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Christianity In Karwar​

In the second major round of evangelization of India, which
began with the arrival of the Portuguese, Karwar had a major role to
play perhaps even before Goa. This historical episode took place at
the island called Anjadiv (Anjadip), close to a small village, though falls
in the State of Goa, is just about 4 k.ms from the city of Karwar “Vasco
de Gama first visited Anjadiv island in 1498 and subsequently in 1502
for collection of water and repair of ships during his voyage from Calicut
to Portugal. In 1505 Dom Francisco de Almeida landed at Anjadivisland
to build a Church. By 1510 the Anjadip island became the foundation
of Portuguese empire in the east when viceroy Alfonso de Albuquerque
took shelter at Anjadiv island after being repulsed in his attempt to
capture Goa. The island thereafter remained under the Portuguese
till 1961” (Cfr. The plaque at the spot). It was part of the Portuguese Estado da India till 1961 “Anjadiv was the first place in India where
European power arrived and the spread of Christianity in this region
began and where the first western foot was set on Indian soil. It was
also the last place from where the western power was finally thrown
out during its liberation by the Indian Navy on 22 December 1961″(Cfr
The Plaque No. 2 at the spot). Because of its strategic geographical
location it served as an important seaport for Greek, Arab, Egyptian
merchant and trade ships during the period when also the Portuguese
ships first embarked India. The island was strategically important for
Portuguese defence. That’s why the Fortress and a Church (Nossa
Senhora da Brotas – built in 1506- and later the St. Francis D’Assizi
Chapel), were built and is considered to be the oldest Roman Catholic
Church in Asia (?) D. Francisco de Almeida, who reached the island
on September 13, 1505, ordered the building of a fortress, which was
destroyed seven months later The attack and conquest of Goa in
1510 was launched from Anjadiv by Afonso de Albuquerque
Subsequently the island remained unoccupied until 1661, when the
English settled there, till the Portuguese took it over again in 1682,
because of the departure of the British in 1665, when the island
remained vacant again until the raids of the Marathas under Sambhaji
in 1682 forcing the Portuguese to rebuild the fort The work was
undertaken at the orders of the viceroy Francisco de Távora, Count of
Alvor, which was witnessed to by a plaque placed on the fortress.
Following an agreement in 1987 between the government of the state
of Goa and the Indian Navy, in 1991 the island was ceded to be
integrated as the Naval Base of Karwar, today INS Kadamba, which is
expected to become among the largest naval military base in Asia,
”Seabird”
Therefore, the history of the Diocese of Karwar is inevitably
linked with the history of Goa and the Portuguese Mission as it shares
the common legacy of the second round of evangelisation in India, after the one of St. Thomas the Apostle in Kerala (and presumably also
the one of St. Bartholomew, near Kalyan – Mumbai). For Centuries the
pastoral care of the Catholics in Karwar was done by priests coming
from Goa as it was part of the Archdiocese of Goa. In fact, The Churches
and Chapels were often named after the Churches and chapels from
the places where the missionaries from Goa originated On 19
September 1953, the civil district of Karwar was bifurcated from Goa
and became part of the newly formed Diocese of Belgaum that was
erected by the Papal Bull ‘Summa illa Sollicitudo’ of Pope Pius XII by
taking two civil districts of Belgaum and North Kanara from the
Archdiocese of Goa and two other Civil Districts of Dharwad and Bijapur
(taken from the Diocese of Poona) The Most Rev Bp. Michael
Rodrigues was appointed the first Bishop. On 24 January 1976, through
the Papal Bull ‘Christi Missum’ of Pope Paul VI the North Canara (now
renamed as Uttara Kannada) District was separated from the Belgaum
Diocese and the Diocese of Karwar was created, the first Bishop being
late Bishop William Leonard D’Mello (from the Clergy of the
Archdiocese of Bangalore) appointed on 24 January 1976. He was
consecrated and installed as the First Bishop of Karwar on April 29,
1977. At his retirement on, 24 February, 2007 BishopDerek Fernandes
was appointed as Bishop of Karwar, and was consecrated and installed
as the Second Bishop of Karwar on 20 April, 2007. After Serving the diocese for almost twelve years Bishop Derek is transferred to the diocese of Belgaum and he has been appointed as the Apostolic Administrator to the Diocese of Karwar.