Aid to the Church in Need: India: Help for a church in the parish of Deomali

India: Help for a church in the parish of Deomali

Posted by Project of the Week on 23/6/2008, 9:25 am
Message modified by board administrator 7/8/2008, 1:27 pm

INDIA
Help for a church in the parish of Deomali

The parish of Deomali in the state of Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India, is a fairly new parish, having been established 11 years ago. It is around 75 miles (120 km) from the centre of the diocese in the town of Miao. This is a mountainous and underdeveloped region, populated principally by members of the Nokte tribe, an ethnic mountain people who have seen little in the way of modern development. They live entirely by subsistence farming and by hunting. The major problem they face is the remoteness and the distance from rivers and water sources. Owing to the shortage of water, the people have few opportunities to wash themselves or their clothes. Nonetheless, the mission here is proving successful. Until now the community has worshipped in a simple bamboo chapel, but now that more and more people are converting to Christianity, the parish priest, Father José Oonnukallel feels the time has come to build a more permanent church. The community will provide a plot of land and all the labour necessary, but they cannot afford the cost of the building materials.

Father José has turned to the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), with the support of his Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao.

ACN has promised a grant of $29,000. To help this cause please contact the Sydney office of ACN on (02) 9679-1929. e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org or write to Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148. Web:www.aidtochurch.org

Photo: The present bamboo chapel

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Aid to the Church in Need PO Box 6245 Blacktown DC NSW 2148 ABN: 62 418 911 594
Ph/Fax (02) 9679-1929 e-mail: info@aidtochurch.org web: www.aidtochurch.org