It is situated on the main road to Periyakulam/Kodaikanal about 6 kms to the west of Batlagundu and about 60kms away from Madurai. The area is very beautiful and the Palani/Kodaikanal mountains border it on the west and north sides. Bede Griffiths requested the Brothers to take charge of the property of 8 acres to run a model farm for the service of the local farmers. After a couple of years the B
rothers established a home for the poor students from the neighboring villages. The home was equipped with the living and educational facilities by having a resemblance to that of a typical Indian rural setting. The newly established home was called as ‘Saint Joseph’s Boys Village’. The students learned to administer daily activities themselves. They were given basic practical knowledge in farming and animal husbandry as part of their career oriented training. The Brothers worked hard to turn the place into a great facility to offer the best to the inmates. The current mission of the Brothers’ community is to provide the children physical, emotional, spiritual and academic support. They make sure that the children must be able to grow naturally as they would in a good family. Village cottages are planned for the boys – 4 or 5 boys to a cottage. The boys, numbering about 50 from the age level 10-16 go out to the village schools so that they mix as much as possible with their peers. They are encouraged to bring home with them their friends from school. They are allowed to join in all the usual village events as far as possible. At other times than school hours the boys are expected to participate in games, recreation, spiritual activities, and do their own personal works like laundry, gardening, cleaning their living areas etc. The boys celebrate all the festivals irrespective of any religion. They are being trained to manage their own affairs and to be self-disciplined, by a system of “Panchayat” (village self-government) of their own. The boys select their own President and Committees for their work assignment, lay down their own rules for discipline, settle disputes and formulate policies. This is in line with the ‘Panchayati System’ which normally exists for village self-government administration. Saint Joseph’s Boys Village is a home for the children who are from the most disadvantaged background.
