St. Thomas Forane Church
St. Thomas Forane Church
Jalahalli, Banagalore, Karnataka 560 013

Stars Pithruvedi

Prayer to St. Joseph

O St. Joseph, guardian of Jesus and chaste spouse of Mary, you passed your life in loving service to the Lord and His holy family.
You are a model for all who are called to serve, and a protector of all who seek refuge in your care. In your humility and faith, you accepted God’s plan for you. Help us to follow your example, to trust in God’s guidance, and to embrace our responsibilities with love  and  joy. Intercede for us, dear St. Joseph, that we may find strength in our struggles, peace in our worries, and hope in our doubts.
May we always strive to live in fidelity to God’s will.

Amen.

About Us

The association ‘STARS’ ( St. Thomas Arts, Recreation and Sprots) was formed for our parishioners in the year 2003 under the able guidance of Fr Sojan Karoor . Since then, ‘STARS’ became the binding force for the entire Parish and always led by actively participating in major activities of the parish like Parish Sports, cultural activities, Parish feast, other festivities and touched many a life through charity activities.

In 2014, when Mandya Diocese expanded to Bangalore, our parish became part of the diocese. Following diocesan direction, a new pious organization, Pithruvedi (Fathers’ Forum), was introduced. As STARS was already active, it merged with Pithruvedi, adopting its 11 core objectives, and thus STARS Pithruvedi was born.

For effective operation of Pithruvedi’s objectives, STARS Pithruvedi established five subcommittees:

  1. Government Grand and AIDS Committee
  2. Creative Cultural Committee
  3. Team Mission Paternal
  4. Beyond the Yonder Committee
  5. Spirit of Giving Committee

 

STARS Pithruvedi is steadfast in its commitment to serve the needs of our parishioners and the community at large, without regard to caste, creed, demographics, or any biases. Under the guidance of Rev. Fr. Vicar and with the support of our dedicated members and like-minded individuals, STARS Pithruvedi continues its successful journey, now in its 21st year of service.

Activities

Vocation Promotion

STARS Pithruvedi actively leads vocation promotion initiatives and provides financial assistance to support seminarians in their spiritual journey.

Family Renewal

We understand and strongly believe that Families are the backbone of our parish and Church. Every year STARS Pithruvedi is conducting Family get-togethers for the families of its members. Every year during the occasion of the feast of our Patron St. Joseph, we felicitate married couples who have completed 25, 40 and 50 Years of marriage

Carrier Guidance

In December 2023, a career guidance program was held for students from 8th to 12th grade, featuring guest speakers like P. Gopakumar (IRS), Jiju John (ISRO), and Fr. Joseph Thoompanal, Vice Principal of St. Claret Degree College.

Health and Medical support

STARS Pithruvedi has organized various health initiatives, including blood donation camps, medical camps, and health seminars. We provided parishioners with information on the benefits of the NORKA Health Card, assisted with registrations, and distributed cards to those enrolled.

In 2017, we donated ₹1 lakh to support the Madya Diocese’s dialysis project. Building on this, in 2018, we partnered with a nearby hospital to donate and install two dialysis machines, ensuring free services for underprivileged patients in need.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, STARS Pithruvedi supported critical patients by accompanying them to hospitals and facilitating admissions. We also distributed essential medical equipment, including pulse oximeters and oxygen concentrators, and provided financial assistance to those needing medical care.

Housing project donation

In 2023-24, STARS Pithruvedi launched a special project titled “Shelter for Our Parishioner.” As part of this initiative, we identified a needy family within our parish and provided them with a newly constructed house. The blessing and handover ceremony was conducted by our Vicar, Fr. Sunny Mathew, in July 2024.

Events

Aug 20

Each year, STARS Pithruvedi celebrates its Annual Day along with grand ONAM festivities

Aug 20

Since last few years, we are conducting a mega interparish Volleyball tournament,...

Office Bearers

Ajo Philip
President  
Cyril Babu
Vice President  
Raju Antony
Secretary  
Bobby Thomas
Jt. Secretary  
Gils Peter
Treasurer