This Centre is situated in the rural area of Shrirampur in of the diocese of Nashik, Maharashtra, and caters to a catholic population of over 1, 35,000 farmers and casual workers. The Centre started functioning in an old building with few basic amenities and equipment.

The objective is to train catechists and lay people in faith formation, value education and social awareness. It is hoped that those trained will become catalysts in the villages, working through primary centres, schools, colleges, to bring about religious and social transformation through action. Presently, vacation programmes are being worked out to equip children with skills outside the classroom and training drop-outs from schools in audio-visuals and maintenance of equipment. The medium of communication is Marathi. The Centre takes the programmes to the interior villages with the help of a mobile unit.

The programmes conducted are: Audio-Visual communication skills with repair and maintenance of equipment; Production of cassettes of social and religious awareness themes; Slide programmes in photography and videography to handle cameras and commentary; Recording bhajans, kirtans, balwadi songs; Street plays and folklore, retreats/seminars for students and lay people; Training school drop-outs, social awareness programmes for women; Outreach programmes on AIDS, Child Labour.

NIROPYA

The availability of catholic literature in Marathi at the mission stations was meager. All one could find was some catechism books, Bible stories and prayer books.

Bishop Doering felt that a a monthly publication would help bridge the knowledge gap. It could include the authentic catechism, Church history, notes from Sunday sermons, news from the Catholic world and so on.

Niropya was born in April 1903. Initially it was printed at the Examiner Press in Bombay. During World War I publication was stopped because of censoring. Niropya began publication again in 1928. Only 400 copies were printed but readership was much higher. So was listenership. The publication was read out and eagerly listened to by illiterates.

Today it is published from Snehasadan, Pune and Fr. Prakash Bhalerao is the Editor.