Preparing to build a jungle church

Villagers help Fr. Baskhar prepare his schoolhouse-church 
and grounds, at Infant Jesus Mission in Kothakota.

After fellow priests helped Fr. Varghese Kalapurakudy settle at his new mission in Kakinada, India, the crew turned to help Fr. S. Baskhar at his jungle mission. First, visiting priests and faithful cleaned Fr. Baskhar's rented house, mission grounds and the school used for a church at Infant Jesus Mission in Kothakota. They concelebrated a welcoming Mass attended by villagers scattered across a wide area. In mid-July, Frs. Varghese, Sridhar and other priests returned to again help clean Fr. Baskhar's compound, preparing to welcome their archbishop and fellow priests traveling in from across the Archdiocese of Visakhapatnam. The event? A special Mass declaring the official decree to erect a church in Kothakota.

A local Hindu man paces around a Neem tree
 at the site of an ancient Hindu temple across
from Fr. Baskhar's little rented house. 

Rain made everything soggy. To find a network connection
to send these photos, Fr. Varghese climbed atop
a mission roof.

New paint freshens the schoolhouse-church.

A workday starts with Mass and prayer.

Every mission starts with humble beginnings.