On Thursday July 4 the Province of Pachmarhi inaugurated a new mission station at Ladkoi, Mariado in Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh, India, in collaboration with the Jesuits of Bhopal. Archbishop Leo Cornelio congratulated S. Annies Padayattil and the sisters of St. Joseph for venturing into this challenging mission. Bishop Leo stressed the importance of priests and religious working with the poorest of the poor in his homily during the Eucharistic celebration.
Sisters Rita Pookoden, Naveena Tirkey and Gulap Kiro are the pioneering members of this community. Sisters Naveena and Gulap will teach in the English medium school of the Jesuits that caters to hundreds of poor children from the surrounding villages. The school also has hostel facility for the children from far away villages. The school is just at the beginning stages with 350 children up to Grade III.
S. Rita will reach out to the villagers with medical facilities since there are no hospitals close by. In the future they will construct a dispensary for better medical care of the villagers. Every month the Asha Niketan Hospital of the sisters of St. Joseph from Bhopal will conduct a medical camp at Mariado. Mariado is 94 kilometres from Bhopal city.
Navya Neelamvilail
