Brief History of Salawad (Suket) Mission
It
is interesting to k now that the mission Suket, began through the
adventure of Jhalrapatan, which was the Capital of the State of
Jhalawar. The Raja had some Christian in his service, which up to 1905
were visited by a priest from Nasirabad.
The
Raja having been to Europe and having a little knowledge of French,
receive the Missionaries well when they visited his capital. The Perfect
caumont visited the Raja on the 56th of April 1905, and
suggested to him the Establishment of a mission station in his capital,
to which the Raja ready agreed. So on 16th of July, 1905 Fr. Raphael
and Bro. Prudent after a difficult journey by train and bullock cart
arrived at their destitution. They were the guests of their Raja and
were put up in the “Dak-Bungalow’. This was their home, till the
bungalow for the father was built by the end of June, 1905. The
missionaries began exploring, but soon realized that there was not much
scope for any evangelization. In 1907, they started an English medium
school, but not with much success. In 1909, the Perfect visited the
Raja, and the Raja asked for female religious to educate the young
ladies, the daughter of the nobility. Eventuality three S.M.S. religious
came to Jhalarapatan on 28th December, 1909 to open a school
for the girls, but this venture too did not successes. Finally in 1912,
because of the persecution and non cooperation of the parent, the
school was closed down.
SUKET
The
death of the mission in Jhalarapatan meant the birth of the mission in
Suket. Msgr. Caumonty, though influential friends, was able to obtain
from the authorizes in Kota 561 Bigha of land near the village of
Salawad not far from Suket. The Perfect’s idea was that this station was
to take the overflow of Khurda which was getting too big. The perfect
being approved by the council on 11th of January 1913, the work was entrusted to Fr. Clodoald helped by Fr. Danial. On the 14th
of April, 1914, Fr. Clodoald together with a dozen heads of families
came to the new mission to settle. These families were to from the
buildings in Mikhelpura were ready the Father stayed in the bungalow at
Jhalarapatan.
On the 8th of December 1915, two S. M. A. sisters came to settle in the
mission. In 1917 the S. M. A. sisters set up small school for the girls
in the church compound which progressed very well. The superior mother
Anselm did not limit herself to the compound, but went visiting the
village in the jungles, distributing medicine and baptizing the dying.
The foundation stone for the church was blessed and placed on 14th December, 1914 and the church was complete and blessed on 27th
of December 1925. The same year the Catechists training school was also
shifted to Suket. In 1932 when Fr. Edgar took over as in charge,
assigned by Fr. Mowforth and Be. Philibert, he complete the hospital and
also began schools in village – one at Satelkheri and one at Richidia.
He strengthened the school at Pamakheri and restarted the apostolate
among the non-Christens.
After
the capuchin left in 1945, the Diocesan clergy continued serving the
community at Suket till 2002, when it was handed over to the Salesian of
Don Bosco, who are now catering to the needs of the community.
Kota
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