Georai Mission

The Call to the Neglected Frontiers (1999–2000)

In 1999, responding to a call from the Bishops’ Conference to serve rural, neglected areas, the Sisters of St. Charles Borromeo expanded into the Aurangabad Diocese. Invited by Jesuit priests Fr. James Shelke and Fr. Promod Raikar, the pioneers—Srs. Leena Volder, Hilda Fernandes, and Angela Tavaris—reached Beed on May 29, 1999.

The socio-economic landscape was daunting:

• The “Sugarcane Migration“: 80% of the population are landless laborers who migrate for six months a year for sugarcane cutting, often pulling children out of school.
• Social Challenges: High rates of child marriage, dowry issues, and a literacy priority that was nearly non-existent.
• The “Promised Land”: After a year in Beed, the sisters moved to a rented house in Georai on June 17, 2000, embracing a life of “adjustments and tolerance” in a region with no proper infrastructure.

Educational Apostolate: Lighting the Marathi Flame

The mission’s core aim was the education of the girl child, who occupied the lowest strata of local society.

• St. Xavier’s Primary School: On June 26, 2000, the first Marathi Medium school began in a rented hall with 45 “tiny tots.” Sr. Anjala, the first Principal, worked tirelessly to secure government permissions, which were finally granted in 2004.
• Hostel Ministry: Recognizing that children of sugarcane cutters needed stability, the sisters established hostels for boys and girls in 2004. This allowed children to stay and study while their parents migrated, providing them with emotional, psychological, and spiritual support.

Medical Apostolate: Navjeevan Hospital

Before the sisters arrived, there was no Christian medical presence in the entire Beed district. The healing ministry began with mobile clinics under trees and in small huts, often 50-70 km away from the center.

• Mini-Hospital: In 2002, Dr. Sr. Regina Suares arrived, and a single room in the convent served as a mini-hospital for deliveries and emergency care.
• Navjeevan Hospital: The foundation for a permanent hospital was laid in 2003, and Navjeevan Hospital was inaugurated on January 21, 2005.
• Training Center: In 2011, the Health Aid Training program began, offering a career path for young girls and school dropouts.

Social and Pastoral Empowerment

Under the leadership of Sr. Janet D’Souza, the mission moved beyond the convent walls to transform the village economy:

• Socio-Economic Projects: The sisters introduced “stall-feeding goatery” and sheep rearing, which provided women with independent incomes and higher status within their families.
• Sanitation: In a major breakthrough, the sisters motivated villagers to build and use toilets in their own homes for the first time.
• Faith Formation: Despite the tiny Christian population (0.03%), the sisters have prepared hundreds for the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion, turning the “Georai Yatra” into a significant local spiritual event.

Times of Trial: The Refiner’s Fire

The Georai mission has faced significant external and internal struggles:

• Management Changes: In 2008, a difficult transition occurred when the sisters had to hand over the school office to the Jesuit management, a “dark day” that tested their vow of obedience.
• Current Challenges: Since 2013, the convent agreement has remained un-renewed, creating a state of administrative uncertainty. False accusations in local newspapers and labor misunderstandings have occasionally disrupted the peace of the mission.

Despite these “ups and downs,” the sisters remain at Georai, believing that the God who called them to this “land of stones” will continue to lead them as they serve the nomads and the poor.