A brief history about our Salesian apostolate at Chandur...
Fr Koshy Thomas and Fr Muthalakuzhiyil Sebastian were the first Salesians to arrive in the diocese of Nalgonda, at the request of Bp Mathew Cheriankunnel PIME. The offer of the Parish of Bhimanapally was made by the Bishop to the Salesian provincial, Fr Thomas Thayil through a letter dated 4 April 1981. In the same letter, it is clear that the had already approached the Salesian Sisters too to welcome them to the Diocese. Although he was offering us the parish of Bhimanapally, by this time already, it is evident that the Bishop had earmarked Chandur for a college and that this was his vision to have it as a Salesian base (with Salesians and FMAs). The same letter of the Bishop also states that his decision to offer the parish of Bhimanapally was not without opposition and criticism. But him being a zealous pastor, he was clear that if the Diocese was to truly and deeply grow, the presence of the religious was a must.
Prior to this written communication, as early as 1979, the initially proposed site at Chandur and the parish of Bhimanapally were shown to the Salesians. Fr UV Mathew, then economer of the Bangalore province, Fr John Lens, a Provincial Council member and Fr Emprayil Mathew, then based in Vijayawada first visited the two proposed sites in Vijayawada (Ibrahimpatnam and Guntupalli). From there they drove to the Bishop's house in Nalgonda and the Bishop himself accompanied and showed the Salesian team the plot in Chandur and the already existing parish of Bhimanapally.
And so it was that in May 1981, the two Salesians were sent by Fr Thayil to Bhimanapally. The then Parish Priest Fr Casiraghi was a good friend of the Salesians and helped us settle in. The two Salesians were in the Parish from May 1981 to May 1985. In 1985 both Koshy and Sebastian were transferred and Fr Devasy (of happy memory) was posted as the Parish Priest. Koshy went to Guntur and Sebastian was moved to... ?. Fr Devassy continued the good work at Bhimanapally for more than a year. Then in 1986-87, the Salesians decided to pull out of Bhimanapally and Fr Devassy was transferred elsewhere. I guess this decision to hand over the Parish back to the diocese was purely to focus our personnel and energies on Chandur; there was no reason other than that. In fact, the people of the parish too wanted us to continue and there was nothing untoward that would have pushed us to hand back the Parish to the Diocese. With that ended the Bhimanapally chapter!
During the first year of our presence in the diocese itself the exploration of initiating a college was also underway. The land offered to us by the Bishop, in Chandur for the college was near the bus stand. A plot measuring little less than 7 acres. However, when the Salesians visited the place and with the intention of preparing the ground for the Salesian residence, hostel and college, found that the plot had no source of water. Hence another plot of land, measuring 10 acres was assigned to the Salesians by the Bishop. That is where we ultimately set up base in 1985.
In 1984 the diocese of Nalgonda was 8 years old and during one of their meeting held on 14 November 1984 the dire need of a college in the diocese to specifically cater to the Catholic students of the region was vocally made and recorded. This was a long simmering need that was openly acknowledged and in response to that need, it was agreed by the Diocesan council to invite the Salesians to open a college in Chandur. This request was made by Bp Mathew Cheriankunnel in a letter dated 18 November 1984 addressed to Fr Thomas Thayil, the then Salesian Provincial of Bangalore. He requested the Salesians to start the college by June 1985 at Chandur.
By April or May of 1885, Fr Malayati Jacob was assigned to Chandur to initiate the college and was on the ground. He was assisted by Fr Koshy in the first couple of months of that intervening period of March to June 1885. Fr Koonananickal Jose reached Chandur as the administrator in June 1885.