India is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.4 billion inhabitants. It is also one of the largest economies in the world; however, when national income is divided among all citizens, the average Indian is six times poorer than the average Pole.

Christianity arrived in India as early as the 1st century AD. According to tradition, St. Thomas the Apostle was the first to preach the Gospel in these lands. Currently, Christians make up only 2.5% of the population. Most of India's inhabitants profess Hinduism and Islam. It is believed that there may be more Christians, but some do not publicly profess their faith in Jesus for fear of persecution.

The Priests of the Sacred Heart have been present in India since the 1990s. Following the example of the founder of their congregation, the Servant of God Fr. Leon Dehon, they focus on social work among the poor. The missionaries are asking for support for the construction of houses for the poorest Catholic families in Vempadu, Andhra Pradesh.

The members of our parish belong to the Dalit community, the lowest social group in India, and lack strong family support to improve their living conditions. They are extremely poor and live from day to day, and their work does not provide enough to meet their basic needs. Dozens of families live in houses made of sheet metal, clay, leaves, or any materials they can find. During the rainy season, water destroys their homes. They are then forced to buy materials and rebuild them from scratch, which further deepens their poverty,

- explains Fr. Jojappa Chinthapalli SCJ from India.

It is possible to apply for a government grant of €2,500 for the construction of a brick house, but only until the end of 2023. The condition for receiving the grant is a personal contribution of €2,500. This amount is beyond the reach of the village residents. However, most families are able to save half of this amount, i.e. €1,250. If donors in Poland can provide the remaining contribution (PLN 5,580), many Catholic families will receive brick houses and be able to live with dignity!

PROJECT SUMMARY

We are extremely pleased to announce that we have successfully completed the project “Building Houses for Poor Families in India.” Not completing this project would have posed a serious challenge for us. After transferring a small portion of the collected funds and building several houses, subsequent bank transfers were blocked. The matter had religious and discriminatory implications. Therefore, we decided to support the Franciscan Sisters Servants of the Cross, who serve the blind in India as part of our “Adoption of Light” project. The sisters enthusiastically accepted our proposal, as their centers for the blind also educate orphans who have no one to return to after completing their education. In order not to leave them homeless, the sisters allow them to remain in their convents. However, this situation is not ideal for either party. After more than a year of searching and verifying the legal status of the property, we purchased a four-story building with an area of 265 m² in Bangalore. This transaction was possible because the Franciscan Sisters carry out their work in India under the auspices of a state-registered association. We provided the funds to purchase the property. A small renovation is still required to adapt the building to the needs of people with disabilities.

Fr. Piotr Chmielecki SCJ

A total of PLN 607,005 has been allocated to this project. The official blessing of the new house will take place on March 8, 2026.