Mission Appeal Weekend

August 6th/7th, 2022

Father Benedict of the Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales celebrated our Masses with us this weekend to promote education among the poor children in India and appeal for our support for this important mission. Christianity is India's third-largest religion with approximately 30 million followers, constituting 3% of India's population.  Around 70% of Christians are Dalits, a marginalized group without any rights or power.  Dalits are formerly known as ‘Outcaste or Untouchables’ under the caste system of India.  For centuries, they have been deprived of education, social justice and equal opportunity.  Due to poverty, the children are unable to continue their schooling and end up working in restaurants, tea shops, brick kilns, hazardous firework factories and weaving factories.  They are robbed of their beautiful childhoods and bright futures.  More than 15 million children are listed as child laborers in India.  The only way these children can break this vicious cycle of poverty, abuse and oppression is to return to school. 

In this painful context, our Bishop, A. Neethinathan makes this appeal in seeking your help and prayers. Your generosity through this mission appeal can help our children return to school and enjoy their childhood.  You can surely prevent many children from child labor, child trafficking and child migration.  Your contribution will be used to pay school fees, books and uniforms.  You can also support a child through educational sponsorship. www.dalitsolidarity.org  

Our second collection this weekend went to support this important mission.  

Thank you and may God richly bless you for answering God’s greatest commandment -- to love.