TRICHY, Tamil Nadu (Indian Catholic News) — Catholic bishops in Tamil Nadu are building houses for the very poor as “collective compassion and shared responsibility” towards the homeless and marginalised, ensuring dignity, safety, and stability for families long neglected by society.
The Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council’s* Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes has launched a 60‑house project for the homeless and marginalised. So far, 12 houses have been completed, while 48 more are underway, with each diocese in the state having three houses selected.
The initiative, supported by CHARIS Singapore, is rooted in the biblical mission “The Last, First!” (Mt. 20:16). The Commission, in official documents made available to Indian Catholic News, said the program seeks to uphold “the fundamental right to adequate housing and affirm human dignity among the marginalised.”
Families were identified through field visits and recommendations from diocesan SC/ST directors, village heads, and parish priests. Priority was given to “families living in socially neglected hamlets, widows, single mothers, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, and families in extreme poverty,” the report said.
Bishop Jeevanandam Amalanathan of Kumbakonam, Commission Chairperson and Capuchin Fr. Nithiya Sagayam, the commission’s State Secretary, signed the report.
“When you visit these communities, you see people who are segregated and cut off from the system. They have very limited access to services, so any assistance that reaches them becomes truly life-changing. These are communities that are often forgotten in development programs and rarely receive meaningful support,” Fr. Sagayam told Indian Catholic News.
“The most deserving people are often the ones who never come forward to ask for help because of their humiliating circumstances,” he said. “They suffer in silence and remain invisible to the wider society.”
‘The lost and the last’
The report lists 12 beneficiaries across dioceses including Chengalpet, Pondicherry and Cuddalore, Vellore, and Madras-Mylapore.
The Commission emphasized that “our beneficiaries were the forgotten ones—hidden in the shadows of extreme poverty and inhuman conditions. They did not know such help existed, nor did they ask anyone for it. We went in search of these genuine and blessed ones and chose them first.”
The impact of the scheme, according to the Commission, is intended to bring “physical safety, emotional stability, and social acceptance,” while serving as “a symbol of compassion, justice, and the Church’s commitment to uplifting the poor.”
Family assessments revealed that many beneficiaries are daily wage earners, widows, elderly persons, or parents caring for children with illness or disabilities. Their shelters were often “temporary, damaged, or unsafe,” leaving them vulnerable to rain, heat, and natural calamities.
Required documents included identity proof, land ownership papers, parish priest recommendations, and progress reports of house construction. The Commission noted that “each beneficiary that we carefully selected are from remote areas, without regular job, most of them do not have even the daily food for their sustenance.”
“When help reaches these families, it is not simply the construction of a house. It is a restoration of dignity, security and a sense that they have not been forgotten,” Father Sagayam told Indian Catholic News. “We believe the Gospel calls us to seek out the least, the lost and the last. That is why we chose these families first.”
Bishop Amalanathan, in his signed report, expressed gratitude: “We humbly thank everyone who contributed in different ways—through financial assistance, planning, supervision, prayers, and moral support.”
*The Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council is a regional Episcopal body enabling Latin and Oriental Catholic bishops to share ideas, deliberate on broad concerns, and address pastoral needs of the faithful. It comprises 18 Latin dioceses and four Eastern-rite dioceses, with 21 active bishops and eight retired members, assisting them especially in pastoral care and proclamation.
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