Aid to the Church in Need: India: Renovation of the parish church of Sojong in Diphu

India: Renovation of the parish church of Sojong in Diphu

Posted by Project of the Week on 12/9/2009, 4:34 pm
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INDIA

Renovation of the parish church of Sojong in the diocese of Diphu

The Karbi, some of the earliest inhabitants of the Indian subcontinent, have a culture that is rich in folksongs and storytelling. But India's north-east, where the Karbi live along with other ethnic minorities, is one of the poorest and most underdeveloped regions of the country. Only the Catholic Church has brought them real help, with its schools, hospitals and social care – everything is done by Catholic priests and religious sisters.

The parish of Sojong has around 11,000 Catholics in it, many of them members of the Karbi tribe. Others are members of the Garo, an ethnic group believed to have come here long ago from Tibet. It is claimed that the Garo were once headhunters; however, today many of them have converted to Christianity and are zealous and enthusiastic members of the Catholic community here. The parish of Sojong has two sub-parishes. Satgaon is about 3 miles (5 km) from the parish centre, while Jenghka is over 10 miles (17 km) away. But the children who live and study at the Catholic boarding school in Sojong come from still further afield. In fact their villages are so remote and inaccessible that they would be unable to attend any school at all, were it not for the possibility of living in Sojong. The sisters of the Order of Apostolic Carmelites run the boarding house and school. Meanwhile, the elderly and sick are cared for by the sisters of the Missionaries of Charity who, like their foundress, Mother Teresa of Calcutta – renowned as the "Angel of the Poor" – wear the characteristic white sari with the blue border. The selfless devotion of these sisters is a great blessing for the local people.

But what they most need at present is a fitting place where they can gather for prayer and the celebration of Holy Mass. The church is the place where they encounter God, who allows them to feel that they are not merely poor and forgotten but truly his children. They are neglected by the politicians, exploited by the powerful, forgotten by the rest of the world – and yet God is in their midst.

The parish church of Sojong has already done service for 25 years, but now time and the local climate have begun to take its toll. Water is seeping through the roof, and the walls have big cracks in them. There is even a danger that part of the building might collapse, if the rain and winds further damage it. And so there is an urgent need to repair and renovate it.

Father Tomey Anikuzhikattil, their priest, wrote to the the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) and said: "I have asked our people for a financial contribution, and they have given what little they can. But our parish lies in a rural area and the people are only small peasant farmers. They cannot give much. So I am humbly requesting your financial support". ACN helped with a grant of $6,500, so that the Catholics of Sojong will not have to stand someday soon amid the ruins of their church.

To help this cause please contact the Australian 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

Corpus Christi procession by the Catholics of Sojong

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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