Admition to the Marginalized
Education is given to all, irrespective of caste and creed so as to express our solidarity and our commitment to justice, equality and love for all. It has brought transformation in the society as well as endowed them with dignity, status, competency and upward mobility.
Faith Formation
By conducting assembly, prayers and celebration of the festivals of other religions, the students learn to encounter with God and to respond to the call of faith. This nurtures in the students to live a meaningful life, to have purpose and personalized values including appreciation of other faiths.
Holistic education
Integral personal development of the students is aimed at. Meditations and Yoga to have emotional and psychological maturity. Seminars are conducted to promote the rights of children, with special attention to the rights of the girl-child. Importance is given for the disciplined life of students by connecting knowledge of life experiences outside the school with inclusion of values. Creativity, problem solving skills and other life skills are developed through literary associations and various seminars. The students are motivated &encouraged to involve in the gardening and craft work and they are taught how to utilize waste things and be profited out of it. Teachers are trained to give counseling for the students. Special care and attention are paid for the problematic students.
Faith Formation
By conducting assembly, prayers and celebration of the festivals of other religions, the students learn to encounter with God and to respond to the call of faith. This nurtures in the students to live a meaningful life, to have purpose and personalized values including appreciation of other faiths.
Awareness Program
Associations such as Y.C.S, YSM, Red Ribbon club, Road safety club, Eco Club, Library Association, Literary Association, Audio-Visual, Field trip, Medical-inspection, Scout and Guide are conducted in our institutions to make them responsible citizens. Social awareness programs, Orientation programs for all the students are given to the students especially knowledge about HIV and AIDS. The children of the HIV patients are educated by us and cared well. families of the students are visited and guidance is given to them.
Professional Course:
Job opportunities are given to the students through professional course like Teacher Training.
Technical School
Through the Technical school we provide job opportunities for girls so that they may be aware of their dignity without being subservient to men. Awareness programs are conducted to conscientize, train, organize and empower the women of their rights and dignity. We ensure that students and the whole institutional community accept and practice gender sensitivity, equity and equality during any gathering with other sex.
Arts and Science College at Tharangambadi:
We provide higher education for the fishermen folk who have very poor economic background. The girl children have quality higher education and have bright future life. They are socialised with the mainstream of the society. They understand the value of life and to build confidence to lead the life without dependency syndrome and they enjoy their right to education, right to play, right to association, right to protection and right to participation.
Promoting lay leaders – Alumni
Some of our schools have regular meeting of Alumni. Their situations are studied during those gatherings. The old students feel that they are recognized and respected by their school. Through their sharing, our present students are enriched and enlightened to grow further in their studies and Character. We also extend our hand to those of our old students who suffer in their families, both economically and psychologically. We try to meet their families and listen to them and if possible, solve their problems.
Awareness programs:
Awareness programs is being conducted to instruct preventive and curative methods and means for major issues like HIV/AIDS, Anemia, Health and hygiene, Natural family planning, Pro-life, Nature cure, Healthy food habits etc. Sex education, healthy friendship, facts of life is the issues taken for awareness program to the school children.
Free medical camps:
Free medical camps are for the poor and those who are deprived of medical facility in remote villages and also for the school children. In these camps, medical checkups and treatments are provided. Identified major cases are referred to proper medical centers. Follow up brings effective results.
Pro – life program:
Counseling is given to promote life. In established hospitals, Cassettes and CDs on health issues and pro-life are screened as the patients are in the waiting room for the doctor. The value of life, the risks and dangers of abortion are insisted through the media.
ICTC Program:
In collaboration with Tamil Nadu AIDS control unit, Integrated Counselling and Testing program is functioning at Jayankondam. Regular personal contact with HIV patients, Counseling on safe sex, proper medication and tests are provided.
Rural Health Care Service:
Most of our village communities have Health care centers to attend to the health needs of villagers. They have visiting doctors and small lab for ordinary tests. In village community sisters attend the medical needs of the bed ridden patients and aged people in their homes.
Developing Hospitals in Town areas:
Better equipped hospitals with modern facilities like Scan, Laparoscopy, Operation Theatre, Incubator, Fetal monitor are at town areas to attend to the health needs of the people. Specialized doctors are appointed.
Holistic health care to Lepers:
Treatment, Physiotherapy and skin care to the patients are given in Sacred Heart Leprosy Hospital Kumbakonam. From 1916, our sisters are rendering committed service in the Leprosy hospital for the leprosy patients in Kumbakonam. There is a special school for the children of the leprost patients and the handicapped School within the Campus where our sisters are working for their children’s education.
Health Service at Kenya:
Our sisters are rendering medical service to the needy in Kenya. Sisters are woking in the diocesan hospital mainly concentrating on maternity and pediatric patients as we are specially for women.
Home for children:
We have 6 Homes for children in our province that are situated in Kokkudi, Pasupathikoil, Koothavakkam, Poondi, Pattanamkurichy and Tharangambadi. We render our service to the poor children of our schools through homes for children. The beneficiaries of our home for children are from the remote villages where there are no transport facilities. The biggest of them all is in Tharangambadi which is also the biggest in the State of Tamil Nadu with 550 children.
Cottage:
It is a Government scheme, 50 children of Tharangambadi are helped by this scheme. These children are either single parent or parentless. We get the government aid to help these children like food, clothing, shelter, medical care and education.
Day care centre:
We have only one day care centers for the poor children below 5 years. As the children are cared by us during the day, the parents are freed to go to earn their daily living.
Home for the aged:
In this modern era, where the aged parents are not taken care of, we give asylum to them in order to fulfill their physical, spiritual, material and psychological needs. We prepare them for their peaceful home reaching. We have three homes for the aged – Kumbakonam, Chennai & Pannaivilagam.
Social Centers in Ooty and Mathias Social Centre,Chennai):
We have two centers in Ooty and Chennai. The young girls are kept under our care and we help them to earn their livelihood. The drop outs come to learn needle work and typing. We inculcate in them moral and Gospel values. Their income enables the poor parents to support the family.
HIV/AIDS related program:
There is regular group meetings, counseling, follow up of medication & needed surgeries are arranged. Small savings is initiated for them. We concentrate on their children & provide all the study materials, pay them fees partially & follow up their studies. Seventy three children of HIV/AIDs patient’s children are provided assistance for their education. Nutritious food items are given every month to 110 families. Support group meeting for HIV/AIDs patients help them to know each other & grow in self-confidence. They are encouraged to save some amount in the bank.
Community College:
The less privileged girls & women are educated for one-year diploma certificate through this college and they are given job opportunities after the completion of the course.
Women & Deserted women's welfare program:
In this program widows up to 55 years are grouped for cultural, social, economical& ideological transformation. Self-help groups are formed mainly for them & they are linked with the Bank. Awareness program is arranged in few communities to strengthen the positive energy & to know the government schemes & benefits. Many of the widows are given guidance to get government widows pension.
Two sisters were given opportunity to work with other NGO who work for the upliftment of widows & they are fully involved in the work. To a certain extent, education of their children, character formation & professional training are taken care of. Nearly 60 self-help groups are formed with 900 widows in different missions. They are also taught about saving, health and hygiene and Eco restoration. Many of the widows are engaged in Coat rearing, Flower market, Vegetable selling, Fish market, Snacks bar, Jewel making, etc. which is a source of income for their livelihood. Women’s day and Girl child day were celebrated especially where they have groups. During those days Rally and common meetings are arranged to demand their rights from the government.
De – addiction program:
De - addiction treatment is given to the alcoholic addicted people. Our feedback proves that 80% of them are freed from drinking habit. Counseling is given to the couples before we give medicine. Nearly 1500 families are treated & relieved from alcoholism.
Prison ministry:
Sisters are involved in prison ministry at kumbakonam, Tharangambadi, Jayankondam, Thiruvarur & Thanjavur. Joining with the Diocesan prison ministry group, they go to visit the prisoners regularly to give counseling & arrange cultural program on special occasions. Special fund is created for prison ministry in the province. This fund is used either for the education of their children or for them directly.
