Diocese: Gulbarga
Pioneers: Sisters Petronilla D’Silva and Janitha Rodrigues
Shorapur is part of the newly formed Yadgir district. Yadgir, along with Gulbarga, Raichur and Bidar distircts was a part of Hyderabad which was ruled by the Nizâms. These districts were amalgamated with Mysore (later known as Karnataka State) region on the basis of the language spoken by the people in the place namely, Kannada. Even to date the whole region is known as Hyderabad-Karnataka; which itself is one of the most backward districts of North Karnataka. At the request of Fr Antony Fernandes, the parish priest of Our Lady of Rosary church and the late Bishop Joseph D’Silva of Bellary Diocese the Sisters of the Mysore Province moved into North Karnataka. Until now they had confined themselves largely to the district of Mysore. Subsequently Pope Benedict XVI created the new Diocese of Gulbarga comprising the four districts of North Karnataka (Bidar, Gulbarga, Yadgir and Bijapur) on June 24, 2005, with the appointment of Bishop Robert Michael Miranda as the first Bishop of the new diocese. Thus the Diocese of Gulbarga was carved out of the three geographical dioceses of Hyderabad, Belgaum, and Bellary. Prior to that Bidar district was a mission adopted by the Diocese of Mangalore even though it was a juridical part of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad. Bijapur, a part of Belgaum Diocese was taken care of by the Jesuit Fathers. The Gulbarga and Yadgir districts were the part of Bellary Diocese.
Having studied carefully the scope for mission work according to the Ursuline Franciscan charism, the Provincial Superior, Sr Jyothi Fernandes accepted the invitation; on June 16, 2001 Sisters Patronilla D’Silva and Janitha Rodrigues arrived at Shorapur. As in several other cases, in Shorapur too, the Sisters had no residence of their own; hence, they were put up in the parochial house.
The Sisters did not involve themselves in educational ministry in Shorapur; they visited the neighbouring villages with the assistance of the parish priest and a Catholic lawyer Mr Augustine. Their field study proved to be providential. The pathetic situation of the differently abled children clamoured for their ministry; without delay, the children were brought to the parochial house. The Sisters as well as the children shared the parochial house. Simultaneously, they also focused their attention on children who had dropped out of school. These children were re-admitted to school; they were coached in the evening for their studies.
In 2002 Sr Mary Bastin Pinto academically with a Masters in Social Work, was posted to Shorapur. As a person committed to the cause of the poor, she began studying the ground reality by a survey of the areas on economic, political, social, cultural and educational points. The study revealed that the areas of literacy and health were more neglected than others. The Sisters began addressing these concerns primarily by starting a kindergarten school. They also coached students studying in government schools; tailoring classes were organized for girls and women. In a more structured manner, they organized value- education classes; they also organized summer camps for children and youth. Gradually, they formed self-help-groups for women; the venture enabled them to obtain knowledge regarding savings, children’s education, legal rights, health, and hygiene and bank transactions, which works as an invaluable asset. Awareness programmes are carried on with the assistance of thirty self- help groups.
In the meantime, Fr Antony Fernandes was transferred from Shorapur to Shahapur, 30 kilometres away. He began a school there and requested the Sisters to extend their services in the school. Sr Janitha Rodrigues was assigned with the task of administering the school. Initially she commuted from Shorapur to Shahapur. Later Sisters Florence Sequeira and Susheela F began residing in a room of the parish church; they returned to Shorapur only at weekends. Gradually 1.32 acres of land was bought by Mysore Province at Kumberpet on October 22, 2004. Officially the school was inaugurated at Shorapur in 2006 starting with LKG and UKG with 28 students. Sr Blanch D’Souza was appointed head teacher. As the classrooms were equipped insufficiently, classes were conducted in the residence of the Sisters.
On March 23, 2007 the foundation was laid for the school at Kumberpet in the newly purchased land; the basement and first floor was completed on August 12, 2007 and blessed by Bishop Robert Miranda of Gulbarga Diocese. Simultaneously, the foundation was laid for the convent building. On December 31, 2007, classes were shifted from Shorapur to Kumberpet. Since then the Sisters resided in the basement of the school. In July 2008, a group of eighteen students from France through the mediation of Fr Patrick Langue SJ headed by Fr Michael Meguel SJ constructed the second floor of the building within twenty days of their stay at Kumberpet. Along with construction, they visited the remote villages in order to study the socio-cultural situation of the place.
The new convent building Prerana, the Social Work Centre and the Children’s Home were blessed on their completion on August 24, 2010 by Bishop Robert Miranda; Sr Jyothi Fernandes, the Provincial Superior, inaugurated it.
The Sisters involve themselves actively in welfare activities: when North Karnataka experienced a severe deluge in 2009, the Sisters involved themselves in the diocesan programmes of flood relief. Social and pastoral activities are being carried out with a vision to empower the people – women and children in particular.
