Canossian Sisters, Zaroli
At the request of the archbishop of Bombay the four Sisters arrived in Zaroli in 1943.This was an undeveloped tribal area with no facilities of travel, no substantial food etc. Sisters began a tailoring class and opened a dispensary here. . In 1950 this house was closed down as the sisters were needed to start mission work in Talasari a nearby area.
In 1959 Zaroli mission was reopened as Fr. Peter Gomes built a Convent and requested the Sister’s help. The four Canossian Sisters came with zeal, opened a boarding for Adivasi girls and a dispensary. People were cared for through pastoral visits to villages.
Through the years the boarding developed as the girls got education in the Parish high school and one Canossian Sister was the headmistress there. The all-round training received in the boarding made them shine as leaders, Coordinators, health workers in the villages.
A dispensary was built and the Sisters attended to numerous patients each day. The dispensary soon became a 10-bed hospital. The mobile clinic attended to people in the far off villages. This medical worked was carried out through trained health workers of the villages.
Socio-pastoral work kept growing as villagers were empowered by lessons in health, kitchen gardens, small savings etc.
Later advocacy work began through the Sister lawyers who empowered the women and fought for their rights. Sisters also helped in their spiritual growth preparing the Catholics for the sacraments, conducting retreats, seminars etc.
Through the years the Zaroli mission sown in tears, prayer and sweat has flourished the development visible through the good standard of living and growth in moral values and dedication to Church and Society.