The Social Ministry is a Ministry working under Good Shepherd Major Seminary, Kunnoth. The aim of the Ministry is to organize the charity works of the brothers in the seminary. The Ministry consists of the brothers of the philosophy section of the seminary. The Ministry is working under a Director who will be one of the faculty members of the seminary.At present, Rev.Fr. Dr. Abraham Nellickal ( Diocese of Mananthavady ) is the Director of the Ministry. The Ministry of the Seminary is headed by a President who is elected from the third year philosophers and a Secretary who is elected from the final year philosophers. At present Br Glen Punnackapadavil is the President and Br Diso Mattathy is the Secretary of the Ministry.
Logo of GSMS Social Ministry
The logo rests on the Gospel from which is the source of all the charitable initiatives of the Social Ministry group. The lamb with a halo has dual symbolism. It represents Christ as well as the poor as seen in Mt 25:43. The staff denotes Christ, the Good Shepherd, the title after which the seminary has been christened. The motto of the team is the Pauline phrase Faith working through love (Gal 5:6). A heart-shaped enjoinment of hands symbolises the solidarity among the brothers linked by love. This love instils in them an ardent desire to help the poor seeing Christ in them which are symbolised in the central lamb. The white image in the black background is purely symbolic. While the black represents the world which is in a rat race to cater to the selfish interests, the Social Ministry team demarcated by white lines is an antidote to such tendencies. This hue-contrast invites everyone to join hands out of Christian charity to love the poor and needy as Christ wants us to love them. Concept and layout by Fr Abraham Nellickal (Director) and Br Glen Punnackapadavil .(President) 2023-2024
The ministry considers prayer as its source of strength. Every Sunday brothers from the philosophy section participate in the prayer meetings by reciting the Rosary. For each decade intentions are offered. The intentions include for the Church, the broken families, the people with family problems, the sick, the poor etc.
Brothers who are proficient in making Rosaries make them on their own. These Rosaries are sold and the profit is used for charity works.
The ministry has undertaken spiral binding of the all the dissertations, seminar papers, collected class notes etc. The cost of spiral binding is less compared to the cost outside the seminary. The profit is used for charity works.
All the brothers of the philosophy section use the saloon in the philosophy quarters for their hair dressing. The cost of hair dressing is less compared to the cost outside the seminary. The profit is used for charity works. Brothers also visit Marillac Bhavan, Madathil for free hair dressing service for the destitute.
The brothers provide free tuition to the students in Savio Boys Home, Kunnoth on Sundays in the subjects Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Social Sciences and the languages Malayalam and English.
Brothers visit Snehabhavan, Koottupuzha and wash the clothes of the poor on Sundays.
The ministry runs a shop called 'Agape stores' in the seminary to meet the demands of the brothers in the seminary. The profit is used for charity works.
The profit received from all these sources are given as donations to the sick and the poor. During the Christmas time, the ministry distributes free cakes to the poor. Some amount is also given as scholarships for meritorious students of the seminary.