Salesian Province of Mumbai

☼ DON BOSCO SUKET

History
In July 1905, a few French Capuchins came to Jhalawar-Jhalrapattan at the invitation of the Raja. However, due to the opposition of a few fanatics in the Raja’s court they were forced to close down their work there in 1913. On hearing about this, the Maharaja of Kota offered the French Capuchins 561 bighas of land near the village of Salawad. The idea was to take in the overflow from Khurda in M.P. which was getting too big. In April 1914 the Capuchins came in with 12 families (the heads of these families were orphans of the great famine of 1899-1902) that would constitute the nucleus of the new parish. The parish developed fast: in 1917 the Primary School was initiated, in 1925 the Church was blessed and inaugurated and in 1925 the Catechists’ Training Centre was shifted from Bhawanikhera to Salawd. In 1950 the Capuchins handed over the parish to the diocesan clergy who then administered it for the next fifty years. In May 2002 the Salesians entered the Suket parish, and were handed over charge officially in an impressive ceremony, by Bishop Ignatius Menezes of Ajmer-Jaipur diocese on June 30, 2002.

Present Activities

(i) St. Michael’s Parish : Comprising of approx. 230 families

(ii) Chaplaincies to the PSA Sisters at Satalkheri (6 kms) and the FSMA Sisters in Ramganjmandi (14 kms)

(iii) Salawad Education Development Society – Registered Society carrying out educational and other activities

(iv) Hindi Medium School : Std VI – Std X with 190 students

(v) Village Education Project (VEP) carried out in 12 neighbouring villages catering to approx. 400 students in elementary school

(vi) Mikhelpura Samuhik Sinchai Yojana – Registered Society catering mainly to the farmers’ problems and to the irrigation of their fields

(vii) Agriculture / Farm related activities

Salesian Community
Fr. Paul Antao sdb (Parish Priest & Incharge) &
Fr. Glen Fernandes sdb (Assistant Parish Priest & Principal)

Collaborators
3 communities of religious sisters belonging to Franciscans of Saint Mary of the Angels (FSMA) and 1 community of Prabhudasi Sisters of Ajmer (PSA)
Teachers: 8
Social Worker: 1
Farm Workers: 6

Contact Information
Postal Address : Salawad Education Development Society, Salawad Khurd, Ramganjmandi Tehsil, Near Suket, Kota District, RAJASTHAN 326530

Phone : (07459) 234153

E-Mail : donboscosuket@yahoo.in