Brief History of Gajwel Shrine Parish

In 1974, when Fr. Thomas Akkara SVD was appointed Parish Priest of Bayyaram, Gajwel was the only Sub-station. When he started his ministry, there was only one Catholic family in Gajwel.

He took the help of JMJ Sisters for catechetical work, in and around Gajwel. In order to cater to the educational needs of the girls in the surrounding Villages, St. Joseph’s Girls’ Hostel was started in 1978 so that girls studying in the nearby Government School could have accommodation. The Hostel was to be a common enterprise between the SVD Society and the JMJ Sisters. The contribution was to be in the proportion of two- thirds by SVD and one-third by the JMJ Sisters. Fr. Akkara SVD visualized the girls like leaven in the non-Christian areas especially in their Schools. In 1982 Fr. Paul Olickal SVD along with the Sisters started a School upto 6th class. Later the School has been totally taken over by the Sisters.

Fr. Joseph Arulappan SVD, the next Parish Priest of Bayyaram took keen interest in Gajwel and promoted Infant Jesus devotion in Gajwel. To foster the devotion, the Shrine of Infant Jesus at Gajwel was blessed on 7th November, 1988. Since then, the Shrine had been flourishing and stands as a witness to all people irrespective of caste or creed. The Catholic community in Gajwel gradually began to increase, primarily due to the large scale migrations of people from different parts of Coastal Andhra, Kethepally, Addagudoor and Ragavpuram who came in search of cheap agricultural lands.

Fr. Alphonse Joseph SVD took over Bayyaram Parish in 1993 and as the Catholic presence began to grow stronger in Gajwel, which was bifurcated from Bayyaram and was erected as an independent Parish in June 1995. The pilgrim quarters was also blessed that same year. Fr. Alphonse Joseph, the first Parish Priest built ‘Karunapravaham’, a depiction of the miracles of Jesus, in 1999. As per the agreement, in 2010 the Archdiocese has taken the Parish from SVD Society. Fr. Mekala Sleeva Reddy was appointed the first Archdiocesan Parish Priest. Sangupally is located about 3 kms away from the Parish Church and there are only five traditional Catholic families, who migrated from Andhra around 1970 - 1975. Pragnapur is located about 2 kms away and there are about ten Catholic families, who came in search of jobs from different localities and settled there. The Catholic families from these two areas attend the liturgical services in the Parish Shrine, as there are no Chapels in their Villages. There are also some catechumen Villages such as Gowraram, Mulugu and Vantimaamidi around Pragnapur.

In 2010, Archbishop Marampudi Joji had a keen interest in providing educational needs to the poor and vulnerable of the surrounding localities, he started primary School in the same year. Archdiocese established Infant Jesus School there on 15th July, 2010. Total strength of the School in the Academic year 2019-2020 is 260. The Parish Priest of the Parish takes care of the School there.

Men & Women Religious Congregations

Society Of The Divine Word (SVD): : Fathers established ‘Asha Jyothi’ in the month of August, 2006 with a 20 bedded inpatient free treatment facility and an out-patient care unit. True to its name, SVD Fathers enlighten the minds of the HIV infected people by bringing in the rays of hope, in their darkened lives under the diminishing war-fare of existence and to instill the confidence in their desperate hearts. Four Main Service Activities of Asha Jyothi:

Apostolic Life Community of Sisters In The Opus Spiritus Sancti - Holy Spirit Sisters (ALCS- OSS) : Mission of the Congregation is to give service to all. They help and work in Don Bosco Navajeevan Home for street children, established by Salesian Fathers in 1998. It was handed over to Holy Spirit Sisters in 2009, from then onwards it is supported by and taken care of by them.

1. Asha Jyothi HIV/AIDS Care & Support Centre : As per the objectives, vision and mission of Asha Jyothi HIV/AIDS Care & Support Centre, SVD Fathers were able to pass on the service packages of in-patient and out-patient treatment, counseling and nutritional support to the HIV patients from August, 2006 to March, 2013 in a very systematic way. Within a period of one and a half year in April, 2008 Asha Jyothi was up-graded by the government of India to the status of a Community Care Centre.

2. HIV Awareness through Out-Reach: : Along with care, support and treatment for the HIV infected people on one side, Asha Jyothi also primarily draws its attention on prevention through various outreach programs to create the awareness on HIV/AIDS, by spreading the message across, alerting the common man to resist boldly and firmly, urging people to adopt every preventive measure seriously and strictly, from contracting the dreadful disease of HIV/AIDS.

3. PPTCT (Prevention from Parent to Child Transmission) : Among the other out-reach activities; again here they branch off to another segment of a specific program known as ‘prevention of HIV transmission to the off-spring, from the HIV infected parents.’ Or we may call it, ‘prevention parent to child transmission’ (PPTCT). It is an ongoing program of Asha Jyothi from August, 2007, in the entire district of Medak and appreciated by everyone. In simple terminology, under this project they save the new-born babies from the clutches of the killer disease of HIV.

4. Arnold Children Home : While implementing the above described PPTCT program, Asha Jyothi had come across with other practical problems in the field. To be precise, one of the most alarming concerns about HIV/AIDS in India today, in general is the number of infected and affected orphaned children living with HIV/AIDS and their awful plight with regard to their future destiny. Having seen this, they had decided to offer them a home away from their homes at Asha Jyothi. A small building was constructed with optimum facilities to house 25 children (both boys and girls) and was inaugurated on 11th November, 2010 under the name and style, ‘Arnold Children Home.’ The home is being maintained well, true to its objectives to date with 25 children as inmates.

Home-Based Care : They are helping HIV infected and affected orphaned children through home-based care by extending support on health, education and nutritional supplements.

OFM Conventuals (OFM Conv.) : Fathers established their community and St. Peter’s High School on 9th August, 2017. They purchased St. Peter’s High School belonging to a lay person. Now they are running and managing it.

Society of Jesus, Mary Joseph (JMJ) : Sisters established their community on 31st October, 1979. The mission of the Congregation is Education & Pastoral. They are involved in the education, medical, social, pastoral and evangalization apostolate. They have St. Joseph’s English Medium School and St. Joseph’s Girls High School (Telugu Medium). Ministries in the Parish are teaching catechism and helping in the Parish works.