Mission Appeal: Phase 1

Dear Friends in Christ,

Greetings to you and yours. I am most grateful for your support and partnership this year. With your generosity, I can truly say that 2021 may have been our most blessed year yet.

You may wonder: “How did it all begin?” House of Mary and Joseph project was born in my dream 46 years ago when I was just a 11-year-old boy. In the dream, I was sitting on a fence (like the one on the picture) across largest and best property in the area that belonged to my family. While I was sitting on the fence, I noticed a man who looked like a beggar passing by. Wondering about this man, with curiosity I asked him: “Where are you going?” The man answered: “I have nowhere to go.” I was puzzled as I could not understand why an elderly man would have no place to go. Suddenly, this man collapsed and fell onto my lap and died in my arms. At that moment I pointed out to my family’s land and firmly said: “When I grow up, I will build a home for the homeless.”

After I woke up, I ignored the dream and soon after forgot all about it. But in 1999, when I became a priest, I had the same dream again. It was very clear to me then that this is a will of God to make the dream a reality. Eventually this land was given to me and my brother priest as an inheritance from our parents. Thru this dream, it was very clear that on this land a home for the homeless will be built.

In addition, together with my brother priest Fr. Sebastian Areepparampil we saw that many children don’t have an opportunity to attend school. It is because many parents are farmers and seasonal workers and they need children to work on a farm as they can’t afford to buy food, not to mention about affording books or school supplies for their children.

Together with Fr. Sebastian we also decided to help the poor families by sponsoring their basic needs as well as books and school supplies for the children. Hence the mission of the House of Mary and Joseph is to give a home for those who are elderly and unable to take care of themselves and a brighter, better future is given for young children.

After many years of prayers and working thru legal aspects of it in India, this dream started to become reality. At this time, the land has been cleared up and leveled. The appropriate permits were granted and plans were approved by the state for four buildings. Blessing and dedication of the land to Blessed Mother was done on September 8, 2008. On February 9, 2021, the corner stone was blessed by Vicar General of Diocese of Faridabad. Phase 1, construction of first building, began on March 19, 2021. Upon completion of the four phases, we will have a total of 250 units.

But we can’t just wait for it to happen. With your help Phase 1 structure is completed as shown in the picture. We hope to complete all 4 buildings by 2026. The total cost for all four buildings is 1.6 million dollars. The estimated cost for Phase 1 is $250,000. So far, we raised $180,000 (from both India and USA) and we were able to put bare structure of the first building. The workers also began to work on Phase 3 and 4 due to structural plan. We need your help to finish this project. As I look back on the blessings of this year, I can’t help looking back at the blessings of all forty-six years—and looking ahead to what’s to come. You can see on the picture that we are working on completion of second floor of the first building. Inspired by our past, we’re anticipating the dream becomes a reality in a near future.

I hope and pray that you will be able to see Christ in everyone who comes to the House of Mary and Joseph and that you will be able to open your heart and give us a helping hand in any way that you can. Any contribution that you can give is greatly appreciated and is going directly for the home for the homeless and needy families and children. I hope and pray that you will join me with your support. Please keep this project in your prayers. I will keep you in my prayers.

Thank you very much for your generous and compassionate hearts! Thank you so much! May God bless you all.

Thank you again for your continued support. May God bless you abundantly!

In Christ,

Fr. Daison Areepparampil