The construction of St. Andrews Middle School started in Dawood Colony, a poor district of Faisalabad, Pakistan. Monsignor Joseph Indrias Rehmat, the Catholic bishop of Faisalabad, laid the foundation stone. Tanvir Gulzar, a wealthy and generous benefactor who dedicated the school to Bishop Indrias Rehmat, covered all the construction expenses. St. Andrews will be the first Catholic school in the area, and its mission is to educate the children of poor families.

Bishop Indrias Rehmat, Fr. Khalid Rashid Asi, the parish catechists of the parish of the Holy Rosary, and numerous members of the local Catholic community attended the ceremony. The participants sang religious songs, the Gospel was read, and a prayer was said for the new building. Bishop Indrias Rehmat said in his speech:

“Nations can only progress through education, and we are trying to build schools in those areas where people cannot afford an expensive education. We truly believe that our people, through this school, will receive an education and help build a better society in the future.”

.During the ceremony, he also expressed his gratitude to Tanvir Gulzar and his family for their support and asked for blessings for the selfless contributor and his family. Tanvir Gulzar is a Catholic man from Pakistan who lives in the USA and is known for his work and support of the Christian community in Pakistan. He has already founded and financed several sewing schools and literacy centres. Mr. Gulzar said,

“I am grateful to our Lord who blessed us so that we could do something for our people. I named this school after St Andrew because it is the same as Bishop Inderias Rehmat’s: I have seen that he is making great efforts for the development of the Catholic community. My family asked me insistently to build this school because there is not a single Catholic school in this area.”

Fr Khalid Rashid Asi expressed his joy over the building of the new school and his gratitude for Mr. Gulzar’s support. He thanked the social activist and praised him for his work, understanding that education will bring a brighter future for the youth and for the whole Catholic community.

Source: Asia News