‘Santvana’ in Sanskrit-an ancient Indian Language, means Consolation. In 1995 the team received a call to pray over a lady dying of burn wounds. As the prayer concluded, the burn victim kept repeating the words ‘Santvana’ over and over again. It later occurred to the team that ‘Santvana’, (which in Sanskrit means consolation) was the name God wanted to give to this budding group of lay evangelisers. 

Santvana is a call to receive that consolation that God alone can give. Santvana is a ministry “to console those who are in any affliction with the consolation with which we ourselves are consoled by God” (2 Cor 1: 3- 4).
Jesus Christ, in whom alone there is salvation, is that beautiful gift of the Heavenly Father through which humanity is consoled. Santvana seeks to bring this Good News of salvation to every strata of humanity. “For God wills everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of truth”. (1 Tim. 2:4). 

Being a disciple means sharing in a fundamental experience of the father as taught by Jesus the master. This implies a total engagement in the vision of the master and being on fire with the fire of the Master. Unlike the disciples of others, the disciples of Jesus are not bound to a doctrine but to a person. 

The identification of the disciples with the master is so much that one who sees him sees Jesus who sent him. This process of becoming one with the master takes place by remaining in His word. Jesus says, “If you remain in my word, you will be truly my disciples” (Jn 8:31). The Disciples expected to become like the Master and to represent Christ in the world today. Therefore becoming a member of Santvana would mean a commitment to a life of radical discipleship of Jesus Christ

The call to be a disciple of Jesus is a call to be in a Community, because “this Community itself is a sacramental anticipation of God’s final plan for the whole of humanity. It is a celebration of the final achievement of God’s plan of salvation here and now that gives meaning and joy to the mission entrusted to those invited to share in God’s own mission for the world.” In order to make the Community a joyful and enriching experience, after the model of the early church, Santvana Community has ‘love’ as its goal (1Cor14: 1). Becoming a Community of love and bringing out the beauty of brothers and sisters living together in harmony is itself a mission. Constant effort is taken to create a sense of belongingness, to build mutual trust and cooperation, for warm and loving caring for each other, for shared decision-making, for happiness in work, for apostolic effectiveness and for joy in living. Very special care is given to make the Community a joyful experience for every member so that our ministries and activities might flow from our being. Therefore the spirituality of the Community is oriented towards each member having love as their goal in order to walk in the “excellent way’ (1Cor 12:31) - “PREM MARG” which means PATH OF LOVE. For the members of Santvana, the Community is the nursery of love where the members learn to walk in the path of love.

The first fruit of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples was the formation of a Community. The different gifts, which the Holy Spirit had given to each believer, had to be put together to represent continuation of Christ - His body. It is only in the body that every member will be able to grow; it is only in the body that every member would be fruitful because “the body is the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.” (Eph.1:23) Therefore, becoming a member of Santvana would mean a commitment to belong to the Community and to make the Community a living experience of communion in Christ and in His Church, and to work for the promotion of spirituality of communion among the whole human race.