Photo Caption: The Minister for Finance, Planning, Food, and Public distribution Rameshwar Oraon (second from right) visits Archbishop House to thank the Catholic Church in Ranchi on Monday.
Ranchi: The Minister for Finance, Planning, Food, and Public distribution of the state of Jharkhand (eastern India), Rameshwar Oraon, made a surprise visit to the Archbishop House in Ranchi on Monday to thank Archbishop Felix Toppo and Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas for what he called the tremendous and wonderful humanitarian activity being done by the Catholic Church in the Ranchi District in COVID 19 Relief Work.
Calling on the two Church dignitaries, Rameshwar Oraon said the State Government was impressed and grateful to the Archbishop, Bishop, the Fathers, Sisters and the Catholic Community for its selfless and dedicated service to suffering humanity.
According to Fr. Sushil Toppo Secretary, Ranchi Archdiocese, the minister was accompanied by his son Rohit and Roshan Bhatia. The Catholic Church in Ranchi in close collaboration with Deputy Commissioner Rai Mahimapat Rai and the District Administration especially Smita Mutt has been proactively in the frontline of relief work during the COVID 19 crisis.
The Fathers and Sisters have opened 14 shelters each with a capacity for 200 migrant shelters in the schools run by the Church. The shelters are run by the Catholic Church fully at its own cost. The district authorities have described these centres as models for shelters because of the excellent way they are run and because they portray the merciful human face of service.
The Catholic Church has through its community kitchens in Ranchi alone has so far served more than 40,000 meals. Nearly 2,70,000 rations benefiting over 5,000 families have been distributed by the Church personnel in the poor areas of the city and 23 villages in the Namkum, Mandar, Angara, Bero, and Ranchi blocks.
In a gesture of appreciation, the Catholic Church in the name of citizens distributed 600 PPE (Primary Protective Equipment) kits containing reusable gloves, reusable masks, sanitizers and soaps to the frontline workers in the containment area of Hinpiri in Ranchi.
Beneficiaries included ambulance drivers, sweepers and police personnel. Such kits have also been distributed to 600 other police personnel serving on our roads and streets.
Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas informed the minister that serving the people selflessly and taking care of the poor is part of the Christian vocation. Archbishop Felix Toppo while thanking Rameshwar Oraon promised the Government’s full assistance of the Church.
The Archbishop congratulated and appreciated the Chief Minister Minister Rameshwar, the whole cabinet, and specially the Ranchi District Administration, the Block Development Officers and mukhiyas for their wonderful, courageous and dedicated service during this crisis.