History of the HouseVeeralur is a small village located at the west of the Thiruvannamalai District in Tamil Nadu, South India. It is one of the 150 Villages of the Kalasapakkam Union of Polur Taluk. This tiny village is located at the foot of the hills, which is known as “Paruvathamalai”. It is the border of the Kalasapakkam taluk and is surrounded by the hills. This is the last station for the bus transport, which operates between Polur and Veeralur and also between Thiruvannamalai (District head-quarters) and Veeralur.

Veeralur has been a Salesian parish since 1969 which was entrusted to a zealous Italian missionary, Rev.Fr. Venantius Villanova SDB, who was the first parish priest of St. Anthony’s church, Veeralur, after it was bifurcated from the Sacred Heart Church, Polur. He laboured for 18 years evangelizing the people and nurturing the Catholic faith thus creating over 15 Christian Communities in this area.

After his death, Fr. Solomon Kulandaisamy SDB took charge of the parish (1988-1993), introducing the social ministry while also building up the Christian communities in faith and social involvement. Fr. Augustine Nathan SDB who succeeded him in 1993 concentrated more on the spiritual welfare of the people and managed to get a hospital in memory of Fr. Villanova which was run by the Therecian Carmalites till 1999.

i. St. Antony’s Church:
Registered Catholic families: 136 (Veeralur) Total: 343
Nature of the parish population: Mostly lower class poor landless peasants and many have migrated to towns in search of livelihood. Their children are being educated in the schools and boardings. Those who are employed are settled outside the villages.
Total number of anbiams: 14.
Registered families in Sub-stations: Gengavaram (46), Kettavarampalayam
(40), Kattavaram (73), Siruvallur (17),
Elluparai (16), Melarani (13) and
Arunagirimangalam (2)

a. Regular Mass & Liturgical Services in the Parish:
Weekday Mass: 06.00 am daily & Tues. 06.30 pm
Mass in Anbiams: 07.00 pm twice a year.
Sundays: 06.45 am
Sub-station: Once in a week in all the substations
Chaplaincy for the Religious: once in a month
Total no. of Catechists 3
Contract with the diocese in perpetuity

b. Sunday Catechism
Sunday catechism classes are organized in the parish at 8.30 am.

c. Devotions in the Parish
24th MHC Devotion Held regularly
Sunday Benediction Held regularly
Friday Adoration Held regularly
Comm. of Don Bosco Held regularly
Confessions: Once a month
Devotion to St. Antony Every first Tuesdays with a procession
Special spiritual animations are conducted during Lenten season and VBS camps for the children during summer holidays.

ii. Social Ministry – VIA:
Women Empowerment programme
Self-Help Groups & Entrepreneur Training Programme
The women empowerment programme under the title “Vetri Pengal Munnetra Sangam” operates at Village Integral Animation (VIA) centre, Adamangalam. The organizing team consists of a Salesian, religious nuns (2) and 5 lay staff (1 male and 4 female)

Trainings: Tailoring
For the School dropouts we are conducting skill-based training in tailoring. There are nearly 35 students who are learning tailoring in VIA.
PEOPLE’S BANK
To invest the people’s money in people’s own banks, so as to retain the profit with the people themselves, we have made this innovative venture. This attempt has proved successful. Though the savings are not very large like, they are able to reach little more than a lakh.

iii. Health Care Ministry:

Nearly 55-60 people come to the Health centre and get medical help. Now we have also started a medical Lab for the people. A doctor visits the centre twice a week. Sr. Leo is the staff nurse from FSJ congregation. She is assisted by one lab technician and a staff nurse. Though we don’t get much income but the service is well appreciated by both catholic and non-Catholics in this area. We have also registered this health Centre in CHAI. (Catholic health association of India)

IV. EDUCATION Ministry
Don Bosco Children’s Village –Girls Home To cater to the needs of the sub-station children who are deprived of a catholic education the community has started a boarding for the catholic and other needy students of I –VIII standard. There are presently 12 girls in the boarding.

Evening study centres:
The organization of the night schools is well planned and executed. There are 15 night school centers in which there are 590 students are studying in these night schools.
Creche:
There are altogether 8 centres in the villages namely, Veeralur, Kanthapalayam, Gengavaram, Kettavarampalayam, Kattavaram, Adamangalam, Melarani and Elluparai which caters to 148 children.

Villanova Higher Education Scholarship Scheme

Good numbers of our children are moving from higher secondary education to further studies. There are nearly 57 students who are doing their higher education. In order to encourage Higher Education we have spent totally Rs.one lakh for those who do their Higher education.
Don Bosco Foundation (Educare)

SOCIAL AWARENESS & VILLAGE EXPOSURE CAMPS FOR RELIGIOUS AND COLLEGE STUDENTS.
Veeralur has been the finest spot for training the students and those in religious formation. Right from the time of Fr. Villanova this has been the launching pad for Social Awareness Camps. Many Religious Congregations have trained their young religious in this mission station. The experience they have gained here has helped them to opt for rural ministry joyfully. In the previous years students from Auxilium College, Loyola College and Voorhees college were here for village camp and experience. Last December five sisters from Coimbatore, belonging to FSJ congregation were here for village exposure camp. In the coming month the students from St.Bede’s school, Chennai will be here for an exposure camp.

24 students who are not part of any scholarship get DBF Scholarship this year. They are helped with Rs.1000 and Rs.1500 for the fees in the beginning of the year and Rs.500 as Christmas gift.

Don Bosco Matriculation school-Adamangalam This year we have started an English medium school for the children in this area. In order to give quality education to the children especially the poor children around, with the support of the province we have started this new school. At present we have LKG, UKG, I Std and VI std classes are functioning. There are 170 children in the school.

Fr. Edwin Vasanthan SDB took charge of the parish on 24th May 1999 and ensured that the parish was given to the Salesians in perpetuity. On 15th June 2001 the Franciscan sisters of St. Joseph took up the social and medical ministries with 4 Nuns manning the ministries. The social ministry was initiated on the same day at Adamanglam Pudur under the title Village Integral Animation. In 2006 this presence for the first time was canonically erected. And the work for upliftment of the poor, the education of the children etc., is carried on with greater vigour by the
present team.