THE CONGREGATION OF THE SISTERS OF THE HOLY CROSS (MENZINGEN),NORTH INDIAN PROVINCE

The Head Quarters of the Holy Cross Sisters of the North Indian Province in April 1997.

The 90 years-old house was demolished in 2000, and the present three story building was constructed in its place. The newly constructed Provincial House was blessed and opened on February, 2002.

Snehalaya (Sneha –love, and Alaya – home) is a home of love for homeless children particularly girl children. Snehalaya started in the year of 2006 in the campus of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, Alambagh, Lucknow. Its aim is to work for young girls who are abandoned and lost their dignity in the society, to enable them to obtain dignified quality life, 'that they may have life, life in all its fullness' (cf: Jn 10:10).

Goal: To empower the young girls who are abandoned through quality academic education, skill training, is working towards the girls who lost their dignity in the society enabling them to receive a quality life by providing care, support and protection through shelter and education.

Vision: To create society where every abandoned young woman / girl child will enjoy equality and freedom and become the beacon of light of the community. Mission: The mission of Snehalaya is to provide every girl child who experience abandonment or exploitation. Healing: towards physical, psycho-social, spiritual and emotional wellbeing. Care: in a family environment, meeting the individual needs of each child in its best interest. Protection: to develop confidence, resilience and dignity that builds a foundation for lifelong learning. Growth: developing every talent in them – intellectual, artistic, entrepreneurial, and productive skills. Development: in every aspect of the person: emotional, social, physical and spiritual. Leadership: to face challenges in the society and help others to obtain their rightful dignity, equality and freedom in the society. Snehalaya is shifted to Adharkeda on February 26th, 2022.

The First community in North India established in July 1979. The felt need of the time in this rural area was education of children and health care development. The first sisters in Pipleira gathered the children of the surrounding villages under a tree and started non-formal Education. The sisters also started providing First-Aid and treatment for minor ailments to people of the locality.

Activities today:

Sisters teach in the Christ Raj School managed by the capuchins in Massori

Boarding for a group of young boys from villages for attending Christ Raj School

Pastoral care to the small Catholic community spread over the surrounding villages

Continue Non-formal education classes and tailoring centres in different parts of the villages

The 35 bedded Holy Cross Hospital in Massori, on the Delhi-Lucknow High way, at a distance of one kilometer from Pipleira, was opened in 1986. Today the well-equipped Hospital provides services in General Medicine, General Surgery and Obstetric- Gynaecology. A newly constructed modular Operation Theatre was opened and blessed on May 1st, 2022. It is an Entry Level NABH accredited hospital now.

The Holy Cross Social work and village out-reach programme started in 2001. The centre extends community health and community development services including women empowerment through self-help-groups, social awareness programmes, non-formal education of women, job training, job placement, social action against child labour etc.

In 1980 the sisters came to Khairabad, a village in the District of Sitapur, at a distance of 80 kilometers from Lucknow, the State Capital. A 100-bed Hospital was built and handed over to the Holy Cross Sisters by Rev. Fr. Gerard Perazzini OFM Cap of loving memory. The Hospital was opened in 1981. It is an NABH accredited hospital with 300 beds now.

The community in Bachraun was opened on the 14th of September 1985.

Today besides being in charge of the Diocesan School, St. Pius High School, the sisters do pastoral ministry to among the catholic families scattered in different villages.

In the beginning the education was given to the children under the tree by the sisters. Later In 1980, a small building was constructed for a Primary School meant for the village children in an interior village. The sisters accommodate themselves in one part of the Primary School with limited facilities It has grown to an English medium school accommodating up to 8th Standard. Sisters now have convent building inaugurated on 19th June 2014. Sisters do the Pastoral ministry among the few catholic families living in the villages.

Sisters took up teaching ministry from May 1991 in this Diocesan High School cum Intercollege established by Rev. Fr. Gerard Perazzini OFM Cap. of happy memory in 1954. Today senior section is up to 12th standard and Junior section is up to 5th.

The community of Sisters care for the Sick and old priests of the Diocese from its start on 26th of January 1995. The community is home for sisters who work in the Diocesan School-cum-Inter College (St. Francis College), established in 1885, and managed by the Diocese of Lucknow. While one sister has charge as headmistress of Primary section of the School another is a School Nurse. Sisters also conduct free tuition for Children from the disadvantaged families, in their residential quarters.

The Novitiate of the North Indian Province of the Holy Cross Sisters, is at a distance of 12 Kilometers from the Povincial House in Lucknow. The House was blessed on the 31st of August, 2000, for the Formation of candidates to the religious life.

At the request of Bishop of Lucknow to join in the education ministry of the diocese, the new community of Holy Cross Sisters was started on 30th of June 2005, in Sidhauli, at about 40 kilometers from Lucknow, (half way between the Provincial House in Lucknow and Holy Cross Hospital in Khairabad)

The Holy Cross community, established in September 1976. Today the community provides a Home for Working Girls and a Day Care Centre for the children of domestic workers of the place. At present a new building is under construction for the same mission.

This is a Palliative Care Centre (Hospice) for the specialized care for the Terminally-ill Cancer patients. The facility is owned by the Shanti Avedna Trust, the managing trustee being Dr. L.J. de Souza, a retired Oncologist from Tata Memorial Hospital, Bombay. This 50-bedded Hospice was inaugurated in 1986, and is being managed by the Holy Cross sisters.

The facility is extended to accommodate and care for the Cancer patients suffering also from AIDS. All patients are cared for, free of charge, for the rest of their life.

A Palliative Care Centre For Terminally Ill Cancer Patients. The Centre is under the Shanti Avedna Trust. The thirty-bed facility, was inaugurated on on 6th November 1994, and is managed by the Holy Cross Sisters. The hospice celebrated its Silver Jubilee on November 6th, 2019.

The Missionary Sisters of Christ Jesus had started the Nazareth Hospital in the city of Shillong in 1959, and developed it into a 120-bed Diocesan Health Care facility. As the sisters desired to concentrate on village development, in accordance with their charism, they sought to be relieved from the management of the Hospital. The Holy Cross Sisters arrived in Shillong at the invitation of Most Rev. Hubert Rosario, then Archbishop of Shillong, and the Missionary Sisters of Christ Jesus handed over the management of the Nazareth Hospital to the Holy Cross Sisters in 1987.
On account of the increasing number of patients seeking expert treatment and admission, the existing Hospital building was expanded over the years into a 350-bed Super-Specialty Health Care Institution. The Hospital also has a department of Community Health which extends service covering a large rural and urban area. At present it is a 400 bedded hospital with Entry level NABH accreditation.

THE RAPSBUN SCHOOL OF NURSING

Is attached attached to the Nazareth Hospital, had been run by the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians from its inception in 1979. The management of the same was handed over to Holy Cross Sisters on August 1988. Thirty five students are admitted annually for General Nursing & Midwifery course.

The Holy Cross Health Centre was inaugurated on the 11th of November 1997 for the health care service of the tribal population scattered in the mountainous villages of East Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. This is located at 45 kilometers east of Nazareth Hospital, Shillong.

This is a 50- bed Hospital. Many people who live in far out villages benefit from the weekly visit of Specialists and treatment including surgery if needed. The hospital celebrates its Silver Jubilee this year.

Well Spring Social Work Centre, adjacent to the Holy Cross health centre
The Sisters are engaged in women empowerment through self- help groups, conducting job oriented programmes and training in weaving woolen sweater, shawls, flower making etc.

An old house was purchased from the local owner in 1997. After necessary repair and modification, the house was blessed and opened on August 19, 1998 for accommodating sisters and candidates who pursue study in Theology, Nursing, B.Ed. etc. This old house was demolished and a three storied new house is built and blessed on March 30th, 2019

The Holy Cross sisters came to Tura in 1993 at the invitation of Rt. Rev. George Mamalassery, the then Bishop of Tura. The 100-bed Holy Cross Hospital was built and handed over by the Diocese to the Sisters to provide the much needed health care services to the tribal population scattered over three Garo Hills Districts of Meghalaya. The Garo Hills is in the Malaria belt, away from developed centers.

Attached to the Holy Cross Hospital, the R.SM. School of Nursing was opened in 2005 in order to be able get the service of nurses in the Hospital as well as in the region. The School of Nursing conducts Diploma course in General Nursing & Midwifery, recognized by the state Nursing Council as well as the Indian Nursing Council.

Primary Health Centre, Gabil, an extension of the Holy Cross Community, Tura

The Primary Health Center (PHC) meant to serve 21 the hilly rural villages of West Garo Hills in Meghalaya remained dysfunctional for 8 years. In response to the Government's offer for Public-Private-Partnership in Health care, the Holy Cross Sisters took over the management of Gabil PHC in February 2009 in collaboration with BAKDIL, the Tura Diocesan Social Service. The PHC reaches out health care services to the 21 hilly villages with a population of around 5000.

The Holy Cross Convent was started on the 15th of January,1999. Situated 35 kilometers from the Holy Cross Hospital, Tura, this community in Meghalaya has multiple ministries.

The Parish mission includes education in the parish school, running a hostel for girls from distant hilly villages, conducting a dispensary for the people of the locality, and planned touring of the villages under the parish for catechesis, preparation of the children and adults for sacraments, etc.

From 2006 onwards two sisters are involved in Education of Drop-outs under the Central Government scheme, the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya.

Started in 2014 in the Diocese of Shillong in the state of Meghalaya. The two main ministries are Health care and pastoral care.

Started in 2016 in the Diocese of Guwahati, Assam. Sisters take care of Two hostels, also engaged in the Health care and socio- pastoral ministry.

The teaching ministry started in 2015. This is in the Diocese of Bhagalpur, Jharkhand.

In 2015 sisters started the teaching and Parish ministry. Two sisters are teaching in a Diocesan school. When we started the mission, sisters had a rented house. At present we have a two storied building with hostel facilities.

At the request of the then Apostolic Administrator of Jammu-Srinagar, the Holy Cross Sisters came to the remote village near the Indo-Pakistan border in April 1983. The early activities of the sisters were home-visits, and a Dispensary. Today the sisters manage a diocesan Hindi Medium High School, and do also parish ministry.

The Holy Cross Congregation accepted the invitation of Rt. Rev. Peter Celestine OFM Cap. Bishop of Jammu& Kashmir to a village of newly established catholic community at a distance of 10 Kms. from Jammu, on the Jammu-Sreenagar highway. The small community of two sisters was started on 19th of March 2003.

The sisters teach in the Diocesan School which is steadily growing into a high school. They are engaged in parish ministry of faith formation.

The Holy Cross Sisters came to this interior village with minimum facilities and low level of development on 23rd of July 2003.The sisters lived in a thatched house and engaged in parish ministry and conducting a dispensary for the poor people of the surroundings. Later the sisters extended also social and community development, women empowerment etc. In 2007 they moved to a simple house constructed by the diocese for the sisters.

The Holy Cross Community in Mandla, in the District head quarters in the state of Madhya Pradesh was opened on 19th of July, 2006. This is started as a sister- community for the community of Bagdu which is in the remote village of the same district. The ministries of the Sisters are teaching (Bharat Matha School, and Montfort School, Mandla ), and vocation promotion.

The community was inaugurated on the 14th of September, 2011. The sisters live among the ‘Santhal’ aboriginal tribes of Bihar, a socially, economically and educationally backward group with their own language, religion, customs and cultural practices.

Aiming at the total development of the people, social, economic, cultural and spiritual, sisters engage in:

Teaching in the primary school managed by the diocese, and care for a group of girls in the boarding.

Health care and Community development

Pastoral ministry among those who received the Christian faith in recent time.