Fr George and the ashram for those who are abandoned in Kerala
A few days ago, the clergyman acted as "father" at the wedding of a Hindu girl he took in at his ashram when she was two years old. For almost 30 years, Fr Kannamplakal, a member of the Blessed Sacrament, has been opening the doors of the Divyahruday Ashram in Chennaipara to those left on their own. “I realised that if I focus on the goodness of each person, the Lord will give me everything,” he said.
Mumbai (AsiaNews) – Fr George Kannamplakal took on the role of "father" at a Hindu wedding a few days ago at the Mandamangalam Mahavishnu temple (Kerala) for the wedding of Haritha and Sivadas.
Instead of his usual cassock, the clergyman wore a shirt and a dhoti for Haritha, the girl he took care of as a daughter since she was two at the Divyahriday Ashram in Chenaipara.
At a Catholic primary school, Haritha met Sivadas, a boy from Ambazhakad who is now an accountant in the United Arab Emirates. Trained as a nurse, the new bride will now move with him to Dubai.
Their simple story embodies the sense of charity without barriers sown by the Divyahriday Ashram, the first of a network dedicated to children and young people in need called Akasaparavakal with branches across India.
Fr Kannamplakal belongs to the Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS), the same as the late Fr George Kuttikkal who founded the organisation. Mother Teresa inaugurated the house on 18 January 1994 during her last visit to Kerala.
"I took over the ashram’s management on 27 February 1996. At the time there were only 35 residents, including some children,” Fr Kannamplakal said.
“We take care of those who are abandoned and have no shelter anywhere. Our idea is that no child should end up in an orphanage,” he explained.
“Everyone should be able to grow up in a home with the love and affection of those around them. The experience of our ashram shows that if they receive a good education, then they are able to support themselves in any situation."
The Divyahriday Ashram in Chenaipara has grown in recent years and is now home to a hundred children, plus another 240 residents, including people suffering from diseases or even elderly in situations of need.
All this has been made possible thanks to the solidarity of many people. “I realised that if I focus on the goodness of each person, the Lord will give me everything,” Fr George explained.
“The world around me is made up of good people. It is not me but the Lord who made me the father of children and the brother of the abandoned and the destitute. I have nothing to claim as my own.”
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