In 1992, the Calcutta Jesuits decided to establish a mission in Gurap, located in Hooghly District, West Bengal. In 1993, Fr. Eric Tigga, SJ was appointed as the mission-in-charge. With relentless dedication, he acquired 2.8 acres of land amidst potato fields, approximately 3 kilometers from the Gurap Railway Station, and set up his tent there.
He began by gathering a handful of Santal people from the surrounding areas. Together, they cultivated potatoes, rice, and vegetables on a small scale, which helped sustain the fledgling community. Gradually, Fr. Eric introduced them to Catechism and basic education. He visited nearby Santal villages, shared the message of Christ, and steadily increased the number of Catholic believers.
With growing trust among the people, he began celebrating Sunday Masses, and the mission was named Maria Sneha Sadan (Mary’s Loving Abode). Over time, he started accommodating a few Santal children in the mission, who attended a nearby government school for primary education.
In 1996, under Fr. Aeldred Gomes, SJ, then Provincial of the Calcutta Jesuit Province, a three-storied hostel building was constructed. In 1998, the mission formally opened a Primary Bengali Medium Boarding School with 60 Santal children (boys and girls) aged 4 to 12. By this time, Gurap Mission was recognized as a Quasi Parish under the Archdiocese of Calcutta, and regular Sunday Masses in Santali began to be held in the ground floor of the boarding facility.
In 2000, with help from donors, the mission built Kia Jharna, a three-storied Santal cultural centre to promote Santal heritage. The ground floor housed a multi-purpose hall for Mass, catechism classes, pastoral council meetings, and study sessions. The upper floors served as classrooms. During this first phase (1992–2017), many Jesuits contributed to the growth of the mission, including: Fr. Eric Tigga SJ, Fr. Salvator Murmu SJ, Fr. Dipak Gomes SJ, Fr. Aloysius Carvalho SJ, Fr. E. S. Joseph SJ, Fr. Vinay Kerketta SJ, Fr. Amulya K. SJ, Fr. Cyriac Sebastian SJ, Fr. Joseph Pullikkal, Fr. Mathew Jayant, Fr. Augustine D’Souza, and Fr. Jeyakumar SJ. We remain deeply grateful to them all.
The second phase of the Gurap Mission began in 2017, marked by significant growth and support. Key Jesuits who have served since then include: Fr. Vinay Kerketta, Fr. Maria Joseph Savariappan, Fr. James Vivekanandan SJ, Fr. Massillamani, Fr. Markus Hembram SJ, Fr. Jimmy Keepuram SJ, and Fr. Arullappan. Their leadership has been instrumental in expanding the mission's reach and impact.
In 2017, Fr. Jeyaraj Veluswami SJ, the Provincial at the time, granted permission to Fr. Maria Joseph Savariappan—who was completing his PhD in San Francisco, California—to raise funds for the mission. This marked a turning point, as the mission began to receive significant support from the Jesuit community in the United States.
It was by divine providence that Fr. Maria Joseph met Mr. Paul Venables, Mrs. Annette Venables, and other members of Random Acts of Catholics (RAOC). With the approval of Fr. Patrick Michaels, Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Mill Valley, California, stars with the first names of Gurap students were added to the church Advent tree and student scholarship donations were collected for the Gurap Mission.
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