Summer Mission Appeal

This year, our summer mission collection will help support the people of the Diocese of Guntur, India. Fr. Show Reddy Allam will join us on August 19 and 20 and has written a little about his diocese below:

The Diocese of Guntur, India was established on February 13, 1940. There are about 220,000 Catholics in the diocese, which has a total population of around 5 million. There are 87 parishes with nearly 500 mission stations. Our Catholics mostly belong to a poorer class, living in utter poverty, unable to eke out a living from their meager daily wages of agricultural labor, which is only seasonal.

The diocese is situated along the seacoast and is subject to frequent hurricanes and oods, which devastate the houses of the poor. Recent oods have devastated 35 villages in the diocese, and thousands have been displaced with a total loss of their properties. The government has invited the diocese to help out in the relief and rehabilitation programs.

The literacy rate is abysmally low due to poverty and ignorance. In order to provide education, the diocese has opened a good number of primary schools and high schools with boardings. The diocese is working to create lasting change in the lives of these poor children.

The faith of the people is really strong and they practice their religion and are committed to the Church. We have organized the Catholic communities in the villages in the form of basic Christian communities in order to strengthen the Christian faith and foster the gospel values. Basic Christian communities are formed in 120 villages in the diocese. We have also organized 400 women’s associations.

The diocese has to build chapels and churches in a good number of villages, since we have had over 200 adult baptisms a year. The problem of providing places of worship is ever growing. The nancial support we receive will help us in fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life, building a chapel, educating the poor children, and building homes for the victims of floods. Your help and support will go a long way in assisting the less fortunate people in the Diocese of Guntur.

Thank you and may God bless you,
Fr. Show Reddy Allam,
Mission Coordinator for the Diocese of Guntur