Matters India Reporter
Yercaud, August 12, 2025 — Founded in 1972 by Salesian Fr Scaria Thuruthiyil, the Social Service Guild of Yercaud (SSGY) continues to serve the poor through collaborative outreach and faith-driven action. The belated golden jubilee celebrations of SSGY were held at Sacred Heart College Yercaud on August 10, 2025.
Fifty years ago, in the quiet hills of Yercaud, a young Salesian cleric envisioned a united front against poverty and injustice. Today, that vision—embodied in the Social Service Guild of Yercaud (SSGY)—continues to transform lives.
“In 1972, we had no funds, but we had people willing to serve,” recalls Philosophy Professor at Salesian University Rime Fr Scaria Thuruthiyil, who was then completing his regency at Salesian College at The Retreat Yercaud after earning his M.Phil from Salesian University Rome.
Speaking Matters India he says, “The beggars, the underpaid estate workers, the struggling families—we saw their pain and knew we couldn’t respond alone.”
At the time, Yercaud was home to several religious institutes: Salesian College, Montfort School, the Cluny Sisters’ Novitiate, the Montfort Brothers at Eachen Garden, and others. Fr Scaria proposed a collaborative initiative to address social challenges—starting with organizing beggars and supporting women working in coffee and tea estates.
“I first shared the idea with my superiors at Salesian College,” he recounts. “They were supportive. The student brothers offered their weekends for social work. Montfort Brother Mani of Eachen Garden and the Cluny novice mistress, a French sister, joined enthusiastically. Late Fr Horen Mondol, a passionate advocate for justice, stood by me throughout,” recalls Fr Scaria.
Thus, SSGY was born—its name inspired by the Social Service Guild of Kristu Jyoti College, Bangalore. Though the exact date is lost to memory, the founding took place in early 1972.
One of the Guild’s earliest achievements was the establishment of a crèche for the children of estate workers. “We were given an old villa by the parish,” Fr Scaria recalls. “The Cluny novices ran the crèche with dedication. It was a blessing.”
Mathammal, a former tea garden worker, remembers the impact vividly: “Before the crèche, I had no choice but to carry my baby to the fields. SSGY gave us peace of mind.”
The Guild also streamlined support for beggars, offering coordinated aid from a single location. While coffee and tea estate owners declined to formally join the initiative, SSGY continued to advocate for fair wages and dignity for workers.
“We didn’t have financial power,” Fr Scaria admits, “but we had moral conviction—and that was enough to begin.”
In 1973, Fr Scaria and Fr Horen Mondol left Yercaud for theological studies in Pune. Bro. Mani carried the mission forward. Though Fr Scaria lost direct contact with the Guild, he remained confident in its continuity.
“I’m deeply moved to know that SSGY still exists and is entering its Golden Jubilee,” says Fr Scaria a member of Salesian New Delhi Province.
Writing to the main organiser of the celebrations Cluny Sr Tresa Jose, Fr Scaria who could not be present said, “The golden jubilee celebration outreach shows that the spirit of renewal is alive. I pray that all involved will continue to respond to the mission Jesus entrusted to us.”
As SSGY marks 50 years of service, its founding spirit—rooted in compassion, collaboration, and faith—remains a guiding light in the hills of Yercaud
In almost all hill stations (from Kashmir to Kanyakumari) religious congregations own vast land in prime localities. So, it is their bounden duty to serve the needy people of their areas.