Social Ministry
“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy” – Proverbs 31: 8-9.
The world in which we live today is marked by disparities and dichotomies. It is feared that the increased levels of poverty, hunger and unemployment due to the global crisis will continue to affect billions of people for years to come. The disconnect between economic policies and their social consequences can create a vicious circle of slow growth and poor social progress. Growing inequalities, technological innovation, climate change, urbanization, international migration, wage inequality, displaced workers, and urbanization offers unmatched opportunities, yet cities find abject poverty and opulent wealth in close proximity, making gaping and increasing levels of inequality even more glaring.
It is a confronting reality that even in the present day, men, women, and children all over the world remain victims of modern slavery. and cars among many other products. India is facing some serious social problems like environment degradation/climate change, deforestation, population explosion, illiteracy/poor educational standards, gender violence/discrimination, communalism and communal violence, human trafficking/modern slavery, child abuse, child labour increase of crimes/resilience to crimes, Terrorism, drug abuse so on so forth.
Capturing the original spirit of our Founder, the first four and our early sisters, we are called to move to the peripheries and get involved in the frontier ministries. Our Founder and pioneering sisters, moved to the people on the margins. The Founder was obsessed with the evangelical urge’ to preach the gospel to the poor’. Fr. Raymond’s passion for Incarnation and compassion for the distressed inspires us to serve the poorest of the poor and keep alive his mission in the years to come. Hundreds of our sisters and their collaborators, unseen and unknown are touching the lives of thousands of people in deep interior villages of India, in all provinces and delegations. Be it in the thick jungles or steep hills in the villages, sisters have well integrated all ministries for the holistic development of the poor.
Bethany Sisters courageously reach out the unreachable, at times with great risk involved, share fullness of life with all, especially the poor, the migrants and the marginalized left out by the systems. Self-employment schemes, women’s groups and self-help clusters, legal and human rights education, grihini schools, family education, rights of the domestic workers and migrants, shelter homes, peace initiatives, gender equity, education and rehabilitation of child labourers, bonded labourers, agriculture, and water harvesting are some of the activities sisters take, bring the people in the margins to the mainstream. Bethany during the XVI General Chapter and V Province Chapter took up frontier ministry as the focus especially to work for vulnerable migrants. The present crisis knocks at our doors for action, as we ourselves are afraid to go out fearing the worse.
