Selfless service for the growth of humanity sometimes goes unnoticed until you get an opportunity to pay a visit to those remote areas and get first hand information about the place, its people and their way of living.  

Deshnur, a remote village, 27 km away from Belgaum, has a population of 11,000, which includes Hindus, Muslims and Catholics. Realizing the need to cater to the spiritual needs of the poor people there, a Goan missionary, Fr Armand Alvares, belonging to the Society of Jesus (S.J) stepped in this mission area 22 years ago.

Born in South Africa and hailing from Aldona, this missionary adopted the name Swami Animananda and decided to meet the spiritual needs of the poor people. During his service in this remote area, he acquired 10 acres of land from freedom fighter Kitur Chennama from Karnataka.

When Swami Amalananda S.J. (Fr Anthony Mathaise from Udupi) took over the reins, he constructed the first church, in the shape of a temple and it was dedicated to St John the Baptist. During his 45 years of service to the people of Deshnur, Swami Arulanand S.J. (Fr Sebastian Nazareth from Assagao) joined him.

Today, Fr Menino Gonsalves from Honowar, Karwar, is carrying forward the mission of his predecessors with a smile on his face. He has been there for the past 10 years and his dedicated services is visible and transparent through immense contribution in the church, school, dispensary and social work through the self-help groups.  

"There are merely 19 Catholics in this mission area," informs Fr Gonsalves, "with majority being Hindus and Muslims. Other than conversions, the aim of the Jesuit priests is to help the poor people come up in life." "Most of the people are farmers and they are involved in cultivation of jowar and wheat. Some of the men take up the job of coolies in Belgaum as they are better paid off," he adds.

Due to free education provided to the youth of this village, many have found employment either in the military or in the field of nursing. "Around 62 boys have been enrolled in the Army and after matriculation many girls have joined nursing community college in Belgaum," discloses Fr Gonsalves.

Wednesday and Sunday, these two days of the week are hectic for Fr Gonsalves as prayer services are conducted in the church from 7.a.m. to 8 a.m. and thousands of people, irrespective of religion, flock to the sacred place for union with God and peace of mind, besides taking treatment for various illnesses at the dispensary.

Despite financial constraints, the missionary zeal and enthusiasm to work for his flock has never deterred Fr Gonsalves and he runs a school which caters to the intellectual needs of around 375 students from class I-VII. "Timely help comes in from relatives of children studying in the school in the form of jowar, rice and wheat. On festive occasions, my teaching staff are my benefactors and they contribute among themselves and prepare food for the guests," the Jesuit priest informs.

Fr Gonsalves, who is also the secretary for Inter-religious Dialogue for the diocese of Belgaum, also runs a boarding for the orphans, wherein 21 boys studying in school and college are sheltered and cared for. His motto is 'India is a country in which every great religion finds a h'om'e. "I belong to no religion," he proudly says, "My religion is love and every heart is my temple."