All three Provinces of the Congregation of Holy Cross in the United States will participate in a special Day of Fasting on March 15.
Religious of the United States Province of Priests and Brothers, the Midwest Province of Brothers and the Moreau Province will also donate their own money to the Abhayadhama Human Development Center.
The center, which is run by the Brothers of Holy Cross in Bangalore, India, is a home for street children and other underprivileged children from the region.
The word “Abhayadhama” means “home without fear.” The vision of the ministry is to ensure a dignified life for the children through education and vocational skills based on societal needs.
Br. Jean Paul Pearson began the center on March 4, 1976, as an experiment with seven boys picked up from the streets of Bangalore. The boys were given shelter in an old building belonging to the Brothers. In a short period of time, the number of children needing help began to grow and available space became insufficient to adequately care for the boys. The brothers purchased another piece of land in Whitefield for what is now Abhayadhama.
The Brothers visit the bus stands, railway stations and the streets looking for homeless children. The Brothers also identify the talents and interests of the children and train them to become self-sufficient through such skills as carpentry, welding, automobile and computer programs A top priority for the Brothers is to reunite runaway children with their families when possible.
