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Mission Home, Mariapuram

       Mission Home, Mariapuram, is the Mother House of Mariapuram; the Congregation of the Malabar Missionary Brothers was inaugurated on April 09, 1950. Mission Home is situated in the land donated by Chevalier Augustin Akkara of Ollur who was an industrialist and devotee of Blessed Sacrament.  When Monsignor ZacariasVazhappilly, founder of MMB, dedicated this land to Mother Mary and the Anchery became Mariapuram.  Together with the inauguration the formation house which was functioning at the Priest Home was shifted to Mission Home, Mariapuram.  The novitiate, the main formation of the religious, was also started at Mission Home as Fr. Martin Melakudiyil OFM Cap. as Novice Master.  No envisaged at Mariapuram.  The first batch novitiate formation was started on October 4, 1950 at St. Martin Novitiate house, a wing of Mission Home. The religious profession of the first batch was conducted on October 19, 1952, at Mission Home. Fr. Martin served at Mariapuram as Novice Master for 16 years.  For the last 74 years more than 200 novices completed their formation here and made their religious profession here.

       In the beginning Mission Home was functioning as a quasi parish. Sunday Catechism, the religious associations like Marian Sodality (CLC), Mission League, Society of St. Vincent De Paul have been started at Mariyapuram and afterwards Thirubala Sakyam, Altar boys, Bosco Club for the youth, Catholic Labour Association etc.  When the parish was erected all these activities were handed over to the parish.

       Mission Home was the centre of the activities of the Congregation for many years. Maryvijayam Magazine was started in 1950 and Union Press was started in 1952 and evening class in 1953.  St. Mary’s Art Studio was started in 1957, Nirmala Dispensary in 1963 and Nirmala Technical Institute in 1969.  Later evening class was transformed as L.P. School in 1979.  When the Provinces of the Congregation were formed, these institutes were shifted to the compound of St. Thomas Provincial House.  The Perpetual adoration of the Holy Eucharist began on February 11, 1959 and still remains as the power source of the Brothers. Every day twelve hours (05.15 am to 05.15 pm) adoration is conducted here and many devotees are participating in it.

From the beginning onwards Mission Home concentrated many social development activities like construction of houses, roads, toilets, mother and child health programs etc.  Besides this in order to give employment opportunities to the unemployed youth, different activities were started: diamond cutting centre, beady making centre, and tailoring centre for the women. As the social phenomena changes, many of these services are terminated.

       Now Mission Home functions as perpetual adoration centre, novitiate formation House and House for the retired and ailed Brothers. 35 Brothers have entered into their heavenly abode from 1981 onwards.  Their mortal remains are buried here at the cemetery of brothers here.  Currently Bro. Savio Olakkengil is serving as the Superior and Bro. Shaji Lukose Naramangalath as assistant superior. Bro. Paulose Arumbuparambil is the novice master and Bro. Yesudas Choonal is spending his retired life here. Bro. Antony Pettickal is serving here as a member and Rev. Fr. Jose Ainikkal is the spiritual father here.  Five novices from the Assisi Province, Bhopal    are here for their novitiate formation.