Archdiocese to build homes for jubilee

July 26, 2011: A southern Indian archdiocese plans to build 75 houses for the homeless and set up a spirituality center to mark its platinum jubilee.

“We will focus the human resources development of the faithful,” Archbishop Maria Calist Soosa Pakiam of Trivandrum told ucanews.com yesterday. He also said the “synod has charted a 25-year road map for the archdiocese.

The Latin rite archdiocese “serves the most backward people who lack opportunities,” the prelate said.

There is another archdiocese with the same name but belongs to the Syro-Malankara Church. Both are based in the Kerala state capital of Thiruvananthapuram.

The Latin archdiocese on July 24 launched a year-long program to mark its 75 years.

The prelate said the archdiocese would also set up colleges for marine technology and nursing during the jubilee year.

“We have already started work on a football academy and a chapel commemorating the late Pope John Paul II’s visit to the city,” the archbishop said.

The archdiocese now has 244,000 Catholics living in 84 parishes and 33 missions.

– ucan