MOTHER TERESA COMMUNITY CENTER, KATWA

History: In the early fifties Fr. Charles Poncelet SJ went around this area to sow the Word of God. The Tribals from Santal Parganas and Bangladesh were the first ones to accept the Word of God. However, some of them were already baptized in their native places. They concealed their identity as Christians to avoid persecutions. The need to educate their children brought them to Kalna Parish. Once the contact was established Frs. Beckers and Carvalho visited them regularly. In the recent past Fr. Wattenyne SJ from Dhitpur and Fr. Valerian Fernandes from Burdwan helped them to find Chirst in a deeper way. In 1995 it was made a separate centre and initially Eucharist was celebrated on every Friday at Srikanda village and later on Saturdays. As the people had lived in abandoned railway property Fr. Valerian helped them to buy land and build houses thus making them stable. Liturgical services were held in the open under a blackberry tree, until a spacious hall was built by Fr. Lancy D' Souza and inaugurated by Bishop Cyprian Monis on May 27, 1999 as Fatima Community centre. In 2005 Fr. Lawrence Pinto, while being in-charge, built a two storied building having a hall on the ground floor and the priests residence and chapel on the first floor and named the center as Mother Teresa Community center.