25 years helping women and children in India

Offertory during the Eucharist

More than a thousand people attended

Sixteen priests concelebrated

T.A. members with the speaker Shri Mohan Shetty

Bishop D’Mello of Karwar with T.A. members

Young women from the Poveda Training Course

Children from the Kinder school

Young women gather flowers frothe celebration

Church dedicated to St. Pedro Poveda in Honavar

HONAVAR, India, (May, 2006).- As the Teresian Association celebrated 25 years of presence in Honavar, India, the Bishop of of Karwar, William D´Mello exhorted the more than a thousand people gathered in the church dedicated to St. Pedro Poveda, to thank God for his life, a priest who shared the “taste and light” of Jesus with the people.

He encouraged the congregation to be salt and light “to our families, neighbors, parishes and communities”. And he also congratulated the Teresian Association by noting that lots of good has been done in the diocese especially to women and children during these past years through its presence. He expressed his gratitude to the God and to the Association as well as his earnest prayer for God’s blessings.

The Eucharistic celebration on April 1st was also attended by sixteen priests from the parishes and villages where the Society for the Advancement of Rural People of India (SARPI) is present through its Community Outreach Work. The mass was celebrated in the morning at Saint Pedro Poveda Church, located in the same neighborhood as SARPI Centre. A short program to release the Souvenir Book followed after the mass and sweets and drinks were shared. A Cultural Program followed in the afternoon.

The highlight of the afternoon event was the Cultural Programme that portrayed the life of SARPI during the past 25 years. The items consists of a short power point presentation of the history of SARPI, skits, dances and songs put up by the students, animators, balwadi children, Pedro Poveda Special School children and staff of SARPI Project. The graduates of Poveda Training Course received their certificates.

The new SARPI hall was packed with more than a thousand people from the surrounding areas and from the villages where SARPI is working. Shri Mohan Shetty, representative of Honavar Taluka to the state parliament was the guest speaker. In his address, the speaker expressed his joy that so much good is done through the projects of SARPI and he encouraged those behind the project to continue with the good work. He also noted that previously he had not known much about SARPI.

In his response, Fr. William Rasquinha –dean of Honavar Deanery, noted that SARPI works very much in line with the values of Saint Pedro Poveda : with dedication and love without blowing the trumpet. He highlighted SARPI’s endeavor for the upliftment of people especially women and the special children which are very much in line with the vision of President Abdul Khalam , the President of India.

The 25th anniversary of the Teresiana Association in India began in 2005 and the celebration in Honavar highlighted the anniversary of SARPI, the entity which serves as the legal holder of the T A projects in Honavar.

At present SARPI projects consists of five main components namely:
- The Poveda Training Course.
- The Community Outreach Work.
- Pedro Poveda Special School for the mentally challenged children.
- The Samagratha Library.
- The Victoria Diez Hostel.

The entire school year, June 2005- April 2006, was punctuated by various events to commemorate the jubilee celebrations. The underpinning theme for the entire year’s celebration, taking inspiration from Saint Pedro Poveda, is: “Growing in Faith, Virtue and Love for Knowledge to be of Service to Humanity. The various events during the school year brought out different facets of the theme.

The first event was the celebration of a solemn mass on 28th July 2005. On the occasion of the Martyrdom of Saint Pedro Poveda, the eighty personnel of the entire SARPI project gathered together to thank God for the life of the person who is the constant inspiration behind SARPI’s endeavor.

Teachers’ Day, which takes place in the month of September, was observed by an Essay Writing competition on the “Role of the Teacher in Povedan Education”. Many entries were received, each spelling out beautifully the profile of an ideal teacher as seen by St. Pedro Poveda.

“We believe that the school shall be what the teachers make it to be and
that their ideas, faith and values are reflected in their explanations, teachings,
work and behavior.” (St. Pedro Poveda).

Comes November and Children’s Day was celebrated in the twenty-two villages where SARPI is running a Balwadi (pre-school classes) and in Pedro Poveda Special School. The day was a happy one for the children as the teachers organized activities to make the day extra special for them, sharing joy and fostering the family climate, Saint Pedro Poveda found so essential in a nourishing learning environment.

Christmas, was a time for sharing, popularly celebrated by sharing the typical sweets that comes with the season. Sweet making competition was the most applauded event during the Christmas gathering held at SARPI Centre. It was an occasion to share the joy of the birth of Jesus with friends who are followers of other faiths.

On 15th January there was a gathering of former students of Poveda Taining Course and past employees of SARPI. The culmination of the whole year celebrati on took place on April 1. The President of the Teresiana Association, Loreto Ballester and the TA Governing Council were represented by Cora Mateo. Maria Pilar Frade, Delegate of Holy land-India, brought with her the presence of the members in Holy land- the other sub-unit of the Delegation.

Text, GREGORIA RUIZ
Photos, Amparo Velasco