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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.

Rev. Fr. Ireneo Dias

Parish Priest, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, Sunkeri.
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