Fr Harry Stocks, CSC, former YCW Chaplain, Bangalore, India and a member of the College of Chaplains, YCW-India died on 19th January 2013 at Hospice Niagara, Canada after a prolonged illness.
“Fr Harry Stocks was instrumental in building the Workers Centre at Bangalore mainly for the YCW and CWM,” said M.J Ruben, CCI Secretary-General.
Fr Stocks’ first assignment, to the Holy Cross Missions in Bangalore, India, was the beginning of a life-long, passionate commitment to India and its people. He learned the Tamil language and was initiated into his option for the poor by his involvement in two large projects: a YCW workers’ centre and a housing project for the homeless.
He developed a special sensitivity to people who are deaf and dedicated the next 42 years of his life to their benefit. He built a training centre for the deaf in Bangalore. Its modern equipment enabled graduates to get jobs in factories.
He began a second such centre in Karwar. His work with the deaf and the workers’ movement led to national (India) involvement with several organizations, other religious communities and non-Christian agencies. His work with and advocacy for the deaf extended into Asia.
“Thank you Fr Harry Stocks for your contribution to the worker movement in India,” Ruben added.
“Unfortunately, the workers movements do not have any say in the running of the Workers Centre now since it has been taken over by the archdiocese like many other properties of the YCW in India,” he noted..
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