Situated in the small town of Ghanpur, Nirmala Matha Church comes under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Warangal diocese in the state of Andhra Pradesh. This small township has a population of about 25,000 peo ple, of which four-fifths are economically and socially backward people. These poor people are attracted to the Christian faith and the majority of them turn to the Church for education in the faith as well opportunities for education, training and a betterment of their living conditions. At the invitation of Bishop Thumma Bala, Holy Cross began to work in this parish in 2002. The parish serves seven sub-stations and 540 Christian families who are still in the process of deepening their Christian faith. A hostel and a school for poor children are among the facilities made available to the people of this area.