Gauthan

Gauthan in Vakighol (The Vaki Valley) is situated in the Sayadhari range of mountains in the Radhanagar Taluka of Kohapur District of the State of Maharashtra. Gauthan is a prominent village among other 15 villages. The nearest link to the outside world is Kadgaon [14Kms. Away] and the nearest taluka town is Gargotti [27 Kms. Away] and the nearest railway station is Kohapur [90Kms away]. Till the mid-1990s the MSRTC provided the only public bus transport to and from Kadgaon three times a day. This only facility remained suspended during the monsoon seasons. In 1992, the valley possessed the first jeep, two tractors and four motor cycles.

The 15 villages of Vakighol are inhabited by about 8,000 persons of whom about 6,500 Marathas and about 1,000 from the Scheduled and Other Backward Castes and 500 Christians who migrated from Goa about 350 years ago. The life expectancy is blow 50 years.

Besides the municipal primary schools in the village, there is only one [privately-managed] high school in the valley. The valley does not even have a Primary health Centre. There is a scarcity of drinking water during the summer months of April to June. The most common diseases are asthma, and other ailments due to mal-nutrition. nutrition. The physical environment provides for the minimum needs - food, fish, fodder, fuel. However, with no avenue for extra-seasonal employment, endemic dependence on money lenders, mismanagement of cooperatives, unreliability of government sponsored development schemes, the majority of population has led the population to fostering fatalistic attitudes among the majority of the population. Religion, instead of providing inspiration, has served to promote superstition. Alcohol provides the easiest outlet for their frustrations.

The Bishop of Poona, Rt. Rev. Valerian D'Souza, entrusted the mission area in the district of Kolhapur in 1991. The Patron of the Parish is Our Lady of Miracles. The Fransalians were to serve in the seven centres of Bachni-Murgudh, Gargotti, Shengaon, Donwade, Kadgaon, Gauthan and Tambale, all under the same parish church. Fr. Anthony D'Souza was appointed the first religious Parish Priest.

In the year 2000, the Bishop of Poona, took over the centres of Bachni-Murgudh, due to their great distance from Kadgaon. The then Parish Priest, Fr. Daiy Sebastian (2006), has devoted himself to a major religious renewal and social upliftment. With the creation of the mission Diocese of Sindhudurg, the Bishop Allwyn Barreto has appointed Fr. Daiy Sebastian as Dean of the mission parishes. The Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth collaborate in this mission work.

At present the Parish Team consists of FRS. MELKY FERNANDES & ELVIS RODRIQUES

Kadagaon

The Bishop of Poona, Rt. Rev. Valerian D'Souza, entrusted this mission area to the Missionaries of St. Francis de Sales [Fransalians] in 1991. The Patron of the Parish is Our Lady of Miracles ('Milagris' in Konkani) situated in Gauthan. The Fransalians had to offer service in the seven centres of Bachni-Murgudh, Gargotti, Shengaon, Donwade, Kadgaon, Gauthan and Tambale. Fr. Anthony D'Souza was appointed the first religious Parish Priest. Together with Fr. Daiy Sebastian and Fr. Dennis Lemos the initial pastoral work began.

A pastoral visionary, Fr. Daiy accepted the challenge of grass-root life-supporting project. His immediate endeavour was to get acquainted with the life and environment in the Vaki Valley, in and around Gauthan village, by learning the local language and imbibing the living experiences of the village people. With residence at the Parish Church in he was able win the goodwill of local people by dining at their homes, working with and for them and sharing with them their joys and sorrows. Opposition from the land-lords was evident to break down the unity building between Christians and non Christians.

In a few years Fr. Daiy was appointed the Parish Priest. His well learnt lesson in life to mingle the social with the spiritual proved very rewarding. The strong sense of the presence of God in village life gradually struck down the deep seated belief in superstition and the doom of life.

Fr. Daiy is assisted by Frs. Elvis Rodriques, Dilip Tete and Bro. Jesusraj. The collaboration in this mission by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth is encouraging. As a jubilee commitment the Fransalians have started an English medium school in Kadgaon town.