Karunalaya

Address

Karunalaya,
Gokarn – 581 326,
North Kanara,

Telephone: (08386) 256187,
Hospital – 257688.

No of Religious : 4

Services

The community of Karunalaya was started on June 6, 1978 at Gokarn in the parish of Our Lady of the Sea. The mission assigned to the sisters was parish ministry, faith formation, visits to families, health ministry, social work specially geared towards the poor young girls of the surrounding villages, to train them in home science and for self employment through small scale industry.

The Grihini School, mainly for drop outs prepared the girls for their future role as mothers and also gave them skills in rearing poultry, rabbits, gardening, that they could use as income generating projects along with their role as home makers. The number of girls attending it however lessened gradually as the need for education and domestic work increased.

The dispensary with Sr. Loreta, a qualified doctor and later assisted by a lay doctor was the need of the hour for all the neighbouring villagers, who until then had to go to Ankola for treatment. Having six beds, the doctors conducted deliveries with follow-ups for pregnant women. Many people have experienced the compassion and the healing touch of Christ through the FSM.
Under the able guidance of Sr. Anthonia, the first animator, the enthusiastic group of five sisters lived poor among the poor and reached out to those who were in need.

Thus, Karunalaya became a people’s home, an abode of Love and Karune- mercy. Several sisters have given their services generously thus building the people in various ways. Each one strives to be faithful to the charism and mission of the congregation.

In 1986, the aspirantate was shifted from Mangalore to Gokarn. This gave a spiritual boost and a youthful presence all around especially at the Parish. It is an opportunity for the young aspirants to grow in love and freedom at their own pace, in an atmosphere close to beautiful mother nature and in the vicinity of the poor. In 2009, we shifted our postulancy to Gokarn and the aspirantate to Assisi Nilaya.