Thelpara Community, Pookottumpadam (1983 – )
Thelpara is a remote village in Malappuram District in Manathvady Diocese. The nearest city is Nilampur which is approximately fifteen kilometers from Thelpara village. The people of this area are of different religions such as Catholics, Muslims, Hindus, and Adivasis. Most of the people in Thelpara are migrants from other parts of Kerala and belong mainly to the middle class and lower middle class. Many of them are people who live below the poverty line and work as rubber tappers. Mar Jacob Thumkuzhi, then the Bishop of Mananthawady Diocese invited the Assumption Sisters to his Diocese for the pastoral, educational, and social apostolate. The sisters purchased a plot of land in Thelpara with the help of Fr. Sebastian Kuzhupil MSFS in 1983 and set up a house there. In the beginning, for a few years, the sisters lived in a small tenement house till they built a proper convent building.
The sisters made a contract with the MSFS fathers and took charge of the administration and the teachings in their school. The Initial days were hard with limited facilities and lack of transportation. Yet, they adjusted to the realities of the poor and were happy with their life and mission.
The Assumption Sisters continued the administration and animation of the school under the management of the MSFS fathers.
Besides, serving in the schools, the sisters of the Thelpara community have been fully immersed in pastoral activities of the local parish as well as social work, being part of Wayanad Social Service Society (WSS) of Manathvady Diocese. The sisters were committed to services such as health, hygiene, child care, kitchen garden, indigenous medicine, and community awareness programs, etc. One of the contributions of the social work done by Sr. Tessy was building a bridge with the help of a government scheme to replace a dangerous hanging bridge that was the only way of conveyance to commute to the other side of the river for the students and the people. The Socio-pastoral health ministry was done simultaneously with other individual apostolates by all the sisters.
The Thelpara Community takes care of the rubber plantation and the administration of the Province’s property.
On 22nd March 2014, ‘Assumption Public School’ was inaugurated with the permission of Mar Jose Porunnedom, the Bishop of Manathvady. The presence of the Superior General, Sr. Martine Tapsoba, and the General Council made the inauguration and blessing of the Assumption Public School in Thelpara
The sisters generously, graciously, and wholeheartedly served in educational, pastoral, social, and health ministries. The mission in Thelpara has grown in quality and quantity over the years, through the support and assistance of the Province besides many collaborators, friends and the dedicated service of the sisters.
