mangalore today

New church building to be inaugurated tomorrow


Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Jan 05, 2015: The new building of the 178-year-old Mount Rosary Church will be inaugurated at Kallianpur-Santhekatte here on Tuesday.


Rosary Church.j

 

Addressing presspersons here recently, Phillip Neri Aranha, parish priest, said that that the new building could accommodate 1,200 people.

Artistes and architects from Korathi in Kerala have worked on the altart.

The church has an Adoration Chapel which is air-conditioned.

The wooden cross on the High Altar, the tinted glass windows which depict vivid incidents from the Bible, the Way of the Cross in Mosaic style, the statues of Saints, the statue of our Lady of Mount Rosary are the primary attraction of the church.

The huge single fan imported from Canada with its cool breeze is sufficient to make the entire congregation in the church comfortable.

In addition, the new church has a presbytery by its side, for the residence of priests, belfry, two attractive welcome arches one from Kallianpur Road and the other from Kemmannu Road.

Mount Rosary is one of the oldest churches in Udupi and Mangaluru dioceses. In 1837, some Christians in Santhekatte felt the need to erect a new church and a new church with a thatched roof was erected with the permission of the Bishop a few yards away from the Milagres Church in Kallianpur.

Gradually, in 1879-80 a church with a tiled roof was constructed on the Nejar hill. From 1990 onwards, with development of Santhekatte, several families began residing here. The old church, which was built for a few families, was insufficient to accommodate the growing number of the faithful.

The church building, which was 130 years old, was almost in a dilapidated condition. Hence, the parishioners felt the need to construct a new church building.

Rt. Rev. Gerald Isaac Lobo, Bishop of Udupi Catholic Diocese, will bless the new church and dedicate it to the service of the faithful. Rt. Rev. Dr. Aloysius P. D’souza, Bishop of Mangaluru Catholic Diocese, will offer the first eucharistic service in the new church.

Vinay Kumar Sorake, Urban Development Minister, Oscar Fernandes, Rajya Sabha member, Shobha Karandlaje, MP, would be the chief guests, Mr. Aranha said.

 

Courtesy: The hindu