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St.Joseph's Charity Institute,
Adaikalapuram

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St.Joseph's Charity Institute,
Adaikalapuram - 628 217,
Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India
Phone : (+91)04639-245248, 246848

St. Joseph's Charity Home was founded as Child Welfare Centre by the French Jesuit Missionary priest Very Rev.Fr. L.Verdier S.J. in 1854 at Alanthalai near Tiruchendur, Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu State in South India. In 1856, the home was shifted to Adaikalapuram, within the same district, but just five kilometres north of Tiruchendur. It is a cluster of various homes that give love and shelter to the needy and poor in all stages of life, irrespective of caste and creed. In Tamil, our native language ‘Adaikalapuram’ simply means ‘A place of shelter’. True to its name, this Institute from its foundation in 1854 has been a ‘Home of love’ to thousands of children and grown-ups manifesting God’s love and compassion to the destitute and desperate. This Institute consists of the following Institutions.

CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS
1. Specialized Adoption Agency (SAA)/(Child Welfare Home)
Orphaned and abandoned babies are looked after in this Child Welfare Home. As a matter of fact, our institute started in 1854, with this primary service. As on date 10 Infants are here.

2. Home for Destitute Children (HDC)/(Cottages for Boys & Girls)
Orphaned and deserted children are sheltered and educated in the four cottages in our campus. Each cottage consists of 25 children. Fifty boys and fifty girls are nurtured in this way.

3. St Joseph’s Boys Home
Children in the age group of six to seventeen coming from very poor families, or from backward areas are educated and there are about 182 children in this home.

4. St. Joseph's Girls Home
Children in the age group of six to seventeen coming from very poor families, or from socially backward areas are educated and there are about 128 children in this home.

5. Home for the Intellectually Disabled (Mentally Challenged Women)
Women above 14 years, who are mentally challenged, are admitted here and are cared. The present strength is 55.

6. Home for the Mentally Ill Women
Women above 14 years, who are mentally affected, are admitted here and are cared. The present strength is 30.

7. Home for Aged Women
Elderly women who have no one to look after them are taken care of in this home. The present strength is 42.

8. Home for Aged Men
Elderly men who have no one to look after them are taken care of in this home. The Present strength is 35.

9. St. Francis Xavier Rescue Home (Home for Unwed Mothers)
Young women who become unwed mothers due to violence or some other factors are sheltered and given protection in this home. The present strength is 1.

10. Adoption
Adoption means a legal process that allows someone to become the parent of a child, even though the parent and the child are not related by blood. But in every other way, the adoptive parents are the child's parents. Our institute receives babies through the State run administrative Bodies like Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and District Child Protection Office (DCPO), whom we take care and hand over to the concerned departments for legal adoption.

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Besides these services, we are also running the following Institutions to educate, train and to rehabilitate.

1. St. Joseph’s Primary School
It consists of standards 1 to 5. Poor boys residing in the cottages and orphanage, and boys coming from the neighbourhood villages are educated in this school.

2. St. Mary’s Middle School
It consists of standards 1 to 8. Poor girls residing in the cottages and orphanage, and girls of the neighbourhood attend this school. Besides general education, girls are taught sewing and other handicrafts also.

3. St. Joseph’s Higher Secondary School
Students are educated from 6th to 12th standard. It is a co-education school. Apart from regular academic curriculum, we involve our students in various extra-curricular activities, group activities such as group discussion to broaden social awareness, group study, and group work to help each other and to bring out their hidden talents.

4. St. Joseph’s Industrial School
Young women are given training for two years in needle work, dress making and embroidery. They also prepare for State Board Examination.

5. Technical Teacher Course
After successfully completing the two-year course in needle work, dress making and embroidery, they are given training for one year in technical teacher course. They also appear for state board examination. Successful candidates are given certificates, thereby making themselves eligible to be employed as teachers in the State schools for teaching handicrafts, tailoring, etc.,

6. St. Joseph’s Typewriting Institute
Inmates of this institute are given an opportunity to learn typewriting during their leisure hours. Eligible candidates are sent for State board examination. Successful candidates get certificates.

7. St. Anne’s Teacher Training Institute
Young women from our parishes of the Diocese of Thoothukudi are selected to undergo two-year teacher training. Only 40+40 (Management Quota + Government Quota) students are admitted every year. Successful candidates are given diploma in teacher education. Qualified teachers can find a job in the diocesan schools or in any government school in our State/Country.

Hence the institute administers six educational and one training center in the campus. The students’ strength is Boys: 400 and Girls: 300. The origin of the school dates back to 1901 A.D. It was upgraded into high school in 1996 with 490 students and in 2003 it was upgraded into higher secondary. Our Merciful Lord Jesus has been blessing our school which serves ‘the least of his brethren’ after his clarion call and exhortation as per the Bible (Mat.25:40). In extra-curricular activities also, the school has been flourishing well.

RESIDENTIAL HOMES
Following are the Residential home of our institute:

Sisters of St. Anne (SAT)
The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Anne of Tiruchirappalli (SAT) was founded by a holy and pious widow Mother Annammal in 1858 with a unique purpose of uplifting the social status of the poor, weak, marginalized and destitute young women, particularly widows from the unethical clutches of the society. The Congregation, Sisters of St. Anne was canonically erected as a Diocesan Congregation in 1880 and elevated to Pontifical status in 1977. Now, it has grown into a worldwide organization of Religious women in the Catholic Church.

These sisters have been working since 1880 in St. Joseph's Charity Institute, Adaikalapuram. In the beginning, they worked in all sections of this Institute. But, now they are working in St. Mary's Middle school, St. Anne's Teacher Training Institute, St. Anne's Hostel and in its Church activities and also doing pastoral activities in its substation, Philominagar. Their charism is rooted and guided by Ignatian Spirituality.

Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (SHJ)
The Congregation of the sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Thoothukudi, was founded by Rev. Fr. Francis Buisson SJ, a French Jesuit missionary on 14.06.1884. The original purpose of founding this congregation was to care for the destitute women, children and the challenged persons. In the year 1925 Rt. Rev. Bishop Francis Tiburtius Roche, the Bishop of Thoothukudi, recognized it as the diocesan congregation for the purpose of socio-pastoral and missionary activities in the mission areas of Thoothukudi Diocese.

Priests’ Quarters
There are four priests residing in the Institute, playing the different roles: Director for the Overall administration; Administrator to look after the Finance and Property Management; Spiritual Director to psycho-spiritually animate the needs of all the inmates; and Assistant Director to assist the Director and Administrator with regard to the functioning and wellbeing of the Institute. Every year we receive a seminarian under formation, sent for the field study and he will do everything possible and necessary in view of his future ministry as an ordained priest in the same diocese.

Workers’ Quarters
To serve in different sections of the Institute we need different professionals. So, we invite people from other places to come and serve here. To make their stay comfortable and their service more of quantitative and qualitative we arrange for their accommodation adjacent to our Institute. It helps such personnel to be with their respective families, simultaneously facilitating better service to the Institute.

Succession of Directors
1. Rev.Fr. John Bossan S.J. : 1854 - 1875
2. Rev.Fr. Buission S.J. : 1875 - 1890
3. Rev.Fr. Mengella S.J. : 1890 - 1908
4. Rev.Fr. Nicholaus S.J. : 1908 - 1923
5. Rev.Msgr. Louis Gnanapragasam : 1923 - 1929
6. Rev.Fr. Soosai Marianather : 1929 - 1929
7. Rev.Fr. Singarayer F.X. : 1929 - 1935
8. Rev.Fr. Joseph Roche : 1935 - 1946
9. Rev.Fr. Mariadas : 1946 - 1951
10. Rev.Fr. Paul Alangaram : 1951 - 1954
11. Very Rev.Fr. Lobo : 1954 - 1964
12. Very Rev.Fr. Stephendas : 1964 -1965
13. Rev.Fr. Rosario Fernando : 1965 - 1972
14. Very Rev.Fr. Stephendas : 1972 -1974
15. Rev.Fr. Gabrieal : 1974 - 1975
16. Rev.Fr. Stephendas : 1975 - 1982
17. Very Rev.Fr. Francis S. : 1982 -1988
18. Rev.Fr. Stephen Gomez : 1988 - 1993
19. Rev.Fr. Xavier S. Marian : 1993 - 1998
20. Rev.Fr. Jebanathan : 1998 - 2003
21. Rev.Fr. Antony Jegathesan : 2002 - 2008
22. Rev.Fr. X.D. Selvaraj : 2008 - 2012
23. Rev. Fr. Kirubakaran : 2012 - 2016
24. Rev. Fr. Joseph Isidore : 2016 - 2021
25. Rev.Fr. Promilton Lobo : 2021 -

Financial Administrater
1. Rev.Fr. Pradeep : 2021 - 2022
2. Rev.Fr. Slyvester 2022 -

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New info provided by : Rev. Fr. Promilton Lobo
Updated on May 11th 2023

 

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