Suvartha Mathe Chapel, Banavasi

Suvartha Mathe ChapelBanavasi

A Brief History of the Church

Our Former Priests

No
Year
Name of the Priests
01
2019 – 2023
Rev. Fr. Alwyn D’Sa
02
2023 – Onwards
Rev. Fr. Stany Crasta

Little Flower of Jesus Church Berolli-Nagre

Little Flower of Jesus ChurchBerolli Nagre

A Brief History of the Church

The Little Flower of Jesus Church, situated in the Diocese of Karwar within the scenic landscape of Honnavar Taluk, holds a rich history and significance within the local community. Originally established as a substation of the St. Francis Assisi Church of Hadinbal, this quaint chapel has blossomed into an independent spiritual haven for its devoted congregation. 
Formerly under the leadership of Fr. Cyril Miranda, the priest in charge of Berolli parish, underwent a significant transformation to become an independent chapel.
At present, the under the spiritual guidance of the present parish priest, Fr. Mark Serravo, the Little Flower of Jesus Church continues to thrive as a beacon of faith, offering solace and spiritual nourishment to the faithful. Fr. Mark Serravo, known for his dedication and pastoral care, plays a crucial role in nurturing the spiritual well-being of the parish community, fostering a sense of belonging and devotion.

Our Former Priests

St. Sebastian Church Gerusoppa

St. Sebastian Church Gerusoppa

A Brief History of the Church

Gerusoppa is a paradise for nature lovers and heritage enthusiasts alike. It’s a village situated on the banks of the river Sharavathi   in Honnavar Taluk,  Uttara Kannada District in the Indian state of Karnataka. By the early 1550s, Chennabhairadevi, who belonged to the Saluva dynasty, became the queen,  who ruled for 54 years. The Gerusoppa region was very rich in pepper which was in great demand in the west. Since Gerusoppa was the capital of the kingdom, it became a flourishing trade centre and pilgrimage destination. They mainly traded in spices like pepper, nutmeg and betel nut.  The Portuguese laid the foundation for Christianity in Gerusoppa, who had come for the business purposes. They built a small structure to carry on their devotion and practice their faith in God.

Around 1920, when India was still under British rule, the pastoral needs of our church were provided by San Salvador Parish, Honavar. We can find in the documents that, over time, it was transferred to Gundibala parish, then to Kodani parish and then also to Samsi parish.

We had a small hut for to pray and to celebrate the liturgy. As time passed, the number of faithful increased in our village. Since it was a small hut, people took the initiative to replace it with a new church, built using mud. At that time, it was Fr. Walter who used to come from Samsi to celebrate mass for the faithful every Sunday. Even today, people here remember his work and praise the service that he rendered to our church. People reminisce that he had come every Sunday afternoon without fail to celebrate Mass and also conducted catechism classes for the children in the school building, which is just opposite to our church.

We would also like to mention in the report the contribution of Fr. Ben Britto, who worked a lot to establish the faith of the people. He was filled with the holy desire to improve the spiritual lives of the people. Thanks to his efforts and the generous help of many donors, he built the previous church for us. There are many other priests who gave their precious service to our church, namely, Fr. Gregory, Fr. Jerome D’souza, Fr. Lawrence Perreira, Fr. Simon Tellis, Fr. Lawrence Fernandes, Fr. Salvador Gonsalves, Fr. Marshall Crasta and Fr. John Fernandes.

New Church: During the time of Fr. Peter, the administration of our church was transferred again to Allanki Parish. It was a first step towards the construction of the new church. Discussions on building a new church began under the guidance of Fr. Abel and the late Bishop of Karwar, William D’Mello, who also carries the distinction of having been the first Bishop of Karwar. Bishop Derek Fernandes, who succeeded him, laid the foundation stone, and the work of the new building was stated when Fr. Antony (senior) was the parish priest of Allanki. Finally, the new church came into existence during Fr. David’s time, and the inauguration and dedication of the new church was done by Bishop Derek Fernandes.

Today, we have a beautiful church because of the collaboration and contribution of many persons, especially the late Bishop William D’Mello, Bishop Derek Fernandes and Mr. Sam Alphons for his generous support.

Our Former Priests

No
Year
Name of the Priests
01
2018-2023
Rev. Fr. Steven Dsouza (Snr)
02
2023 – 2025
Rev. Fr. Inthru Pinto
03
2025
Rev. Fr. Edwin D’Souza

St. Paul Mission Bukkinkoppa

St. Paul MissionBukkinkoppa

A Brief History of the Church

Bukinkoppa is a sub station of St Antony’s Church Gundolli. Since it has many substations for the spiritual good of the people it was separated and made an independent Siddi mission unit. Fr Romeo Fernandes and Fr Felix Lopes served the people afterwards Fr Joachim Monteiro and Fr Noel Prakash served the people presently Fr Dominic Quadras is looking after the spiritual needs of the people.

Our Former Priests

St. Michael’s Chapel, Kodse

St. Michael's Chapel,Minguel Palya - Kodse

A Brief History of the Church

St. Michael’s Mission, Kodse, 13 Kms. from Yellapur was part of the Yellapur Parish till 2000. There are 43 tribal Siddi families here. What was originally a thatched hut used for prayer on a piece of land of the Forest Department, was converted into a full-fledged Chapel under the stewardship of Fr.Jerome D’Souza, in his capacity as the Parish Priest of Yellapur.
The Tallikere Farm of the Diocese is also ably looked after and managed by a Priest appointed by the diocese. For his pastoral life he is given extra charge of Kodse mission. Fr. Jerome D Souza, Fr. Stany D Souza, Fr. Michael Pinto, Fr. Antony Rodrigues, served in the farm and looked after the spiritual needs of Kodse mission. Presently Fr. Antony D Souza is in charge of the mission.

Our Former Priests