Lubhu

Beginnings

We had been looking for land in Lubhu to start a branch of Mary Ward School there. After much trouble, land was purchased in bits and pieces from different people until we had obtained the total area required. A wall was built all around which was blessed by Fr. Cachat on 4th February 1996 when the work began. Dr. Shriram Mathe was asked to make the plans for the buildings. The buildings, School and convent at Lubhu, were finally completed and were blessed by Mgr. Sharma on 11th January 1997, followed by Mass in the chapel at 2 p.m. Mother General and Sr. Febronia also graced the occasion. The many friends and well-wishers present were served with refreshments after the Mass.

The new Mary Ward complex of School, health Centre, and Tailoring Centre at Lubhu was inaugurated on 22nd March by the Deputy Prime Minister, Bamdev Gautam, who promised to give us any help we would need.

The German-Nepal Helping Association - Beilngries deserves a special word of thanks for the van they donated to Lubhu and several other donations received through the efforts of Mr. Karl Rebele.

Mary Ward Mission in Lubhu was established in 1997 as an extended social service of St Mary’s School, Jawalakhel. There was a pressing need to start a free High School for the poor and marginalized so that they could get a quality education. Mary Ward, Jhamsikhel was meant only for primary education. These students could also continue to study in this school.

Inauguration of Lubhu Mission: 1997

(Photo: Sr. Sabitha the first nurse in the health centre)

The Pioneers: (Left to Right) Srs. Sabitha, Jyothi (animator) & Scholastica along with Sr. Regina, the then superior of St. Mary’s Kathmandu

Pastoral Ministry

Our convent Chapel served as a Quasi Parish for about 18 years. All the Parish activities connected to the Parish were held in the premises of Mary Ward School, such as parish Mass on Saturdays, Catechism for children, and faith formation for women. We visit the Catholic families and pray the rosary with them in the months of May and October. When the number of Catholics increased, the parish was shifted to Don Bosco School. We carry on with the same activities in the parish.

Health Ministry

Health ministry was started in 1997 with a small clinic under the direction of Sr. Sabita, our nurse. In the year 2000, the community started to go to Lamatar, a hilly place, to distribute medicine to people. As the years went on, due to lack of personnel and easy availability of doctors in Lubhu, we discontinued the health ministry.

Sr. Cheryl CJ along with the patients

Social Action Ministry

Mary Ward Tailoring Centre

Social action ministry is an integral part of our mission here. We reach out to the poor and needy by visiting their families. We work for the women's empowerment, keeping in mind uplifting the dignity of women in society. There was a need expressed by the women of Lubhu to start a Tailoring Centre for them to support their families economically. So we started a tailoring Centre in 1997, and a good number of women get trained here every year. It was closed down in 2010 and restarted in 2019.

Adult Literacy

At the request of the people of Lubhu, we started an adult literacy programme in the same year of our arrival here. After a few years, we discontinued it in 2010 as there was no longer a need for it.

Hostel for Catholic Girls

There were some Catholics baptized by Fr. Stiller S.J. in a high mountainous area, Tipling, and the children, especially the girls, could not be educated because there was no high school there. So we started a boarding school for them in 2003, which was really a need of the place.

Education Ministry

The main purpose of starting a school was to educate the children of the economically poor in Lubhu and its surrounding villages. Though the medium of the school was Nepali when we started, it has now grown into a full-fledged English medium high school from class I to X. The school runs with the help of St. Mary’s Jawalakhel and associations like St Mary’s Alumnae (ASMAN) and a few generous individuals.

We conduct evening classes for the weak students as well as those whose home environment is not conducive for studies.

Keeping in mind our Vision and Mission, we have many programmes and activities for students, teachers, and parents. Through these programmes, we aim at creating confident women who can face various challenges of life. This will make them an honor to womanhood in order to fulfill the prophetic words of our Venerable Mother Mary Ward, who said that women in time to come will do great things.