Village Outreach

The SCJ community (Dehon Prema Nilayam) in Gorantla, a small town just outside the city of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, is part of a parish that includes 6 villages: Valenghany Nagar, Gorantla I & II, Jonnalageda, Lam, and Ponnekalu.

With the help of an SCJ regent who acts as his Telugu translator, and with the support of the parish priest, Br. Leonard visits the villagers at least 3 nights a week. The people, who are very poor, live in very basic cement brick houses, or mud huts, and are for the most part agricultural workers. The goal is to develop a small core group of leaders in each village, leaders who are interested in becoming involved in their community to work for justice.

Although it does takes a long time to develop trust and working relationships, leadership teams have already begun to work together on projects, projects such as rebuilding their falling down churches, finding public funds to rebuild their homes, getting muddy roads paved, and making drinking water available to everyone.

The members of the Dehon Prema Nilayam SCJ community, and students, contribute in many ways to the local village communities, from celebrating Mass in isolated places, performing funeral services, conducting bible groups, and offering catechatical classes for children. Last December, the local SCJ community successfully enjoyed the second year of it's new tradition of inviting village residents to celebrate Christmas with them; they welcomed over 300 children and parents!
-Br. Leonard Zaworski, scj