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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.

Rev. Fr. Richard Rodrigues

Parish Priest - Cathedral of Assumption of Our Lady, Kajubag, Karwar
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Rev. Fr. Wilson D’souza

Asst. Priest, Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral Church, Kajubag
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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 – Onwards
Fr. Richard Rodrigues