Founded in 1922, St. Catherine’s Home was Ida Dickenson’s initiative to provide shelter and an environment of love and care to homeless girls, especially unmarried mothers. In December 1927, when she could no more manage the work, the Bishop of Bombay requested the Daughters of the Cross to take over her work.
The charism of the Daughters of the Cross is to reach out to the weakest and most suffering members of society. Over nine decades of working with and for the girls, the ultimate goal of St. Catherine’s Home is empowering deprived, abused, underprivileged girls and young women to be confident, qualified, responsible, value based citizens of our country.
Through restoring the dignity and respect to the girl child / young woman and empowering her to experience holistic growth and development.
Through providing education, rehabilitation and meeting all the other needs, in order to restore the girl child / young woman back to society.
From 1927, at St. Catherine’s Home, the Religious Sisters of the Daughters of the Cross, provide a home to helpless, vulnerable babies, girls and some older women, most of whom have been deprived of the love and protection of parents and a family, due to some oppressive circumstances. The Sisters and children tried to settle in several places but found them unsatisfactory. Finally in 1948, two families donated land for the Home and that is how St. Catherine’s Home came to be in the lush green surroundings of Veera Desai Road, Andheri (West), Mumbai, India. Children are admitted under different groupings – abandoned / relinquished babies, toddlers, orphans, children with HIV, girls placed with us for protection from abuse, children from abusive/ unsafe life situations, abused minor girls, unmarried mothers and adivasi girls. Presently there are around 400 residents.
What we do
St. Catherine’s Home is located on land donated by 2 generous families in 1948. It is situated in lush green surroundings of Veera Desai Road, Andheri, Mumbai, India.
As per the new rules of the Child Welfare Committee (Children’s Court), St. Catherine’s Home is permitted to shelter only babies, toddlers, girls, unmarried mothers of all religions sent by the Child Welfare Committee (Children’s Court).
Additionally the Home shelters deprived, adivasi girls from rural Maharashtra. These reside at St. Catherine’s Home and train in the Nurses’ Aide course at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Mumbai.
The children are housed in different cottages with positive names : Anand Bhavan (Home of Happiness), Dilkhush (Happy Heart), Nirmala Niwas (Pure Nest), Snehanilaya (Abode of Love), Snehanjali (Offering of Love), Karunankur (Compassionate Blossom).
Contact St.Catherine’s Home
Veera Desai Road, Andheri West, Mumbai, India.