Community members help to build chapel

(MissionNewswire) St. Anthony Chapel in the village of Paneery New Line, located in the Udalguri district of Assam, India, has been completed thanks to donor funding. The funding was provided by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. With the completed construction, parishioners are using the new chapel.

The project included construction of the walls and the portico design, plastering, tin roofing, and trusses, as well as tile and ceiling work. Following this work, the windows and doors were added and the painting completed. The chapel has electricity with fans inside to mitigate the heat. The landscaping has made the surroundings look beautiful.

The community belongs to the Adivasi tribe. Their forefathers settled in Assam and the people primarily work at the Paneery Tea Estate. They are economically poor and depend on daily labor to meet their basic needs, which is often a challenge.

A Salesian explained, “The community contributed to the construction of the chapel. The families had worked hard in helping the main masons. Every day there were people helping to build the chapel. They gave of their time and effort to make sure the construction was completed. They also decorated the chapel with flowers and other materials. The community is happy and they feel sense of joy in their lives.”

Lazarus Toppo is a local leader who works in the tea factory as an adviser to the community. He was happy knowing that the people now have a place to pray and grow strong in their faith.

He said, “We are blessed people and are lucky to have a place to pray. We had a mud house before and now there is a beautiful chapel by the roadside.”

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Photo courtesy of Salesian Missions (contact for usage permissions)

Salesian Missions – India

World Bank – India