Poorvi Marg
Vasant Vihar
New Delhi 110057
At the request of the then the Archbishop of Delhi, Rt. Rev. Dr. Angelo Fernandez and the invitation given by the Archdiocese to the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in Shillong (Meghalaya), to start an English Medium School in the National Capital territory of New Delhi. The then Provincial of Shillong Province Rev. Sr. Catherine Mania fma, sent two sisters Sr. Mascrehnas Maria (provincial economer) and Sr. Louisa Miorelli to study the situation. Trusting in the Divine Providence the two valiant sisters came to New Delhi with zeal and vision.
On 2nd December, 1969 on the arrival of the two sisters, Rev. Fr. Ernesto Zanon sdb Rector of Don Bosco, Okhla, was at the station and gave them a warm welcome to the capital. He was the man who supported the sisters in all possible ways in this new and difficult mission. The two sisters initially stayed with the Sisters of the Destituteat Jehangirpuri, and then rented a house at A5 Kailash colony, New Delhi 48. sisters were able to procure a land measuring 2.5 acres at sector XII Rama Krishna Puram.
The School construction began on 2nd January, 1970. It was designed by Architect Mr. B.M. Sharma and constructed together with his close collaborators.
The Archbishop of Delhi Rt. Rev. Angelo Fernandez welcomed the Salesian Sisters in his Archdiocese with appreciation, aware of sisters capacity to cater for the welfare of children and young people and would contribute for the benefit of the diocese.
On 15th January, 1970 Sr. Cecilia Doyle arrived in Delhi to be in-charge of the nascent school. School begun with a single student of Class II, but before the end of the year the total number increased to 24. January 1971 admissions were done for the new scholastic year. Sisters were pleased to accommodate the children in the new class rooms, though construction work was still going on. The School Named Holy Child Auxilium progressed with the following classes 2 sections of Nursery, 1 each of KG, 1 II & III. Sisters too took shelter in the school building on 30th April, 1971 in spite of the bare necessities no proper habitable rooms, no running water, no electricity connections.
In July after the summer vacation more admission were taken in and the ecclesiastical authorities were delighted with the audacious step the sisters undertook in their promising mission.
In 1971 Mother Lydia Carini, one of the General councilors from Rome visited the community and approved up-gradation each year. She also recommended for the installing of a tabernacle where Blessed Sacrament can be kept in their tiny Chapel.
In April 1972, Rt. Rev. Archbishop Angelo Fernandez himself placed the Blessed Sacrament in the Tabernacle, for their worship and adoration. And, Mother Catherine Mania the Provincial sent a beautiful statue of the Madonna to the community, to remind them of Marys presence in their midst.
In 1973 Sr. Catherine Susngi arrived as the Headmistress of the School and Sr. Linda Horne left for Assam. Number of students went on increasing each year, and the Directorate of Education raised objection saying that, the land was not sufficient to have a High School, according to the norm for the Recognition of the School. Hence it was necessary for the sisters to search for another suitable of land.
In 1976 the first application for the recognition was sent to the Directorate. Gradually after fulfilling all the essential requirements, the Directorate of Education granted the Recognition for one year.
While things were just getting into shape, Mrs. Indira Gandhi then the Prime Minister declared emergency in the state in 1974 and Sisters have to vacate from the school building and look out for a night shelter in a rented house. Thereafter the sisters did not have a permanent place. They were compelled to shift from one rented house to another, at C5/1 Vaant Vihar and Anand Niketan and every morning walk up to the school. The weather was not favourable any time of the year, since Delhi has an extreme climate.
In 1979 with great deal of difficulties, the sisters succeeded in acquiring a suitable plot of land measuring 2.5 acres at A 9 Poorvi Marg, Vasant Vihar not far from RK.Puram. On 30th October the foundation stone was blessed and laid and, school and residence were simultaneously built.
At that time Province did not have a qualified sister to be the Principal of the school; hence Sr. Maria Selvam and Sr. Mary Vaz from Madras Province stayed in Delhi and helped us, until Sr. Teresa Puthenpurackal joined as the Principal in 1979.
The Sisters resided day and night at Vasant Vihar, though the building was still under construction and others sisters continued to spent the nights in the rented house. Meanwhile Primary and Pre-Primary were shifted to Vasant Vihar, but Nursery continued to be at R.K. Puram till new construction was completed in 1984.
On 12th December 1981 His grace, Rt. Rev. Angelo Fernandez blessed the sisters residence. At that time community consisted of nine sisters. Six of them who resided at Vasant Vihar and the other three Sisters went to and fro daily from Vasant Vihar to R.K. Puram where the Secondary High School was.
In 1985 Sr. Marie Vazhappilly - Provincial and her council decided to erect a new community at R.K.Puram for the convenience of the sisters. The MCD approved and sanctioned to re-buy a tiny plot from the school property after creating a lot of legal problems. The new residence was canonically erected on 15th August 1985 vide plot No.558/85. His grace Rt. Rev. Angelo Fernandez blessed it. The first animator of the community was late Sr. Mary George T.
In December 1989 in order to avail better facilities and for the utilization of auditorium, Class VI XII were shifted to Vasant Vihar and Nursery - Class Nursery -V to R.K.Puram.
Now both the schools are well equipped and functioning well with over 3, 000 recipients by Gods blessing and under the protection of Mary Help of Christians. We praise and thank the Lord for the pioneers of this mission and ask the Lord to grant eternal bliss to all those who have already returned to their heavenly abode.
Due to the growing number of children from the streets in Auxilium Snehalaya Palam Gaon, it was a felt need to procure a piece of land for the extension of the centre. Sr. Teresa Adampakallel and Sr. Philomena Chirammal went from place to place to find a piece of land. Often times they were rebuffed saying this is the work of the government and need not spend time unnecessarily.
At last Fr. P. P. George from SPCI invited us to go to see a plot at Mitraon village Najafgarh. Sr. Teresa A. and Sr. Philomena C. along with Fr. P. P. George, Fr. P. D. Mathew SJ ( Lawyer ) and Mr. Mahinder the collaborate lawyer of ISI went to meet the concerned persons to consult about the land in question for the purpose of buying it for the extension of the social work of Palamgaon.
2nd May 2003, sisters went to meet the lawyer Mr. Ashok Gupta at his office in Janakpuri in order to consult about the documents of the farm at Najafgarh. In the meantime Sr. Provincial Sr. Rose Kureekattu and Sr. Gemma Libralesso paid a visit to study the plot location and its mode of operation in favour of buying it. Later in the evening they had a meeting with Mr. Harjit Singh and his wife the owners of the land. The next day Sr. Rose Kureekattu and Sr. Gemma went to meet His grace, Archbishop Vincent Concessao to brief him about the proposal and he gave the permission to start the centre.