Sponsor a Child

To All of Our Beloved Sponsors:

Here are the details about our program for sponsoring children in India, which we call “Adoption from a Distance.”  This program has been in existence for many years, at least since 1994, when our own Fr. Vincent Pennella, O. de M., came from our Roman Province in Italy, of which our U.S.A. Vicariate is a part, to begin the formation work in our mission in India.  At that same time he established the adoption program which benefited (and still benefits) many of the poorer children of whom our sisters, the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy, are teaching and working with in India.  Also, some diocesan priests who are working close with us are sharing in this program to benefit the poorer children of whom they know.

Now that our formation program has born the fruit of having ordained Mercedarian priests who are beginning their work in India, we are excited about the first Mercedarian community apostolate that we have accepted, which is to look after the street children and those who have dropped out of school. They have been referred by others to this facility called “Jeevadhara”.

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The facility is in the Diocese of Kadapa, in the state of Andhra Pradesh, west of Kerala. The pictures you see here are directly from this residential house and we are very happy to have this opportunity now to actually give donors in the U.S.A. the possibility to “adopt,” or sponsor some of these children.

The program at Jeevadhara is a “residential bridge” program fully initiated and built by the Diocese of Kadapa by the generous contribution of many donors, especially from Germany. The program is designed for children who were found wandering the streets and not going to school, or who simply dropped out, or were at risk of working in child labor (e.g., sweat shops or heavy labor to pay off family or dowry debt). This facility operates under the Diocese of Kadapa’s Social Service agency and we have been graciously invited and encouraged to take care of the children and administrative duties at Jeevadhara since 2005. The program consists of a one-year residency for the children to get up to date to their expected grade level. Thus, this opportunity to sponsor a child can be anywhere from a one-year commitment to a longer-term one in which the child is followed throughout the continuing years of education. There is always the understanding that the adoption of the child is closely linked to his or her education. Our friars personally tend to the needs of young boys while a community of sisters looks after the needs of young girls in a separate nearby facility.

Once the education is completed in the child’s life, your adoption is completed. And because of the great risk of trying to get direct foreign benefit, it is always better that the child not know directly your contact information.  So for this reason it is set up that you receive information about the program and a picture of the child through our U.S. Vicar, Fr. Richard Rasch, O. de M., who is the U.S.A. liaison for the entire program.

Your offering can be done monthly at the usual amount of $25 per month per child (as you see in similar sponsorship programs). Payments can be made through our secure online system below, or through the U.S. Postal Service. The online system is set up for automatic monthly payments made with your credit card. These contributions will end after twelve payments, unless you renew your sponsorship. Or, if you can afford it, you can make a yearly payment of $300. Compared to mailing your donations, this will save an awful lot of hassle not only for us, but for you since you will save on the extra postage and the time spent sending a payment every month.  Whatever way is most convenient for you.

For the U.S. mail, simply fill out the printable order form and make out your check to “Adoption from a Distance,” and send it to the address in Cleveland, OH on the form.

For annual contributions you’ll be all set for one year of sponsorship and can consider renewal at any time after the year finishes.

Our Order, working in collaboration with the Diocese of Kadapa, also just recently accepted the duty of ministry in the Diocese to the incarcerated, and we also initiated a program, completely independent of the Jeevadhara program, where the children of the inmates are also adopted or sponsored to insure their educational life needs are met. Thus, this is an option in the Sponsor a Child program and I would be most happy to furnish the important details needed at any time through my personal email (see below). Please simply put “Sponsor an inmate’s child” in the subject line and I will be able to get all the details to you promptly.

We have five friars presently working in Jeevadhara (in 2010), along with a regent brother.  The picture shows the members of the community in 2006 along with some others who were there at the time.  My personal work over the past 13 yrs years (1997-2010) has been for the most part formation work as a Novice Master at our motherhouse (Monastery) in the Cochin Diocese, or more recently teaching phonics to postulants at the St. Peter Nolasco Study House in Elanthikara, an hour and a half from Cochin.

My personal e-mail address is frkenbreen@yahoo.com.

May our gracious and loving Lord and his Immaculate Mother Mary, Our Lady of Mercy, richly and abundantly bless you now and all the days of your lives.

In Jesus and Our Lady of Mercy,

Fr. Ken Breen, O. de M.

Sponsor a Child — $25/month

General Donation

To mail your donation via the U.S. Postal Service, please click on the printable Order Form and follow directions.

Your donations are tax deductible. Thank you.