Centenary celebrations of St Sebastian Church from Jan 19

The centenary celebrations of St Sebastian Church at Permannur in Thokkottu will be held from January 19 to 21.

Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday, Parish Priest Fr J B Saldanha said that the Institution Day will be celebrated on January 19 followed by an inter-religious meet 'Souhardha Sangama' on January 20. The year-long activities to mark the centenary celebrations will conclude on January 21 with a thanksgiving mass and cultural programmes.

Teachers who have served in educational institutions attached to the church will be felicitated on January 19 at 4 pm. Shivamogga Diocese Bishop Rev Francis Serrao will preside.

In the inter-religious meet on January 20, Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari D Veerendra Heggade, Serampur University Vice Chancellor Rev Dr J S Sadananda and Kuloor Mohiuddin Jumma Masjid's K A Basheer Madani will take part. Mangaluru Bishop Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza will preside.

History

St Sebastian Parish Church, Permannur, was originally a part of Ullal (later called as Panir) church. In 1913, Fr Joseph Menezes of Ullal succeeded in getting 15 acres of land where Fr Lawrence Fernandes built a chapel in Babbukatte. On being detached from Ullal into a separate chapel, Fr S V Rebello (1918-1926) became the first chaplain on February 1, 1918.

Fr S V Rebello built a small church in Babbukatte which was inaugurated on April 5, 1926. As it was not easily accessible, permission was granted by then Mangaluru Bishop Fr Dr Paul Perini to relocate Babbukatte chapel to Thokkottu, the present site. The parishioners donated 3 acres of land and advocate late U Krishna Bhat donated another two acres on which the new church was constructed by Fr Piad S D'Souza and it was solemnly blessed on May 23, 1932. The chaplaincy was raised to the rank of a parish on July 16, 1932 with Fr Piad S D'Souza (1926-1937) as the first parish priest. Adam Kudru island, was brought under the jurisdiction of Permannur when it became an independent parish. The present new church was inaugurated on February 16, 1993.

Centenary project

Priest Fr J B Saldanha said that jubilee celebrations will not merely be an event of celebrations. The parish community has decided to take up concrete developmental projects for the well-being of the community and the upliftment of the people. A dozen houses will be constructed to provide shelter to those who do not have their own dwelling.

Special attention will be given to repair the dilapidated houses of the needy.
A medical fund has been established to support the poor; an educational fund will provide scholarships for the needy students; a housing fund will attend on repairing houses during natural calamities. A group of health workers will provide geriatric care to the terminally ill and to the home bound, he said.

Further, he said a community hall will be built to animate various groups of people such as youth, self help groups, fishermen etc to provide professional and job oriented skills. Attention will be given to the formation of self-help groups and small savings schemes to the public. A post graduate educational facility to provide quality education to the locals especially those who financially underprivileged. The existing educational institutions will be upgraded with all infrastructural facilities, he added.