Koppal Mission

Koppal is the first centre of the province in North Karnataka. Today we a have flourishing center with a small parish community and a good school.  This centre will prove to be a pivotal community of the province in North Karnataka. We have a vibrant community there.

SFS School

The new Building of SFS School, Koppal has been inaugurated by Fr. Jose Parappillil, the Provincial and blessed by His Lordship Rt. Rev. Joseph D'Silva, Bishop of Bellary on 4 July 2002.  Koppal is a fast developing district head quarters and our school is the leading one by virtue of admission and quality education and integral formation of the students. This school holds good opportunities for higher educational institutions in the same campus.  The school has established itself to be the best school of the entire town and is most sought after.

Mundargi Mission

The mission in Mundargi, in the diocese of Belgaum, North Karnataka, has made great strides. This mission was officially started in 1998 together with the missionary collaboration of the Sisters of Deena Deva Sabha (DSS). There were initial jerks in our missionary planning due to the socio-political and religious situation of the place as well as our anxieties on account of the unfamililar situations.  Our openness to the Spirit of God, the cordial and loving relationships with the people and our witness to a life of charity and service of the poor form the basis of the emergence of a new Church in North Karnataka.

SFS School

Another important growth we have achieved in Mundargi is the SFS School. On 30 January 2003, Fr. Agnelo Fernandes, Superior General, inaugurated the new SFS School building and His Lordship Reverend Bernard Moras, Bishop of Belgaum, blessed it.  The school is located on a prime place at the Mundargi-Gadag main road, at the entrance of the town, just 1 km away from the town-centre.

Savanur Mission

Savanur Mission, was started in October 2000. It is located around 350 kms away from Bangalore, in Haveri district, in the diocese of Belgaum.  Ever since its inception it was a time of exploring avenues and experimenting different ministries of developmental nature to suit this most backward region.  And today we bubble with happiness over the bustle of activities in social, pastoral, and educational fronts of human concern.  Savanur experiences extreme climate and people, vast majority of whom live in want and wretchedness as the horrors of inequality, exploitation, oppression and suppression lurk beneath the surface of this age.  Hindus, Muslims, Jains and Christians live side by side in this locality.  The practices of black magic coupled with the evils of drinking, gambling etc. are very common.  The vast majority are not enterprising and women particularly remain totally un-organised.  The process of education for transformation has to find its place in this region, if the situation is to be improved.

PSI Seva Niketan

SFS Church

In Savanur the focus is mainly on the social apostolate, i.e. the empowerment and upliftment of the marginalized and the less privileged ones.  Such services are rendered under the title PSI Sevanikethan, which remains as a branch of PSI, Malur.  On the social front we involve ourselves in community organization programmes.  Formation of self-reliant and mutually supportive basic communities of the poor called self-help groups is the core objective of this programme.  In all, the empowerment of the rural poor is envisaged.  As a result of PSI’s intervention, the rural poor who were not in the main stream of the society have now realized the importance of getting themselves organized.  They have come to realize the human dignity and worth of their existence.  Becoming aware of their rights and privileges, they can now withstand any kind of oppression and injustice done to them.  However, the concept of empowerment is to be continued for a longer period, as any sustainability demands the same.  This process of empowerment is achieved through various training programmes, show of collective strength by the celebration of women’s day, Ambedkar Jayanthi etc, opportunities for public appearance, contact and interaction with government officials etc.

Major Activities of PSI Seva Niketan

      Developmental Activities in various villages in and around Savanur

      Women Empowerment Projects

      Formation and Nurturing of Self Help Groups

      Literacy programmes for the members of Self Help Groups

      Making available loans with subsidy for Income Generation Activities

      Management of Balwaadis for poor children

      Tuition Centres for school going children

      A registered Youth Club in Savanur town

On the pastoral front, Savanur is blessed with a small catholic community, numbering only about 20 who though small command respect by their way of life.  The pastoral needs of the small Catholic community are well taken care of.  The Pastoral care of the people is carried out under the name, SFS Church.  The sense of divine is very much in the heart of people and there is a great thirst for the gospel and its message.  People are respectful and many do come to attend mass on Sundays.  It is thus envisaged to strengthen the existing Catholics in their faith as well as to form a creamy layer of catholic community rooted in Christian principles and values. 

We are also involved in Ecumenism and dialogue between the different Christian denominations and sects.  To make it possible, periodical Eucharistic celebrations are held in Catholic families and our brethren join together for the same, exchange views, sing and pray together. Inter-religious dialogue also finds its place with our initiative, of course very informally. The confreres go out of their way to meet and dialogue with Hindu Swamiji’s and others, to shorten the distance between Christians and other religions.  Lot of cordiality is experienced in these endeavors of Savanur Mission.

SFS School

Education is a liberative tool which the vast majority are deprived of even today in this region.  The literacy rate is hardly 35%, and worse still the case of females, as they idolize the son and dreads the girl child.  Parents are not interested in sending their children to school, instead to earn and support the family at the very early age of seven.  The government service in this regard is very minimal that there are villages even without a Balwadi.  Hence PSI is running a few Balwadies in the most dejected areas of the region with the intention of helping the working mothers who otherwise have no one to look after their children when they go to work.  Taking into account the interest of the people for a Christian formal education centre at Savanur town, we formally inaugurated the same under the title SFS School.  Our school has gained a lot of appreciation from the people and we hope that it would help them to obtain quality education for their children.

Savanur Mission dreams of a just, human society based on justice, peace, love and brotherhood.  Thus PSI attracting and benefiting all men of good will believes in taking up new challenges, taking a leap forward and to make a fresh educational thrust. The congregation of the Daughters of the Church is collaborating with us in our mission.  The inconveniences and lack of infrastructure never dampened the spirit of our confreres and because of their dedication and hard work we now have a beautiful house constructed.  It was inaugurated by Fr. Jose Parappillil, Provincial and blessed by His Lordship Bernard Moras, Bishop of Belgaum on 31 October 2003.  Along with the new house we had our new school building ready and it was blessed and opened on the same day.

Kuknoor Mission

PSI Seva Sadan

The mission in Kukkannor made a sudden progress in terms of Social Apostolate. PSI, the institute for social apostolate in the province, was able to get the ‘SWASAKTHI’ project from the government in the Taluk of Kukkannoor in Koppal district.  On 31 January 2003 our Superior General inaugurated and the Vicar General of Bellary, Monsignor Vincent Rodrigues blessed the newly constructed MSFS House. It is named as PSI Seva Sadan.  Through our efforts the quality of the life of women in the villages is undergoing a tremendous change. Empowerment of women is yielding good results in terms of their social organization and collective life.  This is an authentic and relevant way of evangelization. The people are made aware that we work for them and help them because of Christ who is our savior and leader. 

Major Activities of PSI Seva Sadan

      Government Sponsored women empowerment programme (Swashakti)

      Developmental Activities in various villages in and around Kuknoor

      Formation and Nurturing of Self Help Groups

      Availing Government schemes for villagers

      Promotion of literacy among the members of Self Help Groups

      Income Generation Activities in Sanghas

SFS School

Responding to the need of the people and place with regard to quality education the province has initiated the ministry of education in Kuknoor by opening St. Francis De Sales School.  The people are ecstatic about such a venture as they believe that a school with Christian approach would be always beneficial for their children and their future in terms of quality education, discipline and value-based formation.