Deutsche Ausgabe
English edition

The Helpers of Mary -- Live for Love

Help for Andheri Andheri -- a town in the city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), a city with approximately 16 million inhabitants. In 1931 Sister Priscilla Lehmkuhl from Duelmen arrived in Andheri, followed in 1932 by Sister Anna Huberta Roggendorf from Mechernich in the Eifel. Their destination in Andheri was St. Catherine's children's home, run by the religious order "The Daughters of the Holy Cross". From a very small beginning, St. Catherine's grew rapidly to become, in those days, a unique children's home, which took in orphaned children regardless of their creed or caste. Andheri -- The mother house of the "Society of the Helpers of Mary", also called "Marys", is here. St. Catherine's Home is, so to say, the birthplace of the order. Eight young girls, who had already actively helped in the children's home, asked Sister Anna Huberta for permission to dedicate their lives entirely to the service of the poor. Sister Anna Huberta gave her permission and in 1942 this order of Indian sisters was founded. Presently more than 300 Marys work in 60 different centres; in Mumbai's slums, in poor rural villages, in centres caring for Leprosy and AIDS patients and in many places throughout India, where extreme situations have caused terrible suffering and need, for example in Gujarat, following the severe earthquake in January 2001. In recent years, centres for social, pastoral, & medical work have also been opened in Sakko and in Konchi in Ethiopia.

How do the Marys help?

Here the Marys help the people to help themselves; they teach both children and adults to read and to write, organise tailoring and typing classes and programmes to teach mothers hygiene and childcare. They also give legal advice, set up solidarity groups, etc. By starting up women's groups, they help women, who are usually in a disadvantaged position, to improve their situation. The Marys take care of more than 2.000 children in several different homes, including children whose parents are ill with leprosy. They now have special homes for children who are suffering from AIDS and a hospice for adult female AIDS patients. The sisters run dispensaries and small natal clinics, distribute medication, treat patients suffering from leprosy and look after elderly and terminally ill patients in their Ashrams.

How can you help?

Further Information:

If you would like to receive further information, please write directly to one of the groups mentioned below or send an e-mail to info@andheri.de. We look forward to receiving your questions, your suggestions and your criticism!

Arbeitsgruppe Vapi/Dappada der kath. Gemeinde St. Birgitta Cliodna Schnuettgen Beethovenstr. 5 27721 Ritterhude GERMANY Phone: +49-4292-9420 Fax:     +49-4292-9420 eMail: hcschnuettgen@googlemail.com	Verein zur Unterstützung der hungernden, verlassenen und kranken Kinder Indiens e.V. Striehlstr. 18 c 30159 Hannover GERMANY Anne Borchard-Linnenbrink (Chairwoman) Phone/Fax: +49-511-816887 Maria Wackernagel-Pulst (Vice Chairwoman) Phone: +49-511-5295025 eMail: info@andheri-hannover.de
Andheri-Helferkreis e.V. Helene Hohlmann Nienhausenstr. 7 45326 Essen GERMANY Phone: +49-201-323675	Andheri - Kinder- und Leprahilfe e.V. Duelmen Bernd Schmitz Koppelbusch 39 48249 Duelmen GERMANY Phone: +49-2594-82728 eMail: duelmen@andheri.de
Indienhilfe Verein zur Unterstuetzung und Foerderung notleidender Kinder e.V. Doris und Paul Hettlich Roemerstraße 90 50996 Koeln GERMANY Phone: +49-221-351513 Fax:     +49-221-352867 eMail: indienhilfe@netcologne.de	Indienhilfe Siegburg - Prem Sadan e.V. Hermann Morgenstern Kronprinzenstr. 29 53721 Siegburg GERMANY Phone: +49-2241-971928 Fax:     +49-2241-971928 eMail: debuyser.warning@t-online.de
Bartholomaeus-Gesellschaft e.V. Berlin Dr. Ernst Pulsfort Novalisstr. 8 10115 Berlin GERMANY Phone: +49-30-3917570 Fax:     +49-30-70712756 eMail: kontakt@laurentius-berlin.de	Andheri-Freundeskreis e.V. Rheinau Nicole Schmidt Langestraengstraße 7 77866 Rheinau Freistett GERMANY Phone: +49-7844-869 eMail: nicole.schmidt@andheri-freundeskreis.de
Indienhilfe Wasser ist Leben e.V. Gerda Geretschlaeger Steinmatten 36 79194 Gundelfingen GERMANY Phone: +49-761-52406 eMail: gerda.geretschlaeger@gmx.de	Hilfsaktion Andheri Kolpingfamilie Rheinfelden Hans Martin Loerrachstr. 38 79618 Rheinfelden GERMANY Phone: +49-7623-4574
LIFT –- Zukunft für indische Mädchen e.V. Florian Berghausen Dr. Gabriele Venzky Schulterblatt 12 20357 Hamburg GERMANY Phone: +49-40-8802164 eMail: info {ett} liftindien [punkt] de

All the above named groups have the same objective, that is: to support the Marys in their daily work for poor and needy people in India. In order to help more effectively, the groups co-operate closely in many fields.

Last modification: MAy 10th, 2012