KOLAR MISSION

Kolar Mission is taken up by the South West Province of the Missionaries of St. Francis De Sales on a long term contract of 40 years with the Archdiocese of Bangalore.  The main thrust of the mission is faith formation, Education and socio-economic empowerment of the people, especially the backward sections of the society.  With this focus the Province has initiated various faith-oriented and development-oriented projects and ministries in all the centres of this mission.  Each centre has made commendable progress in all these regard.

YOUTH FESTS AND SPORTS

Every year the province under the leadership of a Priest Youth Animator organizes a Youth Fest and Sports for the youth of MSFS Mission of the Kolar region.  Youth from all MSFS parishes of Kolar region participate in the event.   Through these events the youth of our mission in Kolar are getting adequate attention and have begun to involve themselves in our missionary activities.  It is in the youth that we have the potential power of evangelization and faith formation.  If they are groomed well in their faith and guided properly in their search for God we can be sure of having a strong Catholic community in all our centres in the future.

CATECHISM CAMP

The province organizes Catechism Camp for the children from Kolar Mission every year.  It is exclusively meant for the students of Kolar mission. This is an occasion of building up the faith of the students, forming in them an awareness of the local church and communion among various parish communities. Our confreres, scholastics and sisters from different congregations in Kolar Mission are actively involved in the organization of the program.

KOLAR TOWN

ST. MARY’S PARISH

St. Mary’s parish of Kolar Town is taken up by MSFS on a long term contract with the archdiocese of Bangalore.  It is a bibrant parish with many pious associations and youth group very actively involved in the running of the parish.  The parish church and the presbytery were renovated and blessed recently.  A beautiful shrine dedicated to Our Lady, St. Antony and Infant Jesus in the church compound in Kolar was blessed on 22 May 2005.

SFS TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

The province was making another leap in the ministry of education by inaugurating the first technical institute of the province in Kolar. SFS Technical Training Institute in Kolar was blessed and inaugurated on 16 August 2002.  Mr. David Simeon, Deputy Chairman, Karnataka Legislative Council, was the Chief Guest and inaugurated the Institute. This is a centre particularly meant to assimilate the youth from our various mission centers entrusted to us for evangelization and development. At present there are trainings taking place in five disciplines: Telephone operators Course, Electricals, Automobile, Welding and Carpentry. We intend to run short term courses of six months and Diploma course of one year.

CHINTAMANI 

ST. JOSEPH’S PARISH

The mission in Chintamani was started by MSFS in 1976.  The parish church is dedicated to St. Joseph and it has a strong parish community, which attends services regularly.  A spacious parish church was the immediate need and it is being built.  The thrust of the mission here is the strengthening of the faith of the people.  The educational needs of the children in the parish are taken care of by the two schools we have there.

SFS SCHOOL (ENGLISH)

St. Francis De Sales English Medium School in Chintamani was established in 1984 and since then it has made tremendous progress in providing quality education to the children.

SFS SCHOOL (KANNADA)

St. Francis De Sales Kannada Medium School in Chintamani too was established in 1984 and it caters to the educational needs of poor children in the area.

SFS BOYS’ HOME

The SFS Boys’ Home in Chintamani is an abode for poor and helpless children.  It provides facilities for their education and growth.

GOKUNTE

ST. XAVIER’S CHURCH

St. Xavier’s Parish in Gokunte is part of Kolar mission and it is taken up by MSFS on a long term contract with the Archdiocese of Bangalore.  It is one of the ancient parishes in the archdiocese of Bangalore. The MSFS had been rendering pastoral service in Gokunte for almost three decades. The Kannada Medium High School and the Boys’ Home are concrete expressions of our missionary and pastoral commitment to this catholic village.

RAKSHANAGIRI (SALVATION HILL)

‘The Wind blows where it wills,’ says Jesus. Today we are able to recognize the movement of the Wind of God, the Wind from Heaven, raising up a Pilgrim centre in Gokunte Village.  The people of Gokunte village managed to get from the government a small hill registered in the name of the Parish.  It is located very close to the village and covers an extent of 4 acres.  His Grace Ignatius Pinto, former Archbishop of Bangalore examined the hill and approved to raise it into a centre for prayer and pilgrimage. A statue of Jesus has been erected on the top of the hill. The Parish Mass on the last Sunday of every month is celebrated on the hill with a lot of devotion and faith. People from nearby villages attend this celebration. Some of our parishes in Kolar region have already made pilgrimages to this hill with the parishioners.  On those days when there is morning mass in the parish, people go to the hill in the evening to pray the Rosary. There have been many testimonies of Graces and Blessings received by offering prayers here and especially by non-Christians. It has been thought best to name this hill ‘Rekshanagiri’ (Salvation Hill).  We allow the Spirit of God to move the hearts of people to recognize God’s special presence and power here that the Lord may transform this hill into a place of Grace and Salvation in Jesus. The village of Gokunte is bordering the states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. It has a population of 84 Catholic families and 3 Hindu families.

SFS BOYS’ HOME

There are around 20 boys in the Boys’ Home in Gokunte.  It has helped the children to grow in a secure atmosphere and receive free education.

KADISSENAHALLI

ST. ANTONY’S CHURCH

St. Antony’s Church in Kadissenahalli comes under Kolar mission, taken up by MSFS on a long term contract with the archdiocese of Bangalore.  Kadissenahalli is a poor village and hence the parishioners are all poor.  Yet they are devout and pious and the thrust of the mission in this centre is the strengthening of their faith their socio-economic development.  A beautiful Grotto was blessed and dedicated to Blessed Mother on 15 June 2005 in Kadisenahalli. It is located on the main road at the corner of the church land. The grotto stands as a sign of God’s presence and providence through Mother Mary. The entire village of Kadisenahalli and the neighboring villagers have taken it as a Blessing.

SFS SCHOOL

St. Francis De Sales School in Kadissenahalli was established in 1983 and today it has classes up to Standard VII.

SFS BOYS’ HOME

SFS Boys’ Home in Kadissenahalli lends a helping hand to the hapless children of the parish.  They are given free education in the school.

MALUR

PSI SEVA BHAVAN

PSI Seva Bhavan at Malur is a centre of social work and other multiple ministries.  It was established in 1993 by its Founder and first Director Fr. Kurian Aranjaniyil.  Seeing the good works done by us in the villages for the upliftment of the poor, the government has come forward and entrusted the centre with Swasakthi projects. This is to empower the women by training them and helping them for self help. PSI has taken this project with great interest and has formed 40 groups in various villages and each group has 15-20 members.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES PARISH

There is a small Catholic community in Malur and St. Francis De Sales parish which is attached to PSI Seva Bhavan caters to their spiritual needs.

SFS SCHOOL

St. Francis De Sales School in Malur was established in 1992 and today it has classes up to Standard X.

MULBAGAL

DE SALES BHAVAN

De Sales Bhavan in Mulbagal was established in mid-nineties and the community caters to the spiritual and educational needs of the people in the area.

OUR LADY OF COMPASSION PARISH

Our Lady of Compassion parish in Mulbagal was erected to cater to the small Catholic community spread out in the area.

SRINIVASPUR

MARTIN NIVAS

Martin Nivas, the MSFS House in Srinivaspur is named after Fr. Jacques Martin, leader of the pioneering team of French MSFS missionaries who came to India in 1845.  He was the first one to die on the Indian soil.  The community is involved in the apostolates of education and parish ministry.

ST. FRANCIS DE SALES PARISH

St. Francis De Sales parish in Srinivaspur was established in 1994 and there is a small Catholic community.

SFS SCHOOL

St. Francis De Sales School, Srinivaspur was established in 1996 and today it has grown tremendously in academic excellence.

SACRED HEART CHURCH, SIDDLAGHATTA

MSFS MISSION, GAURIBIDANUR

The mission in Gauribidanur is attached to the Siddlaghatta parish and the spiritual needs of the small Catholic community there is looked after by the parish priest of Siddlaghatta.