Tuesday, February 24, 2015

St. Joseph’s Centre, Rampur – 1965-Meerut Diocese

Friar Jojo, provincial councilor and Friar Cyriac, parish priest are doing a fabulous job here....it is a muslim dominated Town...they have good relationship and rapport with both the communities.
St. Joseph’s Centre, is situated in a beautiful seven acre Orchard close to the national high and opposite to the district courts in Rampur U.P. This place used to be a zoo at the time of Nawabs who ruled Rampur till 1947.
Br. Pius of Tuscany bought this plot of land along with a couple of old buildings in 1963 in the name of the diocese of Meerut. In 1965 st. Joseph’s Rampur was established as a parish. Br.. Pius and Br. Lanfrank are the pioneer missionaries of Rampur district. In the year 1976 this plot of land with its old buildings was handed over by the diocese to the Northern Capuchin Mission Region of Kerala Province in view of starting a vocational training center, and Br. P A Joseph was appointed as a first parish priest and superior
The untiring efforts of our brothers in  and around Rampur district has resulted in the growth of a vibrant Christian community which today has been grown into a number of separate parishes.


 The Parish church and the garden around....the friars have donated some land to the sisters of Franciscan order who run a nursing home....they are very popular among the Muslim community...

The compound is filled with mango trees.....
                                







We visited a village about 25km.....it is a real indian village ...roads are bad.......all three communities of Hindus, Muslims and Christians live together....


 The sisters have got nurses from our catholic community....they attend the Mass everyday....the girls are a big help for the parish for singing....

 Friars are running an Industrial training centre.....many drop outs from our mission stations are accommodate...they are trained free of cost.....the province spends good amount of money on these young boys,,,,,,,if you don't have anything for them these young ones just get lost .....they get trained for one year and find good jobs.....

                 
I spoke to them for one hour and guided them in personality development and handling youth pressure.....


                                                


                                                   


The youth are trained by instructors who are paid by the capuchins....the youth stay here in the hostel....and capuchins provide them everything as their parents are not able to pay....most of our catholics are landless and work as laborers. 
 This is the work shop.....the friars receive some few orders from various schools to prepare furniture ...
                                       


 They have hopes and expectations....looking forward for a good life....


Youth in action.....work hard to make their livelihood

 An instructor for many years....







 The parishioners of the mission station.....a lot of youth....but no chances for studies as the schools are far away....in the village they have primary schools.....
                                             






















No comments: