“Bloom where you’re planted.”
Goa speaks about a long history of the Sisters of Holy Family of Nazareth, under the guidance and direction of our Founder Rev. Fr. Faustino. His aim was to help the poor and also to carry Christ work in mission areas. This attracted the attention of the Pillar fathers to have a mission centre for the Diocese of Boarda in the state of Gujarat to work for the people at Vapi, under the Parish Church of Our Lady of Valenkani. The main of starting a convent in this mission was to help in the Pastoral ministry in the Parish, such as preparing for liturgy, looking after the sacristy, teaching of catechism, preparing for Sacraments and working in Schools and a dispensary for the local people in future. Thus to increase the missionary zeal and the fervent love to, spread God’s Kingdom.
The sisters laid their feet on the soil of Vapi in a village at Chanod, on 1st June 1991. Srs. M. Rita, M. Gracious, Phila and Angeline Norona, were the founders of the newly opened house.
The sisters then occupied the house, which was offered by the Pillar fathers at Chanod.
First it was indeed a humble beginning like the dwelling place of Nazareth but it had a great impact in their life of simplicity, poverty and lack of material things, and the comfort that were very few. But the trust and hope that they had, in the Divine providence sustained them, since they were submissive to the will of God and yet full of life and contented.
God has time and purpose for each one of us and through the inspiration our Bishop Francis Braganza S.J and our parish priest to reconstruct a house for the stay of the sisters in the Church complex, the parish priest of our Lady of Valenkani. Fr. Joseph Baptistasfx through the generous offer from the Bishop and the contribution of the parishioners rebuilt the house. It was a day of great rejoicing on31st May 1997 its inauguration and blessing of the house was done and bearing the same name as “Nazareth Niwas”.
As the years has rolled on, sisters have become very much involved in the parish work, teaching in two different schools which is carried on by the same trust by the Pillar Fathers, also animating the BCC groups in the different zones and helping in animating the youth group and having classes for the junior youth. Once a week visit to the families is being carried on twice a week.
The Animator with its team is carrying on the task of the Lord zealously. So to say God has a plan and in His great plan from a humble dwelling He raised us up to a high mansion as we keep on trusting in the Divine Providence and moving ahead to make Jesus alive in and through our apostolate.