Birth of a - Assumption of Mary - Medical Missionary July-August 1962 - Vol.36, No.4

Sep 29, 2026

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Medical Missionary July-August 1962 (Vol.36, No.4) presents the Assumption of Mary in a devotional message and connects it to the lived work of Catholic medical missionaries in India. It describes the founding and growth of Holy Family Hospital in Kodarma within India’s mica district, detailing early chapel services, construction, staffing, outpatient and inpatient arrangements, and the challenges of rural care. The narrative highlights anemia, limited resources, difficult deliveries, and how perseverance and care helped patients recover.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages36

Reading Time1 h 31 min

AccessFree to download

Birth of a Hospital

Holy Family Hospital in Kodarma

Chapel, construction, and early services

Patient conditions and medical challenges

Villages served and hospital setting

VILLAGE HOSPITAL IN INDIA medicalmissionary寺JULY-AUGUST,196 ASSUMPTION OE.MARY· he virginal body which received God could not be impris-oned in the hollows of the earth.This completely holydwelling place of God must be completely free fromdissolution into dust.She who brought heaven into ourdust,now brings our dust into heaven.She who gave life to Life migrates up to a new life,to the place where life originates and lifeis indestructible.We congratülate her as she rises in that same human bodythat bore the Only-begotten.In her Assumption we celebrate the embodimentof God's plan for redeemed humanity,and we see realized in its perfectionour own and the Church's glorious destiny.For to this end did the God ofheaven appear on earth as a lowly man,to draw man heavenward.So let us bepilgrims in this world by fixing our hearts in heaven.Ler us glorify and bearGod in our bodies while passing over the stormy sea of this world,so that wemay attain together with the Mother of God the happy haven of paradise. compiled from patristic sources. THE vOL.36,NO.4 medical missionaryJuly-August 1962 Published by THE MEDICAL MISSION SISTERS-PHILADELPHIA 11,PA. BIRTH OF A HOSPITALSister M.Charles MICA DOESN’T GROW ON TREESSister M.Pascal102 MEDICAL PROBLEMS IN MICA LANDSister M.Leonie105 INDIA'S FIRST PRESIDENTSister M.Frederic110 Cover Photo THE GOOSE THAT SAVES BABIES'LIVESSister M.Leonie.114 Hindu girl, Kodarma, Bihar,India ONE OF THE SMALLESTSister M.Carmela 117 HANDY HINDIRev.Paul Dent,S.J. 120 Cover:J.Primi;101:Govt.ofIndia;105:P.Pittet;106:B.Moosbrugger;110:LibertyNews Pict.;113:Indo News;114,119:WHO. BOOKS Sister M.Fabian 123 The Medical Missionary is Published Bi-Monthly with EcclesiasticalApprobation by the Society of Catholic Medical Missionaries,Inc.Sub-scription:I yr.$2.00;2 yrs.$3.00.2nd Class Postage paid at Phila.,Pa. EDITOR:Sr.M.Angelica;Business:Sr.M.Kevin;Art Sr.M.Lawrence,Frank X.Smith # Birth of a TH E worthwhile pastime for them as theyhistory ofwaited to see the doctor.Holy Fam-There was a very simple little Chapelily Hospital,which was illed for daily Mass,notKodarma goesonly with the few Sisters and nurses,back to some visits thatbut also,the Uraon coolies,carpenters,the Rev.Father De Meulder,S.J.,madeand masons working on the building.to the mica mines'area of Bihar.HeEven today our Chapel serves as theencouraged one of the Hindu micaparish church.It was a real experiencemerchants,Mr.Samonta,to give landto hear them singing the Hindi hymnsfor the hospital,and anyone who knowsso vehemently.Some of the workmenFather De Meulder will understandhad come from Mandar where they hadhow persuasive he can be.Land waslearned their trades from the Jesuits. readily given as well as help with mak-ing bricks,hauling material and advice. In 1955 the Sisters from Holy Fam-ily Hospital,Mandar,were sent,twoat a time,to take turns watching theconstruction,sewing sheets and otherlinen,and getting acquainted with thepeople.One of the Australian JesuitFathers came to supervise the building.A one-rooin dispensary was begun al-most immediately and the villagerscame from all directions.Gradually asthe building was completed,a roomwas set up with three beds for in-pa-tients,one small room for private pa-tients,one for minor operations,andanother one as nurses'duty room. The people waited on the verandah,squatting on the floor.Some of the oldladies(patients)came prepared forwork with their basket of mica to besplit into minute slices with a verysharp pointed knife.The factories sendsmall baskets of mica to the villagers'homes so the whole family can workon it and return the finished producteach morning.It is weighed and thepeople are paid accordingly.It was a The main hospital building was be-gun in 1955 and completed in July.1956.It took a long time with many.many difficulties,such as running backand forth to Hazaribagh,getting ce-ment and dynamite permits;bringingsupplies,fix

FAQs

How was Holy Family Hospital in Kodarma established and expanded?

Sisters from Holy Family Hospital in Mandar were sent to oversee the construction, and services began soon after with a one-room dispensary. As the building was completed in stages, it added inpatient beds, rooms for private patients and minor operations, and a nurses’ duty room.

What were the main healthcare challenges described for patients?

Many patients were anemic due to hookworm and nutritional deficiencies, especially women and delivery cases. Limited medical resources—few blood donors and no blood bank—meant reliance on glucose, saline, and, for some, blood obtained from Calcutta.

Where was the hospital located and which communities did it serve?

The hospital stood between a Moslem village (Lakibagi) and a Hindu village (Chechai), with additional surrounding villages. The text describes how patients and families came from nearby areas, spreading word of difficult delivery cases and the availability of care.

Sep 29, 2026

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