Appeal for the St. Paul Miki School in India

Dear Tom,
I am energised to work among the children in the school and also for our dear parishioners. You might be surprised to know that I have taught them some hymns from "with Joyful Lips" and the children sing it beautifully. Though this is a Hindi medium school, I would like to make sure that children learn some English before they leave for high school at St. Xavier's in Lupungutu.

I also learned from Fr. Jerry Cutinha that you are campaigning for our cause. I hope with your help our dream of educating these tiny tots will come true someday. At present we are facing a lot of problems especially in the rainy season, as the heavy winds blow, carrying water inside the temporary classrooms. Children have learned to put up with all the troubles.
AMDG,

Fr. Gregory S. D'Silva, SJ
St. Paul Miki Centre, Pandabir

gregsdsilva@gmail.com

The current St. Paul Miki Church in Border - The current St. Paul Miki School in Pandabir.

Dear Friends:

My Jesuit friend Fr. John Deeney, whom I visited in India last year, has asked for our help so that the The Jamshedpur Province of the Society of Jesus may build a proper school for the tribal children in the town of Pandabir, West Singhbhum, Jharkhand. The current state of the church/school is most inadequate, as the pictures above indicate. The schools set up by the Indian government in the long neglected tribal regions are subpar, and according to my friends there -- are simply glorified baby-sitting services. As in any country the best way to break the cycle of poverty, in my opinion, is through education.

While many of us have felt the pinch of the recession remember that a donation of just $50 equals 2,221 Rupees -- and that can go a long way in India! So please don't feel that smaller donations won't help... they will, and will be greatly appreciated.

So below please find the appeal letter from Fr. Deeney as well as the imprimatur and instructions on how to donate from the The Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus, who have a collaborative agreement with the Jamshedpur Jesuits. If this is a charity you find worthy I'd ask you to send a donation to the address provided below. You may also donate online at Support Jesuit India Missions, although a check and intention letter is preferred. Regardless I would ask all of you to say a Pater Noster for the appeal as these children deserve a nice school -- as children everywhere do.

Please help us if you can. Should you have any questions don't hesitate to contact me at SJHAWK44@aol.com. Feel free to pass this link on to as many interested parties as you can!

In omnibus quaerant Deum,

Thomas F. Brzozowski/44

Fr. John J. Deeney, S.J.
Tome Jesuit Residence
XLRI, Post Box 222
Jamshedpur, India 831001
jjdeeney@gmail.com

Warm Greetings from Fr. Deeney, still very much in India!

Most who receive this correspondence know me very well. For those who do not I was born in 1921 and was raised in the Germantown section of Philadelphia -- Immaculate Conception Parish. I graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, class of ’39, and immediately after high school joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Shortly after I realized my vocation my family moved to Most Blessed Sacrament (MBS) Parish in West Philadelphia, where my uncle, Monsignor John Daly, was Pastor for many years. I came to India in 1949, where I was ordained in 1952. I write this from India, where I now have been for 60 years.

During my whole priestly life I have always been involved with the Ho tribal people and active in evangelization and faith formation. Also I mastered their tribal language, which is quite different than Hindi, and is related to languages of Cambodia and Vietnam. With the help of Dahnur Purdy, a Ho tribal and Jesuit college graduate, I prepared liturgical and biblical books in the Ho language, and wrote the first Ho-English Dictionary and Ho grammar, and other books relating to the Hos.

Now 88 years old I have recently moved out of the Ho country to the infirmary at the Xavier Labour Relations Institute in Jamshedpur. However my heart is still among the Hos and there is one work which I am anxious to see completed. For 21 years I bicycled out every Sunday to the village of Bordor to say Mass for Catholics in that area. During that time the Ho Catholic community grew but we were unable to start a school. Providentially land has been acquired for a school in Pandabir village adjoining Bordor, where a school has been started but with no proper building – in fact to date we have just two open-air classrooms which aren’t ideal, as you can imagine, particularly during the monsoon season.

Before I die I am hoping to see a school building there, with a hall which can also be used as a chapel. During my last home visit to Philadelphia in 2007 I asked for help and many gave generously, however much more is needed. Should you be in a position to help us build a school and chapel for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are less fortunate please send a donation to the address below. Remember to make the check out to “Jesuit Missions”, and please make a notation that it is in reply to Fr. Deeney’s appeal for the St. Paul Miki School in Pandabir. Your donation will be 100% tax deductible and instructions from the Maryland Province Jesuits are attached.

The Jesuit Missions
(Fr. John Deeney, SJ Appeal)
Maryland Province Jesuits
Advancement Office
8600 LaSalle Road, Suite #620
Baltimore, MD 21264

This appeal would not have been possible without the help of many people, especially my sister Nancy Curtis, my niece Nancy Caramanico, my grandnephew Johnny Gill, Beth McCarthy and the girls’ youth group from St. Francis of Assisi parish in Springfield, PA, my friend Tom Brzozowski, and of course the Maryland Jesuit Province. To many goes the credit, but to God goes the glory!

Thank you in advance for reaching out to help us help these poor tribal children receive a Jesuit education. May God continue to bless each and every one of you.


Christ’s Peace!

John J. Deeney, S.J.


JJD/tfb

AMDG/2009

One of two open-air classrooms at the current St. Paul Miki School
– demand for Jesuit education necessitates a new building.

Fr. John Deeney, SJ with students outside the current St. Paul

Miki School in Pandabir.

These are the children you would be helping to educate with

your generous donation.

Hilarius Kongari, SJ, Greg D'Silva, SJ and

John Deeney, SJ, at St. Xavier's in Lupungutu.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Thank you for expressing an interest in making a donation to Fr. John Deeney, SJ and Fr. Greg D'Silva, SJ for a new church/school at St. Paul Miki Parish in Pandabir, India. The Maryland Province Jesuits are happy to receive donations and transfer such funds to the appropriate Jesuit recipients overseas.

Included here are (1) a brief description of the Maryland Province Jesuits and (2) and a sample donor letter to accompany a financial gift. The following points, in particular, are helpful for donors to notice:

• The Maryland Province Jesuits assist Jesuit institutions outside the United States with which we hold a twinning or other collaborative agreements. Each such institution – e.g., school, social center, retreat house - must be sponsored by the Jesuit Province in which it is located. We are not in a position to aid organizations that are not direct works of the Society of Jesus.

• Checks should be written to “Jesuit Missions.” 100% of your benefaction will be forwarded by the Maryland Province Jesuits to the Jesuit-sponsored institution to which you wish to donate funds; but for compliance with the IRS, your donor’s letter must state that the gift is to be made as an unrestricted gift to “Jesuit Missions’” and that you express a “hope” that the money may be given to your intended overseas Jesuit institution.

• Please note, too, that you should send a letter accompanying your check.

• Once your check and your accompanying letter are received, a letter of acknowledgment will be sent to you for your tax purposes.

You may send a letter and enclosed check to our address: Maryland Province Jesuits Advancement Office, PO Box 64818, Baltimore, MD 21264.

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns you would like to discuss.

Thanks for your generosity.

Sincerely In Christ,

Edward F. Plocha
Director of Advancement
The Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus