NONGTHYMMAI

DIVINE SAVIOUR PARISH – NONGTHYMMAI

(Estd. 1976 – C 1992) INS 21

Nongthymmai, Shillong;

Meghalaya – 793014

BRIEF HISTORY

            The Salvatorian Missionaries, arrived in Shillong in 1890, began the first contacts with the villages in Nongthymmai area. With the arrival of Salesians in 1922 visits by the priests and the clerics became more often and baptisms began to be recorded. The small group of Catholics in and around Nongthymmai continued to be part of the Parish of Laitumkhrah. In 1971, Fr. Ephisius Usai, who was the Assistant Parish priest of Laitumkhrah, rented a plot of land in Nongshiliang and constructed a small school with two class rooms. Initially the rent of the land was paid by the Parish Priest of Laitumkhrah, Fr. George Vani.

            Later, Fr. Usai succeeded in procuring another plot of land in the locality for the church purpose. A parish house was built within a year and from 1974 Fr. Usai came to reside at Nongthymmai. In the year 1975 Fr. Ignatius Rubio started the construction of the new Parish church with the hall under it. Since Fr. Usai, the pioneer of the Parish was unable to tour the villages and run the Parish due to diabetics, Fr. Laarhius Herman came to help from Raliang in the year 1976.

            Fr. Herman tried to consolidate the works of his predecessors by bringing all the schools of the distant villages directly under the Parish supervision. In 1976, H. Elias memorial School was granted departmental permission by the Government of Meghalaya. In 1979, a new plot of land contiguous to H. Elias School was procured by the Province in view of further extension of the school. In 1982, a two-storey building was constructed both for the M.E. and High School sections of the school. In 1985, the High School was officially opened and Fr. Thomas Mattam was appointed as its first Headmaster.

            The appointment of Fr. Herman as the Parish Priest of Nongthymmai came in the year 1977. In 1978, the new church and hall were completed and it was blessed by Archbishop Hubert D’Rosario. In 1990, Fr. John Mathew Mundaplackal succeeded Fr. Herman as the Parish Priest and served till 1996. In the following years, Fr. Roy Anthony Parackal (1996-1998) and Fr. Francis Kottekarotte (1999-2004) served as Parish Priests and Rectors. Fr. Cyriac Kochupurackal rendered ministry in the Parish from 1994 till his death on 17^th June 2006. The Prayer group initiated by         Fr. Cyriac continues to nurture the spiritual life of the faithful. Fr. Herman Laarhuis, after his many years of service to the parish community, went to his eternal reward on 06^th June 2008.

In 1992, the Salesian presence at Nongthymmai was canonically recognized as a Salesian community

APOSTOLATE / MINISTRIES

STATISTICS OF THE PARISH

SCHOOL AT THE CENTRE

H Elias Memorial Hr sec school was established by late Fr Usai in order to offer education for the village children who otherwise would not get admission in the city schools. Hence it is a ‘rural school’ in the urban setting. It was established in memory of a great Salesian educator late Fr Hopewell Elias Sdb in 1972.

There are 51 staff members, of which 20 draw government salary, 7 draw ad hoc salary from the government and the others are paid by the school by accepting school fees. There are 585 students in the secondary and 148 in the Hr Secondary section of the school.

We have 248 students in the Morning section as well, reaching to the strength of 981 in all. 117 students have appeared for Matric Examinations and 87 students are appearing for Class XII Board examinations. The Board Examination results are generally within the 70% to 80% bracket. We have generally an intake of 150 students in the Hr Sec section both in Arts and Commerce streams. It is a co-ed school where majority of the students come from the village setting.

The school is also a popular place from budding football players. For the last two years the school has been representing Meghalaya in the Subroto Mukherjee International Football tournament at Delhi. I understand this is the only Don Bosco School in India to represent any state at Delhi in the past two years.

The Classes begin with the school assembly at 8.50, and ends by 3 pm. The Morning school begins at 6.30 am, and ends by 8.40 am. Apart from free text books, uniforms and free education, the school offers H Elias Memorial Scholarship for worthy students- students who are wanting to study but not able to pay fees. Catechism classes are taken by the teachers for all the students either in Khasi language or in English. Scouts and YCs movements are at the initial stages in the school. Since 2016, a salary scale is introduced for the teachers who are paid by the school. We hope to introduce EPF/CPF for them, this year. The school also runs a small bookstall to distribute text and copy books along with school uniforms. The boys boarding is being phased out as directed by the Provincial. With Don Bosco’s help we hope to continue to serve the needy students.

Village Schools     

Bosco Integrated Development Society – BIDS

BIDS is the Province Development Offices (PDO), created in 2012. It is registered under Meghalaya Societies Registration Act, with its head office in Nongthymmai. It reaches out to the poor and underdeveloped sections of the society in the States of Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and the Barak Valley of Assam. There are two Salesians working directly in it, with some 70 lay mission partners.

Activities and projects:

1. Family Counselling Centre,
2. Childline Shillong
3. Childline Nongpoh
4. Rilang Children’s Home in Nongthymmai,
5. Community Schools,
6. Children’s Clubs
7. Community Health Projects for children in Khliehriat region
8. Bosco Pomthyllai Youth Development Centre, Saphai,
9. Child Friendly Shillong
10. Government programmes like:
1. Solid and liquid waste management programme

b.     Social Audit and Public Hearing under MGNREGS

c.     Integrated Basin Development and Livelihood Promotion Programme

d.     Training on planning and monitoring and managing pipe water supply scheme and related programmes.

e.     Entrepreneurship Development Programme in Umsohlait.

Statistics as in 2017