A Wedding Story

INDIA, Fr. A. Jose Amaladoss •

September 9, 2021, was a notable day in the history of Sunrise Children’s village. It was on this day that Schoenstatt Fathers blessed the wedding of two young people, Amuthan and Saranya. There is a story that deserves to be told and shared. —

Saranya joined Sunrise Children’s village in 2008, when she lost both of her parents. She joined at the age of ten along with her sister and two brothers.

Sunrise village gave her a home with unconditional love and acceptance. She found a new life, as she was well taken care of by Schoenstatt Fathers and the people who work at Sunrise Children ‘s Village. She was given many opportunities to rediscover the lost childhood that was filled with sadness. Saranya unleashed her potential in all possible ways.

She completed college and holds an undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Education.

Longing to be baptized

Time unfolded, and one day she expressed her wish to be baptized. As Schoenstatt Fathers, we have accompanied her in all her various moments, empowered and enabled her to be independent in society. She is a teacher and is working in a school.

The first orphan from Sunrise Village to get married

Mr. Amuthan, one of her co-workers, was interested in marrying her. Thus, she found her life partner and started a new life with Mr. Amuthan.

It is possible that this story may not seem so remarkable for some readers. However, for the entire Sunrise Village community, it is a reason to thank God and our benefactors.

It is not easy to do well in life for the orphaned children in India, especially the girls. We are happy that Saranya has succeeded professionally, as well as privately, thanks to the support she has received. We are especially happy about her marriage, as she is the first of “our” orphans to get married, as we have become her surrogate family in a certain sense.

We wish them all the blessings of the Almighty.

What is Sunrise Children`s Village?

Sunrise village is a child development center. It is located in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu. It is unique in its own structure and pedagogical principles. The children’s village gives a home to orphaned and abandoned children. Every child should have the opportunity to experience love and affection.

Therefore, the children, boys, and girls, live here in the small houses as one family under the loving care of a “mother”. Each mother (often a widow) takes care of 8-10 children. The children have access to library, playground, and prayer hall.

We guide the orphans towards schooling (primary and secondary) because we passionately believe that education is a powerful weapon in the fight against poverty, and helps the children solve many problems in their lives. There are a total of thirty-six orphaned and neglected children being cared for at Sunrise Village.

These children have had a bitter, sad, and wounded childhood. They have lost their father or mother and ended up on the streets almost abandoned or they have been exposed to a critical and unhealthy situation within their family.

Edition: Lindsay Burger, Ohio, USA