Countdown to Confirmations on June 2nd...

Holy Family girls prepare a welcoming dance
for their Archbishop, for when he visits the mission June 2.

Confirmations at Holy Family Mission in Yelleswaram, India, are just 10 days away. Helpers from the Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam have visited to prepare the people spiritually, catechism classes continue, Fr. Varghese and parishioners are still going door-to-door to raise needed funds for the event, and Fr. and his volunteers have been preparing the mission daily. Construction of a sturdy new concrete stage is nearing completion. The stage was also a dream of a previous pastor 12 years ago, who saw the need to have a dignified setting for special Masses and events. The new stage will serve the mission for years to come, as a special extension of the little church. Renting the stage to the surrounding community will generate some income for the struggling mission.

Fr. Varghese led prayers to start out the final day of cement
pouring for Holy Family Mission's new stage.

Because their church is too tiny to hold the some 2,000 people expected for Confirmation day, a rented tent and sound system are also needed. Water and a simple meal will be provided, to keep people well in the 100-plus degree temperatures. An itemized list of needs are outlined in the "Fundly" campaign shown in the box at right. Click on the title to donate or to support the Fundly campaign for free. 

If the stage's new concrete roof is not moistened by 
9 AM each morning, it will crack as it cures.

Drawing water from the mission's bore well.

Watching the progress of a bucket as it's hoisted
up to the roof by a rope.

On May 24th, temperatures reached 116.6-degrees F. around
the Kakinada region. Fr. Varghese and his young
volunteers sifted sand from gravel, preparing for
workers who would arrive later that evening.

Getting a roof on the stage was a grueling process that took a huge team effort in mid-summer heat.

With no fancy construction equipment, workers
have to use ingenuity and determination to
get the job done.

The head becomes a useful carrying tool and a plaintain
leaf shelters a worker from the intense sun.

Little ones are curious about all the activity.

Workers take a welcome chai break.

Manually lifting concrete to the roof and pouring it,
 is tough and time-consuming.

Workers have to watch their step. One fell 15
feet off the stage roof last week and Fr. Varghese
ran to do first aid. 

Parishioners were thrilled to receive the donation
of 10 bags of cement.

Fr. Varghese has been overseeing and working side by side with
his people every day since Easter, to beautify their mission.
Here, he takes a rest near the Marian shrine he and volunteers
constructed out of stones from a nearby river. 

Laying the final cement in a project that will bless
Holy Family Mission for years to come.

Soon to be complete...

Come, Holy Spirit, Come!

On this special Feast of Pentecost, Father Varghese and his

altar servers prepared the altar with special care.

People leave sandals at the door and pack in closely together
before the altar. Most sit cross-legged, with just a few
rows of chairs in the back.

During the Presentation of the Gifts (here and next two photos),
many parishioners offer rice or fruit instead of rupees (India's
currency), doing whatever they can to support their mission. 
Fr. uses the food for his meals, and to feed the poor and 
volunteers at his mission.

Faithful pray as temperatures soar in the crowded church.
Open shutters provide little relief in temperatures more than
109 degrees F.

Father heard more than 100 Confessions 
in the open air.

Spiritual preparations continue for those being Confirmed
on June 2. Mr. Srangaram and Mr. Seshu Babu (shown above) from 
the Mariadalem Sodality and the Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam 
came to talk about the importance of the Sacrament of 
Confirmation. About 200 people aged 12-45 are
planning to be Confirmed.

A forest journey

The day after his ordination anniversary, Fr. Varghese helped a fellow priest move supplies to a new mission assignment. The trip involved an 8-hour bus ride north into remote territory, and then a two-hour trek through dense forest, home to tigers, poisonous snakes, and elephants.

The Sileru River, crawling with crocodiles.

Shrines to various deities dot the countryside, in a region that is 98% Hindu.

India's characteristic conical hills.

A roadside "shop."

The drought has been "heavy" this year, says Fr. Varghese, and every living
thing is struggling.

Water supplies are contaminated.

The mission has stood vacant for six months, so needs a lot
of care. Fr. Varghese and Fr. Bhaskar spent the night in a room
full of rats and mosquitos. 

Villagers told the priests that a tiger had come from the forest that
night and taken a newborn baby while the mother was out fetching
water. Please keep this suffering mother and family in prayer.

Arranging wares at a local market.

Seeking shade is essential in temperatures more than 109 degrees F.

In this area of no electricity or phone service, the people's lifestyles are
traditional. 

Fr. Bhaskar has degrees in education and music, and is taking up work as the principal of a little school amongst the "aborgin" people. He is packing in a "harmonium" to share his gift for music. The harmonium is a keyboard instrument operated by a bellows!

Of course, the most important thing Fr. Bhaskar will share, is his love of God. He is shown below at left, processing into Mass on May 5, Fr. Varghese's ordination anniversary.

In Fr. Bhaskar's new location, access to emergency healthcare is non-existent, and a lack of electricity and phones will cut him off from the outside world. As you pray and support Fr. Varghese and Holy Family Mission, as the new June 2 date for Confirmation approaches (the date was rescheduled from May to June due to severe heat and lack of funds), please also pray for protection for Fr. Bhaskar...God's blessings on his ministry!

Pray for our dream and a miracle

Holy Family's new stage will benefit the mission 

and the surrounding community for years to come.

The old, crumbling concrete slab has given way to this 

new framework.

The concrete base of the new stage is curing and Fr. Varghese, his altar boys and other volunteers are watering the pillars to keep them from drying and cracking under the fierce sun. Will their new stage be completed by the May 8th deadline?

Unlike America, "we don't have latest equipment or techniques to make work go faster," says Fr. Varghese. "We always depend on manual and daily labor."

Just a few days ago, funds ran dry and volunteers stayed home. A few concerned friends sent a donation to provide supplies. But more funds are needed for this project to be completed by May 8th, when Archbishop Prakash Mallavarapu arrives to celebrate the first Confirmations held at Holy Family Mission in ten years!

Holy Family Church is too tiny to fit the projected overflow crowds accompanying 200 Confirmandis, their sponsors and families. A crumbling concrete slab on the property was an eyesore and had to go. Day after day, volunteers have been arriving by foot, bicycle and scooter, and working toward this dream: a worthy setting for their Confirmation ceremony and other future events. 

Volunteers are smiling in spite of 109-degree F. heat!

Even non-Catholics in the area are interested in the new stage taking shape, says Fr. Varghese, and some have donated supplies like stones. When the structure is complete, the mission can rent the stage out for community events, generating much-needed income to cover basic expenses like water and electrical bills.

Volunteers are also helping to build a staircase to the top of Father's two-bedroom home two miles outside Yelleswaram, India. If the staircase is ready in time, Father will invite the Archbishop to climb up and take a meal under the leaves. 

Scrubbing Fr.'s presbytery is one way to cool down.

With no air conditioning in Father's home and temperatures reaching 109-degrees F., the new rooftop nest will do more than offer visitors a shady retreat. The hottest midsummer nights drive Fr. Varghese from his stifling house. He lies under a tree trying to catch a breeze, hoping cobras and other wildlife keep their distance. A rooftop retreat will allow for better sleep, a precious gift to a missionary often awakened for emergency calls to the sick and dying.

Cooking up a meal to feed volunteers.

Volunteers are excited to help beautify their little mission.

"Please pray for our dream," urges Fr. Varghese. 

He and his people have their hearts set on a suitable setting for their Confirmations and have been putting all their heart and efforts toward that goal. All funds sent through this site's donation button until May 8th will help Holy Family Mission with construction and daily maintenance costs, and with preparations for May 8th Confirmations. 

See previous posts for more amazing photos!

Text by Marianna Bartholomew

Photos by Fr. Varghese