.png)
Forty years ago, Fr. Mathew Lewis landed in Mundgod, to start a new area of work of the Karnataka Jesuit province. Those tiny steps over the years have reached many villages and moved on. Trusting in divine providence many Jesuits over the years carried this work forward and today it has grown and blossomed. Mundgod is a land of multi-cultural and ethnic groups. It is a land of diversity. Jesuits who began their work have branched out to many areas. It is the zeal of the pioneer Jesuits that always enthuses us. It reminds us that we need to move on. Amazing stories of ordinary people have inspired us. Despite many hardships and difficulties of life, I keep moving. Innocent smile of a village child, the determination of a widow to educate her children, the tireless efforts of a father to provide for his family have given energy and quest to move on with our work.
During these forty years many things have happened, we have responded to the needs of the people through our social, educational, pastoral and holistic approach. We have reached the remotest villages of the Mundgod taluka. It has been quite challenging work those days with hardly any connectivity. Today people have access to most of the Government facilities. The word that resonates in my mind is venture into the unknown, cast into the deep. One of my longings has been just because it is a rural set up why should our children be deprived of the best possible education. Hence Jesuits in recent years ventured into CBSE education for the rural people. Today what we see is that our children are as competent as the city children provided, we give them the opportunities. Our children have excelled in the field of acting, singing and athletics, they have made a mark. Today quite a many young men are serving in the Indian army. Our village children are venturing into kAS and IAS exams. My wish is that many more make use of these facilities and opportunities provided to them and contribute to the welfare of the people in the periphery. Jesuits who have excelled in the field of education and social empowerment continue to reach out to many more villages and form children for a better tomorrow.