Background and Beginning

R. C. MISSION DOREA (TAMAR)

Background and Beginning: Dorea Mission Station is located along the Ranchi-Jamshedpur National Highway 33 around 55 Kms away from the district headquarters Ranchi. When the Ranchi Jesuits were keen on beginning work in Dorea, in one of the visitations of Fr. Provincial in 2006, it was revealed that the poor people in Dorea were the adivasis (tribals) among the Mahtos (Other Backward Classes) and only a few Catholics around who settled here for Government jobs. The Jesuits of Ranchi Province decided to minister to the needs of this community. With a view of overall development of the people, and in particular to bring about new vigour in the fields of education, socio-cultural and pastoral activities in and around the areas of Dorea (Tamar), Diocese of Khunti entrusted Dorea (Tamar) Mission to the Society of Jesus, Ranchi Province on Pentecost Sunday, 4^th June 2006 with its assets – landed property, agricultural fields, school and its playground etc…for a period of 20 years with the possibility of its extension. There are presently 206 Catholics in 41 families.

In fact, it is one of the oldest apostolic initiatives of Ranchi Province. In the early 1950s the Dorea Mission took form under the aegis of Fr. Zacharias Kandulna from Sarwada Parish. He regularly visited the place to persuade a piece of land to begin a school and to assume the responsibility for this area. After much persuasion, a piece of land about 7.25 acres was acquired from Tamar Raja Sri Amrendranath Sahdeo in 1954. Here, Dorea Mission completes 60 glorious diamond years!

Today it is a complex of institutions which includes a High School, a Primary School and a Parish.

Schools: R. C. Primary School and St. John’s High School, with a variety of co-curricular activities spread throughout the year, today, have become well known in the locality.

R. C. Primary School, which was started as a Ratri Pathshala – Night School – in 1956, gave birth to St. John’s High School in April 2007. It was so due to increase in demand and the growing need of the local children. The present strength of the school is 1451. The founder Headmaster was Fr. Abraham Minj, SJ. He happily shouldered this additional responsibility besides being the Headmaster of R. C. Primary School. Fr. Ashok Kumar Sandil, SJ took over the reins of the St. John’s High School in June 2014. Now the School is affiliated to Jharkhand Academic Council, Ranchi. The Headmaster and staff are striving hard to make the School a premier school in the locality. The strength of the school is shooting up at an accelerating speed every year (2006 : 161, 2007 : 269, 2008 : 508, 2009 : 675, 2010 : 960, 2011 : 1134, 2012 : 1272, 2013 : 1384, 2014 : 1451). Recently the Ranchi Jesuit Society sanctioned fund for a new school building in the campus keeping in mind the growing need of the people and place. The bhumi pujan was done by Fr. Joseph Marianus Kujur (Provincial) in the presence of Fr. George Kerketta (Project Director), Fr. Ashok Kumar Sandil (P.P. Cum Headmaster H/S), Fr. Abraham Minj (Headmaster P/S) and the staff on 6^th February 2015. The foundation stone of the building was blessed by Fr. Ashok Kumar Sandil (P.P. Cum Headmaster H/S) in the presence of Fr. Abraham Minj (Headmaster P/S) and the staff on Ash Wednesday, 18^th February 2015. Finally, the new building was inaugurated by Fr. Joseph Marianus Kujur, SJ (Provincial) and was blessed by His Lordship Binay Kandulna, Bishop of Khunti on 23^rd January 2016.

In the recent past, we have launched two Coaching Centers having special teaching programs for the Matric fail students of the locality and for the underprivileged children of primary school. These centers give a second chance to school dropouts and those who failed the Matriculation examinations. These are concrete expressions of the Society’s concern for the poor and weaker sections of society, so that some of them can be absorbed into technical institutions and colleges for higher education.

Parish: St. Ignatius’ Catholic Church is a flourishing and active Jesuit parish of about 41 families. It enjoys active lay collaboration. It still witnesses the spread of Gospel and coming of the Kingdom of God gradually through adult baptism and family conversion to Christianity every year. Praise the Lord! The Spirit of Lord is still active and creative in the vicinity.

Grateful to God for such phenomenal growth in these 10 years, the Jesuits of Dorea recall with gratitude the service and sacrifices of their diocesan counterparts and say thanks!

Written by,

Fr. Ashok Kumar Sandil, SJ