Director's Message

As the director of Jhansi Catholic Sewa Samaj (JCSS), my frontline concern is to work towards the development and progress of people to bring rays of hope in their lives. Jhansi Catholic Sewa Samj’s area of operation is seven districts in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh (UP). The region is large and far-flung. It covers a geographical area of around 29,000 sq km. Most districts of Bundelkhand are considered backward and underdeveloped faced with problems like drinking water, food shortage, deforestation, dacoit-gangs and corruptions in political and civil administrations.

My task is challenging as this area is infested with diverse problems that affect the lives of ordinary people. Martin Luther King, Jr. encourages me to carry on amidst the encircling glooms for he has said: “Never, be afraid to do what’s right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society’s punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.”

Thirty two years ago, the former bishop Frederick D’Souza of happy memory saw to it that the time is always right to do what is right and founded this NGO. Many directors followed his inspiration to implement and carry on social actions for humanitarian concerns in many and varied forms. The present bishop Peter Parapullil is a guiding light to the little steps every time JCSS takes. The social action programmes of JCSS carry on and on undauntedly even to the remotest villages with the help of generous funding agencies, committed staff, volunteers and well-wishers.

I regard my task as a social worker a highly rewarding career that I have received God’s call to make a difference in the lives of his people. Nonetheless, I do know that it is a challenging and sometimes a thankless job, but great men and women who have make history in social work empower me to plunge, never to look back, enable to forge me to look up and lift up the downtrodden. When struggles of this work cripple my feet, the Lord is there with his staff and crook. The words of Henry Ford enlighten my soul that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it."

Social work is the mirror of the Church and it has to be so in the minds and hearts of every Christian. Not only my work, but also our work is deeply rooted in the Catholic Social Teaching. Pope Francis follows it and right now he is the world's greatest social innovator. As I want to follow him who ardently follows the Lord……., I invite you to join me my brothers and sisters in this noble task here in the Catholic Diocese of Jhansi.

With grateful hearts and prayerful regards, I remain

Yours sincerely,

Johnson Francis