Mananthavady diocese in Kerala observed Cleaning Sunday this weekend as all parishes and convents in the diocese tidied up their own premises and public places.
The cleaning drive was launched after a Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council call to observe October 2 as Cleaning Sunday, and also to mark the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. “We observed Cleaning Sunday to cooperate with government efforts to tackle the spread of leptospirosis. This year the diocese also experienced a number of cholera cases,” said Father Thomas Therakam, the diocesan spokesperson. Leptospirosis is a bacterial infection caused by the Leptospira bacteria that can be found in water contaminated by animal urine. Symptoms can include fever, aching muscles and vomiting. The priest said the drive received overwhelming support from Catholics. “Catholics have a tradition of keeping things clean, but sometimes we have to tidy up public places,” he added. Johnson Valeriyil a catechism teacher from Perikkallur, said schools used to traditionally set aside seven days starting on October 2 for cleaning, but the practice died out. “This effort sent a message that it is their duty to keep their places clean and the environment unpolluted,” he added. During the past few years, with the onset of monsoon season, ailments such as Chikungunya, viral fever, swine flu, dengue fever and rat fever have plagued Kerala. Many dioceses in the state, including Thamarassery and Bathery, have started successful cleaning drives. “This year we have had no cases of Chikungunia. In 2009, over 70 percent of families in the region were affected by it,” said Ouseph Thanninal, from the Malabar Action Society for Social Service (MASS). MASS, an organization run by Bathery diocese, carried out a year-long cleaning project in the region that helped tackle monsoon-related diseases this year. Source: ucanews.com --
