The corporate vision of our Superior General, Sr Wilberta and her team to provide a home to the homeless at Udyavar was realized on 2nd October 2012, at 4.00 pm on the Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of our nation. Happy to note that Bethany, known for its compassion and kindness to the last, the least and the lost contributed Rs 2 Lakhs towards the construction of a house and brought joy to a family at Udyavar, a parish very dear to our Founder, the Servant of God, Raymond Francis Camillus Mascarenhas. This was done in collaboration with the Diocese of Mangalore which made a project to provide 165 houses to the poor in their diocese.
In the absence of Sr Wilberta, Superior General and Sr Lillis, Assistant Superior General, Sr Rose Celine, the General Councilor, gladly accepted the loving invitation of Fr Cyprian Pinto, the parish priest of Udyavar, for the blessing of the new house of Mrs Rosy Lewis.
Fr Cyprian Pinto, the Parish priest of Udyavar, Fr. Onil D’Souza, the director of CODP, Sr Rose Celine, the General councilor, Mr Lawrence D’Sa, the Vice President of the Parish council, Sr Rose Margaret and about 60 people from the ward, members of Gram Panchayat, relatives and neighbours were present for the inauguration of the new house. After a brief introduction by Fr Cyprian Pinto, Sr Rose Celine inaugurated the house and Fr Cyprian blessed it. Speaking on the occasion Fr Cyprian praised the Bethany Sisters for their generosity and the commitment to carry forward the vision of the Founder, who loved the poor and the marginalized. While thanking the Bethany Sisters for their benevolence, he recalled the sweet memories of Mgr Raymond saying that Mgr Raymond not only built a magnificent Church for worship at Udyavar but also labored to foster God-fearing Catholic families. He urged the people to pray for the cause of the beatification of the Servant of God Raymond F C Mascarenhas. Mr Lawrence D’Sa the Vice–President of the Parish expressed his appreciation for the generous contribution of Bethany Congregation towards the newly constructed house.
Fr Onil D’Souza, the director of CODP congratulated the Parish Priest and the Parish Council for selecting a deserving family to have a beautiful and decent abode. On behalf of the Superior General and Council, Sr Rose Celine appreciated the parish priest, Rev Fr Cyprian, Rev Fr Onil and the vice-president Lawrence D’Sa, the Parish council, the members of the Vincent de Paul Society, and all those who were responsible to build a beautiful home for Rosy Lewis, a widow and her two children. She wished Mrs Rosy and her sons Royston and Roshan a happy and a comfortable stay in the new house. Mrs Rosy Lewis was in tears of joy and gratitude. The ceremony happily concluded with a tea-party.
