Community members help to build chapel.
NEW ROCHELLE, NY (Oct. 20, 2026) St. Anthony Chapel in the village of Paneery New Line, located in the Udalguri district of Assam, India, has been completed thanks to donor funding. The funding was provided by Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco. With the completed construction, parishioners are using the new chapel.
The project included construction of the walls and the portico design, plastering, tin roofing, and trusses, as well as tile and ceiling work. Following this work, the windows and doors were added and the painting completed. The chapel has electricity with fans inside to mitigate the heat. The landscaping has made the surroundings look beautiful.
The community belongs to the Adivasi tribe. Their forefathers settled in Assam and the people primarily work at the Paneery Tea Estate. They are economically poor and depend on daily labor to meet their basic needs, which is often a challenge.
A Salesian explained, “The community contributed to the construction of the chapel. The families had worked hard in helping the main masons. Every day there were people helping to build the chapel. They gave of their time and effort to make sure the construction was completed. They also decorated the chapel with flowers and other materials. The community is happy and they feel sense of joy in their lives.”
Lazarus Toppo is a local leader who works in the tea factory as an adviser to the community. He was happy knowing that the people now have a place to pray and grow strong in their faith.
He said, “We are blessed people and are lucky to have a place to pray. We had a mud house before and now there is a beautiful chapel by the roadside.”
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About Salesian Missions
Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in poor communities around the globe. The Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters, as well as laypeople—all dedicated to caring for poor children throughout the world in more than 130 countries and helping young people become self-sufficient by learning a trade that will help them gain employment. To date, more than 3 million youth have received services funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion. For more information, go to SalesianMissions.org.
