaya High School E-mail: [email protected]

St. Vincent Pallotti Boys’ Hostel

KHALARI:

Khalari mission was started in 1982 by the Archdiocese of Ranchi and handed over to the Pallottine Society in the year 1983. The Pallottines made their entry into the Chotanagpur missions at the invitation of Fr. De Meulder, a Belgian Jesuit missionary who had spent many years working in this area. In 1982, the Ursuline Sisters also came to Khalari and opened a dispensary. The road distance between Khalari to Ranchi Archdiocese and the capital city of Jharkhand is 61 km, while the aerial distance is 42 km.

Khalari has a population of about 30,000, many of whom are workers of the nearby cement factories and coal mines. There are farmers in Khalari area who heavily depend on the monsoon for the cultivation of the crops. People are poor because they are daily wage earners and farmers.

The whole of this area is notorious for its groups of dacoits who rob and kill at random with impunity. The rampart lawlessness in the whole State of Jharkhand and Bihar and the forest covered region in particular provide the ideal situation for such gangs.

KORBA (KOSABADI) (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Oscar Pana Parish Priest,

Director, St. Vincent Pallotti School, Podibahar

Fr. Neeraj Tirkey Asst. Parish Priest & Teacher

Fr. Sanjeev XaXa Principal, St. Vincent Pallotti School

Fr. Libertus Xaxa Manager St. Vincent Pallotti School, Podibahar

Mary Help of Christians Church

Kosabadi P.O. – 495 677

Korba Dist., C. G. Tel: 07759/221425

St. Vincent Pallotti School

Podibahar, Korba Tel: 07759/645445

E-mail: [email protected]

MARY HELP OF CHRISTIANS CHURCH KOSABADI

KURU (ARCHD. RANCHI)

Fr. Augustine Shatlar Parish Priest

Fr. Prabal Kerketta Asst. Parish Priest

Fr. Roshan Kindo Asst. Parish Priest & Asst. Boarding Incharge

St. Vincent Pallotti Sadan

Pallotti Nagar

Kuru – 835 213

Lohardaga Dist., Jharkhand

St. Vincent Pallotti Boys’ Hostel

KURU:

1984: Kuru Land was purchased by Fr. Robert Abele. June 8, 1984: Kuru was erected as the independent Parish

Kuru mission lies about 60 kilometers north of Ranchi on the Ranchi-Raigarh highway. The Kuru mission was started in 1984 without any residence. The pioneer Pallottine Missionary, Rev. Fr. Robert Abele stayed with the Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo and began this mission.

People live in the far villages. Our parish has 12 villages spread around Kuru. Kuru has a mixed group of people. It is inhabited by Christians, Muslims, nature worshipers etc. and of course dominated by the Hindus.

The main occupation of the place is agriculture. The soil is fertile and the climate is good. But life of the farmers depends on the monsoon.

Kuru area is affected very badly by the Naxalites; a group of anti-government ideology claiming to be fighting against the land lords and corrupt politicians of the society. However, Naxalism has become constant threat to the development and also to the safety of the people to move about freely specially at night. Therefore the growth is very slow.

KUTELA (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Oscar Toppos Parish Priest,

Manager & Principal,

Hunold Memorial Higher Secondary School

Fr. Basil Kujur Asst. Parish Priest,

Principal – St. Vincent Pallotti School

Rev. Bro. Francis Tirkey Hostel Incharge

Kutela Ashram

Saraipalli – 493 558

Mahasamund Dist., C. G.

Hunold Memorial Hr. Sec. School Tel: 07725/226575

St. Vincent Pallotti Eng. Med. School

KUTELA MISSION:

On February 2, 1952, Fr. Hunold was entrusted with the Kutela Mission. The Kutela mission consisted at that time of a vast area with a radius of more than 50 kilometers. On October 1, 1952, Fr. Hunold was received additional help in the person of Fr. Joseph Strittmatter. He was the third Pallottine missionary to set foot on Indian soil. He was an architect, an engineer, a mason and a carpenter. He came to Kutela during the Holy Week of March 1953. In 1966, Fr. Robert Abele replaced Fr. Hunold as the Parish Priest of Kutela. He was missionary with deep love and concern for his flock. He spent 12 long years in this mission and left lasting impressions. By 1971 there were 12 catechists along with priests looking after 3400 Catholics in 68 different villages and subsequently this mission was made into several independent mission parishes like Basna, Chuhipalli, Pithora and Baloda.

Kutela mission is one of the first missions of the Pallottines in India. It was started in 1952. It is 165 kilometers away from the state capital Raipur. But it is connected to the main road therefore communication is easier nowadays.

The Kutela area is dominated by the people of Scheduled Caste (SC). Since the SCs are lowest in the caste stratification of Indian society, they have very less privileges from the government unlike the Scheduled Tribes (ST). The villages spread far and wide in the interior villages. Some villages are connected by road and others on foot path.

KUTURWA (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Vijay Tigga Parish Priest,

Manager, Bharat Mata Middle School

Bro. Rahul Majhi Asst. Parish Priest & Asst. Boarding In-charge

Bro. Libnus Kujur Head Master – Bharat Mata Middle School

Pallotti Seva Ashram

C/o Catholic Church

Korba T. S. – 495 681

Korba Dist., C. G. Tel: 07759298901

Bharat Mata Middle School

St. Vincent Pallotti Boys’ Hostel

KUTURWA:

1973 : Kuturwa mission / Uprora Region survey was conducted by Fr. Joseph Xaxa and Charles Tirkey. April 1973, Kuturwa was formally erected as Parish and Fr. Charles Tirkey was Made Parish Priest.

Kuturwa is an interior mission parish established in the year 1973 by the German Missionaries in the state of Chhattisgarh/India. This mission is situated 65 kilometers away from the district headquarter Korba and 250 kilometers away from the Archdiocese of Raipur. The place is surrounded by hills, hillocks, mountain ranges, valleys, small streams, rivers and dense forests infested with different kinds of wild animals. This area is inhabited by the tribals mostly where they found water resources and the level ground for cultivation. They are close to nature therefore they are settled in deep forest and their life style matches to the simple way of living. They do not aspire for any kind of creativity in life and development but satisfy with the produce they acquire from their field and the forest.

(1). GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND

The parish church is situated in the remote and interior place about 65 kms from the district headquarter Korba. This is also situated on the mouth of Mini Mata Bango Dam. When the Dam is closed the collected water reaches to the place and to their fields. It causes lot of damages to the standing crops. It is 250 kms away from the Archdiocese of Raipur which is headquarter of bishop. This area is known as Vindhya Satpura Hill Range. The place is surrounded by hills, hillocks, mountain range, valleys, small streams, rivers and dense forests infested with different kinds of wild animals. By its natural setup adivasis are attracted and settled in deep forest because their life style matches to their simple way of living. They do not aspire of any kind of creativity of life and development but satisfy with the produce they acquire from their field and the forest. The nearest town is Korba district. The transportation especially Bus service is available once a day that is from Korba to Kuturwa. They are settled down on the mountain and hill area wherever they found the water resources and the land for the cultivation.

(2). BRIEF SKETCH OF KUTURWA MISSION

Kuturwa is an interior mission Parish which was established in the year 1970 by the German Missionaries in the state of Chhattisgarh which is one of the most backward states in India. It has its own geographical and ethical identity and thickly populated by aboriginal tribals.

In 1951 Pallottine missionaries of Sacred Heart Province Friedberg, Germany Fr. Mrsn. Werner Hunold along with Fr. Lawrence Sachu came to Archdiocese of Raipur. Those days the Raipur diocese did not exist. This area was looked after by Nagpur diocese that was of 500 kms away from the place. Meanwhile in 1952, Fr. Joseph Sttick Matter came along with Bro. Joseph Vekant to help them out. These missionaries took keen interest to study the place and the people and began the work of evangelization. Today Raipur has become Archdiocese.

This Kuturwa parish was looked after by two dioceses, namely Raigarh and Nagpur diocese because of its geographical setup. It is situated at the border of both dioceses. This was the reason that it was neglected but now through the help of Pallottine Fathers and Brothers, it is developing. Fr. Charles Tirkey SAC, who was trained in Germany started the mission by staying under the Banyan tree which is still existing.

Kuturwa parish has its mission stations comprising of 310 families and the catholic population is about 2500. Oraons, Mundas and Kharias constitute the catholic community of the Kuturwa Parish. The Parish has now a Primary and Middle School and hostels for boys and girls and dispensary which is looked after by the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate. There are no proper roads to the interior jungle and there is no transport facility to the far and remote villages. Very often one has to carry the spades and chopper to make the road clear because one is not certain of reaching the place where one is going.

(3). THE PEOPLE AND THEIR SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL VIABILITY

Social background

The people of the area are basically very poor and many of them illiterate. They do not have much of a facility for education and further development. They belong to different tribals group such as the Oraons, Mundas and Kharias are the major tribal inhabitants of the place. The other primitive tribes are Gonds, Pandos, Ahirs, Majhwars and so on, who are still preserving their tribal identity. They have their old traditional cultural way of existence in the jungles. All these adivasi almost 90% of them are migrants from other adjacent districts in search of cultivable land. They settled down wherever land and water is available even deep within the dense forest, cutting the trees and clearing the bushes. This process is going on and these people ask the recognition of the land from the government officials. Their food inhabits and clothing is very simple. Their main source of income is agriculture, cattle and fruits of the jungle. Their life and livelihood very much depend on the produce of their land and failure of rain is for them the failure of their daily bread as there are no other facilities.

Economic Condition

The people have their house of mud walls and thatched house with dried grass or with country made tiles. The houses are very poorly furnished and have absolutely no sanitation facilities. The ordinary and minimum ammunition of present day living like educational and medical facilities, transport, electricity, drinking water, telephone etc. are only a dream to these peasants. They are simply handicapped when it is needed to cope with the changing world of today.

Mostly these people are agrarians. Their land is situated on the hilly areas surrounded with river valleys. They live hand to mouth. There is only 5% of the land irrigated while 95% of the land depends on yearly erratic monsoon rains. And with this small income they have to sustain the family for 3 to 4 months. The agriculture and its allied activities form the main occupation of the people. The tribal Catholics are poor and they live in the thick jungles. Often the condition becomes so bad that they are forced to migrate to towns and cities to work as unskilled laborers and this has become a common practice during summer. They come back to the village for cultivation, when the next rainy season comes.

Most of the people own their forest land which is of mountain areas, having less than five acres. People acquire them through the forest land Act of the Government of India; that is called ‘Land Acquisition’. It is not certified by the land Revenue department, but yet to work it out. Some of the people have not acquired the land possession paper. Since, it is quite far away from the towns and industrial areas, above 95% of the people of the area is farmers and hired labors. Agriculture is done in the traditional way as it is handed over them by their ancestors.

Political Status

Since poor people are not politically conscientized because they are illiterate. They are taken adverse advantage by the politicians and middle class business men. They are never prepared to fight for their rights due to the fear and the ignorance of their rights. There are middle class business men for the marketing of their good and purchase of essentials. The politicians and government officials take advantages over them and make use of the poor people for their benefits. Though tribals have a special privilege on politics in the Indian Constitution, but they are not able to make their political carrier outstanding.

4. EDUCATION

The rate of literacy is 23% in Chhattisgarh but in the villages it is below 5%. People are poor, not aware of the value of education, the educational institutions are far and quality education is expensive in the private institutes, and these are the many reasons for which tribals are less educated. In these villages due to poverty and lack of awareness most of the children give up studies at very early stage.

Since the eruption of the Parish, the persons concerned are trying their best to organize the Christian and non Christian tribals and scheduled people of this area through various activities like evangelization, education, faith formation, pastoral activities, family visit, health care and social awareness program etc.

5. AREA, POPULATION AND TRAVEL

At present Kuturwa Parish has over 17 villages, almost having 2500 catholic spread all over the 5 catechists’ jurisdiction. Close to parish only three villages are there. All other are spread over 9 – 35 kilometer area. The people are always welcome to parish centre, most of them come walking and many of the youngsters use a bicycle to reach here. There are monthly gatherings separately for the youth, for the women and for the children born of catholic parents.

Many of the young people have the tendency to leave the villages and find some sort of hired labor in the city. Their living conditions and the remuneration for the hard work done is very poor and minimal. Just 3% of the people are employed in some government or private sectors and most of them as teachers or some low class employees in the office.

MADANPUR (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. John Sobha Sunder Parish Priest- Assisi Church, Madanpur

Manager- St. Vincent Pallotti Primary School

Fr. Prakash Xalxo Asst. Parish Priest & Asst. Boarding Incharge

Assisi Church

Madanpur

Pasarkhet P. O. – 495 683

Via Rajgamar Colliery

Korba Dist., C. G. Tel: 09200399530

St. Vincent Pallotti Boys’ Hostel

MADANPUR:

Madanpur mission parish lies about 35 kilometers east of district headquarter Korba situated in the midst of a forest. According to the recent survey, the parish has 22 villages with a good number of Catholic populations. The parish was formally erected in April 1973 and given under the care of Pallottine Society.

MORGA (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Jerome Lakra Parish Priest,

Manager, Nehru Smarak Hr. Sec. School

Fr. Ajay Kujur Co-pastor,

Principal, Nehru Smarak Hr. Sec. School

St. Vincent Pallotti Church

Pallotti Vihar

Morga – 495 445

Korba Dist., C. G. Tel: 08959806606

MORGA

June 15, 1975: Morga Mission was pioneered by Bro. Abraham T. and in 1977 Morga Parish was entrusted to the Pallottines.

Pallotti Vihar Morga is a remote mission Parish in the Archdiocese of Raipur, in the State of Chhattisgarh, India. ..

KATGHORA (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Dutt Kumar Ekka Parish Priest

Fr. Jeevan Kishore Lakra Co-Pastor

St. Teresa of Child Jesus’ Church

Pallotti Nivas

Katghora – 495 445

Korba Dist., C. G.

KATGHORA CHURCH

In 1973: Katghora Mission was started

SUNDARGARH (D. ROURKELA)

Fr. Suresh Tirkey Director, Vidya Jyoti Sadan

Bursar, Vidya Jyoti Sadan

Fr. Ephrem Kishore Kiro Parish Priest, St.Vincent Pallotti Church

Fr. Amit Tirkey Teacher / Prefect of students

Vidya Jyoti Sadan

Siabahal

Tasladihi – 770 002

Sundargarh Dist., Odisha Tel: 0662/2211103

St. Vincent Pallotti Church, Siabahal

SIABAHAL CHURCH

June 1993: Siabahal Parish was erected and Fr. Joseph Xaxa was the first parish priest.

BACOLOD CITY – 1 (D. BACOLOD)

Fr. Sanjib Pani Parish Priest

Fr. Komal Chandra Soreng Co Pasotr

San Antonio de Padua Church

Blk 27 Lot 5-6, Ph 2h

Villa Angela Subd. Brgy.Vista Alegre

Bacolod City, Negros Occidental

Philippines – 6100

Mob: +639430544713

SAN ANTONIO DE PADUA CHURCH BACOLOD

PASAN (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Michael Tirkey Parish Priest,

Manager, Deepak Middle School

Fr. Bridhi Chandra Ekka Asst. Parish Priest &

Boarding In-charge

Deepak School, Teliyammar

Pasan – 495 119

Korba Dist., C. G.

Deepak Middle School

St. Vincent Pallotti Boys’ Hostel

ST. TERESA OF KOLKATTA CHURCH PASAN

1985: Passan Parish was started by Fr. Libnus Toppo

BALCO (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Fr. Arthur Sequeira Parish Priest

St. Vincent Pallotti Church

Padimar, Behind Sector VI – C

Balco Township – 495 684

Korba Dist., C. G. Tel: 07759/217360

ST. VINCENT PALLOTTI CHURCH BALCO

BILASPUR – I (ARCHD. RAIPUR)

Fr. Binay Bhushan Barwa Parish Priest, St. Vincent Pallotti Church

Fr. Marianus Xaxa Manager, St. Vincent Pallotti School, Bilaspur

Fr. Anup Soreng Principal, St. Vincent Pallotti School, Bilaspur

St. Vincent Pallotti Church

Pallotti Kunj

Post Box No. 18

27 Kholi, Bilaspur – 495 001,
Tel: 07752/771232 (Principal & Fax No.)

ST. VINCENT PALLOTTI CHURCH BILASPUR

May 26, 1979: Msgn. Hunold erected St. Vincent Pallotti Church, Pallotti Kunj, Bilaspur

JORAJAM – BALIATOLI (D. JASHPUR)

Fr. Mukti Prakash Kispotta Parish Priest,

Manager, St. Vincent Pallotti Middle School

Lourdu Ish Mata Church

Jorajam-Baliatoli

Rengle P. O. – 496 224

Jashpur Dist., C. G.

St. Vincent Pallotti Middle School

JORAJAM – BALIATOLI