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Ikauna

Little Flower Province wanted to establish a new Ashram and Ministries beyond the boundaries of the Diocese of Gorakhpur and Fr. George Aranchery took initiatives to identify the location. The place he found most suitable was Shravasti, due to the extreme backwardness of the District in Uttar Pradesh and the sacred place of Sri Buddha. Though it is in the Diocese of Lucknow there was no Mission or establishment of the Diocese. He visualized a Centre similar to Vipasana Meditation Centre at Shravasti. He also realised that the people of Shravasti, being the least developed District, urgently require developmental activities, social animation programmes and educational activities for the upliftment of the poor. The Provincial Administration met Most Rev. Albert D’Souza, the Bishop of Lucknow on 07 April 2005 and requested for permission to start CST Mission in Shravasti. The Bishop cordially welcomed us and gave written permission in 2006. Initially, we started with Social Work Programmes in Ikauna Block, which were coordinated by DISA, with its Field Office at Ikauna in a rented House. In view of establishing a School, the Province purchased a plot of land at Village Akbarpur on 13 September 2013 and another plot of land at Village Khargaura Basti on 23 October 2013 on the Bahraich - Balrampur State Highway. The Foundation Stone for Little Flower Ashram and Priest House was laid by Rev. Fr. Vincent Pinto, the Dean and Principal of Fatima School, Gonda on 18 September 2014 at the plot at Khargaura Basti. We obtained permission from the Bishop Most Rev. Gerald John Mathias to establish an English Medium School at Ikauna in 2016. Attached with the Ashram Building, a few class rooms were constructed and “Little Flower School” had its humble beginning on 18 April 2016 with 16 children, 2 teaching staff, and 2 nonteaching staff. The official blessing of the School building was on 30 June 2016. Fr. Tomcy Thattaparambil was the first Principal of the School. Initially Fathers and Teaching Staff were staying in the building at Akbarpur. With the inauguration of the Ashram and School buildings Fathers shifted their residence to the School Campus. Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph (FSJ) Agra Province joined the Shravasti Mission in June 2017 and they stayed at the House at Akbarpur. A new Convent Building was constructed at Akbarpur and on 29 July 2021, Most Rev. Gerald John Mathias, the Bishop Lucknow blessed and Sr. M. Arokiam FSJ, the Superior General, inaugurated the Convent Building. A new Plot of land closer to the Highway at Village Amare Bhariya was purchased on 16 November 2015 and adjacent to this we purchased another plot on 19 December 2017. we also purchased two more plots adjacent to the existing plots but in the border of Akbarpur village on different dates 16 August 2016 and on 13 October 2017 for the purposes of School, as the plot at Akbarpur was found interior and the plot at Khargaura Basti was insufficient for the expansion of the School. Little Flower School got its Recognition from Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) on 30 June 2018 and Permanent Recognition from BSA on 20 September 2023. We obtained the No Objection Certificate from the Government of Uttar Pradesh on 24 July 2023 and got Affiliation with CICSE, New Delhi on 15 May 2024. Now the School is up to Class IX with 630 Students, and 43 Staff. Various Social Work Programmes are going on under DISA in 33 Villages of Ikauna Block.

Little Flower Ashram, Ikauna

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Little Flower School, Ikauna

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Little Flower Convent
Franciscan Sisters of St Joseph (FSJ – Agra Province)

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