Immaculate Conception Church, Sunkeri

Immaculate Conception Church Sunkeri

A Brief History of the Church

As our Diocese and our beloved Bishop celebrated the Silver Jubilee, the Parish of Sunkeri can recall to memory and take pride in the fact that on 4th April 1717 the then pastor, Fr. John Baptist Mary was ordained a Bishop in Sunkeri. Of course there was just a hut at that time and the first Church was built only in 1721. As is known in history, Sunkeri became the refuge of the Carmelite Missionaries who had fled from Goa having incurred the displeasure of the Portuguese Government. They fled to Bijapur and from there in 1709, the Carmelite Mission under the aegis of its Vice-Provincial, Fr. John Baptist Mary came to Sunkeri. The English at Sunkeri welcomed them and also donated a piece of land in the factory premises on which was built a house and Church. In 1761 the old Church was pulled down and a new Church was built. But in 1763 the entire area was taken over by Hyder Ali and during his reign in 1784 the Sunkeri Church was destroyed and the Christians fled from Sunkeri.
After the death of Tipu Sultan, Fr. Francis Xavier of St. Anne was sent in 1799 to revive the Sunkeri Mission. But he could reach there via Mallapur only on 13th April 1801. He was a zealous Pastor. He not only rebuilt the Church in 1803 but also ministered unto his flock assiduously till 1831. No wonder his shepherding qualities were recognized and he was transferred to Malabar as Vicar Apostolic and made Archbishop in 1840. Other than Bishop Francis Xavier, stalwarts like Fr. Innocentius of St. Leopold of Germany (his brother, Lord Kollinitz was Cardinal and Archbishop of Vienna), Fr. Innocentius of Presentation (also from Germany, who retired as Vicar Apostolic of Malabar and died in Sunkeri) have shepherded the flock at Sunkeri. The graveyard of Sunkeri Church is a veritable resting place to these and other pioneers of the Sunkeri Mission.
The Church that Bishop Francis Xavier built stood the test of time for almost two centuries till it was felt that it was no longer safe. The new Church of the Immaculate Conception is built in the same place as the previous Church in the original octagonal shape. It was consecrated on 9th May 1997 during the stewardship of Fr. Victor Crasta. The new Sunkeri Parish has two sub-stations: Kadwad and Kinner, the village of Baad having been separated and raised into a new Parish. Fr. Benedict Quadros, Fr. Victor Crasta, Fr. Francis Miranda, Fr Lawrence D Souza, Msgr. Simon Tellis, Fr. Thomas Fernandes, Fr. Joseph D Souza, have served the people. Fr. Holeston D souza is the current Parish Priest.

Our Former Priests
  • Our Lady of Immaculate Conception SUNKERI Karwar – 581 305 Uttar Kannada District
  • 08382-226451
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St. Joseph’s Church, Sadashivgad

St. Joseph's ChurchSadashivgad

A Brief History of the Church

Across the river Kali, on the road to Belgaum, rises high the façade of St. Joseph’s Church, Sadashivgad. Historically, though the Angadi (Shiweshwar) Church claimed importance in the 18th century, the Mission of Shiveshwar itself was transferred to Sadhasivgad in 1824, when the Church at Shiweshwar was demolished and a church was built at Sadashivgad. The church was dedicated to St. Joseph. The present church is said to have been commissioned to be constructed in 1909 and was inaugurated on 29th January 1912.

In the good old days, before the construction of the bridge across the Kali River, St. Joseph’s Church served as a pleasant overnight resting place to patriarchs, bishops, and other dignitaries from Goa before they crossed over to the other side of the Kali River on their visit to Kanara and further. In fact, Archbishop Galdinho, who built the first church in 1824, is said to have resided here from the year 1821 to 1824. Of recent memory is the visit of Cardinal Lourdusamy on his way to ordain the first Bishop of Karwar, Rt. Rev. Dr. William L. D’Mello. 

The Parish was privileged to have the honor of the Parish Priest, Msgr. Manuel Alvares, being nominated as the first Vicar General of the new Diocese of Karwar. Thereafter Fr. Samson S. Carvalho, Fr. Johnny Fernandes, Fr. Thomas Tavora, Fr. C. Almeida, Fr. Chrysostom Rodrigues, Fr. Felix Lobo, Fr. Jerome Baretto, Fr. Anacletus D. Mello, Fr. John Fernandes, and Fr. William Resquina have served as parish priests at Sadashivgad. Fr. Felix Lobo supervised the construction of the New Presbytery, which was inaugurated at the hands of our bishop on 6.3.2000, and Fr. John Fernandes supervised the construction of the new church building, which was inaugurated by Bishop Derek Fernandes. Presently Fr. Richard Rodrigues is the parish priest.

Our Former Priests

No
Year
Name of the Priests
01
1877 – 1896
Fr.Jose Philip Montheiro
02
1896 – 1898
Fr.Manuel Jose D’Souza
03
1898 – 1903
Fr.Simplerius Dais
04
1903 – 1908
Fr.Manuel Salvador D’Souza
05
1908 – 1913
Fr.Miguel Francico Lobo
06
1913 – 1931
Fr.Durante Valeriano Baretto
07
1931 – 1937
Fr.Jose Maria Andrade
08
1937 – 1945
Fr.Alfred Fernandes
09
1945 – 1954
Fr.Luis D’Souza
10
1945 – 1954
Fr.C.Mascarenhas
11
1945 – 1954
Fr.R.Miranda
12
1954 – 1961
Fr.Bragansa
13
1961 – 1973
Fr.Claude Castello
14
1973 – 1978
Fr.M.Alvares
15
1978 – 1983
Fr.S.Carvalho
16
–
Fr.Peter Machado
17
–
Fr. Jerome D’Souza
18
1983 – 1986
Fr.T.Tavora
19
1986 – 1988
Fr.Johnny Fernandes
20
1988 – 1991
Fr.C.Almeida
21
1991 – 1996
Fr.Chrysostom Rodrigues
22
–
Fr.Faustin Furtado
23
–
Fr. Natvidad Rodrugues
24
1996 – 2000
Fr.Felix Lobo
25
2000 – 2004
Fr.Jerome Baretto
26
2004 – 2010
Fr.Anecletus D’Mello
27
–
Fr.Bruno Fernandes
28
2010 – 2017
Fr. John Fernandes
29
–
Fr. Ronald D’Souza
30
–
Fr. Stany Pinto
31
2017 – 2025
Fr. William Resquinha
32
2025 – Onwards
Rev. Fr. Richard Rodrigues
  • St. Joseph Church SADASHIVGAD – 581 352
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Our Lady of Health Church, Mallapur

Our Lady of Health ChurchMallapur

A Brief History of the Church

The Chapel of Our Lady of Health, Mallapur was a Mission unit of Our Lady of Piety Church, Halga. From 20.5.84 it was made an independent unit and Fr. Stany D’Cunha was appointed as Administrator of the Church from 20.5.84 to 13.6.88. It was the hard labour of Fr. Stany that saw the development of the Parish. Due to some misunderstandings the Mallapur Mission unit was vacant for some time and the Church was closed down.
After one and half years, the Redemptorist Fathers preached a Mission to prepare the hearts and minds of the people so that the Priests could once again serve the Mission unit. Meanwhile, Deacons Philip Roque D’Souza, Lancy Rodrigues and Philip Lopez served in the Mission unit till Fr. Balajoji K. was appointed Priest-in-charge from 22.01.90. After Fr. Balajoji, Fr. Philip Roque was appointed on 4-6-94 to serve the Parish along with Devalmakki as a sub-station, in 1996 Kadra and Gotegalli were also added as the sub-stations. Fr. Anthony Lopez, Fr. Alphie D Silva, Fr. Pascal Rodrigues, have served the parish. Fr.Benjamin D Souza is the present Parish Priest . The Kaiga Nuclear Power Project is in the vicinity of Mallapur and the Catholic employees who live in Kaiga Colony are served by this parish.

Our Former Priests
  • Our Lady of Health Church MALLAPUR – 581 400
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St. Athony’s Church, Kadra

St. Anthony's ChurchKadra

A Brief History of the Church

The birth and growth of the Kadra Mission (St. Anthony’s Chapel), strange to say, began with a way-side Cross erected by a few Catholics of the area, who would gather occasionally for reciting of prayers or rosary in the evenings. The Chapel of St. Anthony, Kadra, was constructed in 1983. Until then, Sunday Eucharist was celebrated in one of the houses of the Catholics.
The Mission unit of St. Anthony’s Church, Kadra was the oldest Mission unit of Our Lady of Piety Parish, Halga. In 1996 it was adjoined to the Parish of O.Lady of Health, Mallapur, and in consideration of the growing pastoral needs, a Priest began to reside in the adjacent room of the chapel and began to cater the needs of the people for the boundaries of the Mission Unit extend from Kodsalli, about 30 km away to the East of Gotegalli, which is about 9 km in the South. The advent of Hydro-electric project of Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd., at Kadra has changed the socio-economic and geographical situation of the area. Kadra, a small village with a dense forest has been cleared to accommodate the KPCL township and to rehabilitate the people from other nearby villages, who lost their land and property as a result of the construction of the dam by the KPCL. Most of the residents of the village are daily wage earners. Fr. Antony Dias, Fr. Lawrence D’ Silva, Fr. Antony Gonsalves, Fr Reginald Pinto, Fr. Nirmal Kumar Miranda have served the Parish. A New and a beautiful edifice was constructed under the leadership of Fr. Nirmal Kumar Mirand. Presently Fr. John Worth is the Parish Priest.

Our Former Priests
  • St. Anthony’s Church KADRA – 581 396
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Our Lady of Piety Church, Halga

Our Lady of Piety ChurchHalga - Karwar

A Brief History of the Church

The building of the first Chapel of our Lady of Piety, Halga was supposed to have begun at the dawn of the last century and was blessed on 17-2-1903. It was rebuilt in 1932. At that time the Priests from Sadashivgad used to go to Halga to cater to the religious needs of the people. It was in the year 1954 that this Mission was raised to the status of a Parish and a resident Priest, Fr. Cyriac Mascarenhas was appointed as the first Parish Priest. The villages of Devalmakki, Gotegalli, Mallapur and Kadra were the sub-stations of this Parish.
After Fr. Cyriac Mascarenhas Fr. Peter Mathias and Fr. Michael Morris OCD served the people. When the Diocese was formed, Fr. Victor Crasta was the Parish Priest of Halga. In 1988 Mallapur was made an independent Mission station and the area of Devalmakki was also apportioned to it. There are about 130 Catholic families in the Halga Parish. Fr. Antony Rodrigues, Fr. Anacletus D Mello, Fr. Michael Pinto, Fr. Natvidade Rodrigues, Fr. Edwin D Souza, Fr. Felix Lobo looked after the spiritual needs of the people. During the tenure of Fr. Natvidade Rodrigues New church building was built and unaugurated. Presently Fr. Ignatius D Souza is the parish priest.

Our Former Priests

No
Year
Name of the Priests
01
1954 – 1960
Rev. Fr. C Mascarenhas
02
1960 – 1962
Rev. Fr. Francis Farias
03
1962 – 1963
Rev. Fr. J.C. D’Silva
04
1963 – 1968
Rev. Fr. Ludovico Lobo
05
1968
Rev. Fr. Marcao Mendonsa
06
1969 – 1972
Rev. Fr. Mathias
07
1972 – 1975
Rev. Fr. Ignatius Gonsalves
08
1975 – 1976
Rev. Fr. Michael Morris
09
1976 – 1983
Rev. Fr. Victor Crasta
10
1983 – 1989
Rev. Fr. Anthony Rodrigues
11
1989 – 1994
Rev. Fr. Anacletus D’Mello
12
1994 – 1998
Rev. Fr. Michael Pinto (Sr)
13
1998 – 2001
Rev. Fr. Abel D’Souza
14
2001 – 2008
Rev. Fr. Natividad Rodrigues
15
2008 – 2015
Rev. Fr. Edwin D’Souza
16
2015 – 2022
Rev. Fr. Felix Lobo
17
2022 – Onwards
Rev. Fr. Ignatius Dsouza
  • Our Lady of Piety Church HALGA – 581 328 Karwar Taluk Uttar Kannada District
  • 08382-226451
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St. Joseph’s Church, Baad-Karwar

St. Joseph’s ChurchBaad - Karwar

A Brief History of the Church

There existed in the Baad-Padribag area of Nandangadda village in Karwar taluka a Chapel, which for a long time was a sub-station of the Parish of Sunkeri. In 1989 a new Church dedicated to St. Joseph was built and blessed. Fr. Paul Sequeira, along with his responsibilities as Procurator and Secretary to the Bishop of Karwar was appointed the first Priest-in-charge of this Church in 1993.
After him in 1994 Fr. Anacletus D’Mello took charge as Parish Priest and under his stewardship many pious associations were formed and charismatic prayer groups started. Since then Fr. Philip Roque D’Souza, Fr Alwyn Cardoza, Fr William Rasquinha have served the Parish as the Parish Priests. Fr. Willaim Rasquinha built the new church building. Fr. John Fernandes is the Parish Priest.

Our Former Priests
  • St. Joseph’s Church BAAD-Padribag, Nandangadda Karwar - 581 304
  • 08382-226451
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Holy Redeemer Church, Angadi

Holy Redeemer ChurchAngadi

A Brief History of the Church

The Jesuits are credited to have built the first Church at Angadi (popularly called as Siansor, which actually should read as shiweshwar of old). The shiweshwar Church was built in virtue of a trust between November 1703 and May 1707 between the State of Goa and the King of Sonda, who was represented by the Shenvi Appaji Pant. The Church dedicated to Our Lady of Conception was built by the Jesuits after the treaty of 4th December 1735. In 1824 the Mission of Shiveshwar was transferred to Sadashivgad. The Church was later on demolished and built at Sadashivgad, but it was called  by the same name. Thereafter Angadi Catholics were served by the Priests of the Sadashivgad Parish. The Angadi cemetery is also a very old one.
With the inception of the Diocese of Karwar, the Angadi Mission was revived and Fr. Peter Machado, when he was appointed as Assistant of Sadashivgad Parish was requested to prepare the ground towards forming Angadi as an independent Unit. From June 1982 Fr. Peter was appointed the full-time Priest-in-charge. As the Chapel of Angadi was considered too small to contain the devotees and in view of building a bigger Church, a plot of land was bought by the Diocese in 1983. The Church was subsequently built and dedicated as the Church of the Holy Redeemer on 28.9.1985. Fr. Peter Machado, Fr. Michael Pinto, Fr. Lawrence Pereira? Fr. Thomas Misquith, Fr. Marian Menezes, Fr. Augutstine Lobo, Fr. Mark Serrao, Presently Fr. Lancy Rodrigues is the Parish Priest.

Our Former Priests

  • Holy Redeemer Church ANGADI 581 360 Karwar Taluk Uttar Kannada District
  • 08382-226451
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Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady, Kajubag

Cathedral of Assumption of Our LadyKajubag - Karwar

A Brief History of the Church

With the blessing and the dedication of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Assumption on 29th April 2002, started a new chapter in the history of this Diocese. Strange but true, the Diocese managed for 25 years with the Kajubag Church as the “Pro-Cathedral” of the Diocese! The history of the Parish dates back to the year 1862 when the capital of the North Kanara district was shifted from Honavar to Karwar. With the said transfer, all the government officials belonging to the Mangalorean Catholic community came to settle in Karwar.
There were of course other Mangalorean Catholic traders who had already settled in Karwar and therefore all of them formed a sizeable community. The Church of Our Lady of Piety was already existing since 1845, though it was demolished and rebuilt in 1864. The Mangalorean Catholic community applied to the Municipal authorities to grant them a plot of land for the construction of a new Church, which was duly granted. The Church stood on the same premises as the Church of Assumption. The Church was completed in 1879 and the community sought the services of a Vicar from Mangalore, Rev. Fr. Jacob Coelho and he was paid a monthly stipend of Rs.60/-. This was the second Church in North Kanara that was under the Propaganda fidei during the conflict of jurisdictions, the other being the Sunkeri Church. With the creation of the new Diocese of Karwar, the Church of the Assumption was raised to the status of Pro-Cathedral. The building of the new Cathedral was delayed for many years due to the litigation of the Church land, which was finally awarded to the tenants by the Tribunal and the Court of Appeal. The availability of this land (in front of the present Cathedral) would have enhanced the view of the Cathedral as also allowed a bigger space around the Cathedral. But God had His own designs for us! The new Cathedral of the Assumption was solemnly inaugurated and blessed on 29th April 2002 by His Grace, Most. Rev. Dr. Ignatius Pinto, Archbishop of Bangalore.
After Rev. Fr. Jacob Coelho completed his tenure in 1887, the Parish was administered by illustrious Priests of whom we may record the long services of Fr. Minguel Gregorio D’Souza (1901 to 1918), Fr. Filipe A. Carvalho (1947 to 1970), Fr. Claude Castello (1973-1978), Msgr. Manuel Quintin Alvares, The First Vicar General of the Diocese of Karwar (1978-1989), Fr. Jerome Baretto, Fr. John Rodrigues, Fr. Alwyn Cardoza, Fr. Bonaventure Rodrigues, Fr. Sebastian Pinto, Msgr. Simon Tellis, Fr. Chrysostom Rodrigues, Fr. Lawrence D’ Souza, Very Rev. Fr. Richard Rodrigues is the Rector of the Cathedral Parish. He is assisted in his parochial duties by assistants.

Our Former Priests

No
Year
Name of the Priests
01
1918 to 1923
Rev. Fr. Miguel Gregorio D’souza
02
1924
Fr. Domingos Caetano Braz d’Azevedo
03
1924
Fr. Luis Filippe d’Athaide
04
1925
Fr. Mateus Francisco C. Bareto
05
1926
Fr. Domingos Caetano Braz d’Azevedo
06
1932
Fr. Thomas Mascarenhas
07
1932
Fr. Antonio V.C.C. Fernandes
08
1934
Fr. Pedro Nicolan Pereira
09
1938
Fr. Thomas Mascarenhas
10
1938
Fr. Pedro Nicolan Pereira
11
1938
Fr. Thomas Mascarenha
12
1940
Fr. Natividad Souza
13
1942 – 1960
Fr. Filipe Agostinho Carvalho
14
1972
Fr. C.Masearenhas
15
1973
Fr. Claude Castello
01
1970 – 1973
Fr. C. Mascarenhas
02
1973 – 1978
Fr. Claude Castello
03
1978 –1988
Msgr. M. Alvares
04
1989 –1991
Fr. Salvador Gonsalves
05
1991—1992
Fr. Alwyn Cardoza
06
1992 –1997
Fr Bonaventure Rodrigues
07
1997 – 2004
Fr-Sebastian Pinto
08
2004 –2010
Msgr. Simon Tellis
09
2010 – 2016
Fr. Chrysostom Rodrigues
10
2016 – 2019
Fr. Lawrence D’souza
11
2019 – 2025
Fr. Richard Rodrigues
12
2025 – Onwards
Rev. Fr. Thomas Fernandes
  • Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady Kajubag, Karwar 581301
  • 08382-226451
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