PUNGANUR

HISTORY

In the year of Don Bosco’s death centenary, the Pungannur mission was started on the first of October 1988, by Fr. Chinnappa Thomas. Rt. Rev. Dr. S.A. Arulaiah, Bishop of Cuddapah bifurcated Punganur from Madanapalle parish. In the beginning there were six Mandalas. He canonically erected the Punganur parish with Don Bosco as patron.

When the Salesians took up the parish the Catholics were scattered in three centres, namely, Punganur, Marlapalle, and Sivadi. They claim their ancestry to the first conversions of Andhra Pradesh which took place in 1703.

In the five-acre plot bought and given by the bishop at Marlapalle, Don Bosco Navajeevan, the mission centre was established. The parish offices, residence for salesians, a hostel for 50 boys have been put up there. Besides, the boarding home for the catholic boys of the mission, evening tuition centre for school children, Balawadi for pre school children and the Sunday oratory, were started here. In June 1992, the Telugu medium high school was started with VI class students. Though several attempts were made for direct evangelization, so far we are successful only at one place, namely, Chintalapalle, 5 km away from Don Bosco Navajeevan.

SCOPE

The scope of this Punganur mission is evangelization, namely, to evangelize by educating and to educate by evangelizing.
To achieve this we need to proclaim Christ whenever and wherever possible. Promotion of vocations is an integral part of the mission’s scope.
For the integral formation and human development, there is an English Medium School, tuition centres, youth centre and BSK Community Programme for the social uplift of the poor. A boarding house for 50 boys is envisaged.