Our Lady of Fatima Church, Karachi

Fatima Parish and Ground.
Our Lady of Fatima church and courtyard.

Our Lady of Fatima Church, Karachi is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi.[1] It is the only church located in Karachi which has a circular architectural design and built in accordance with the guidelines provided by the Second Vatican Council.

In the vicinity of the parish is also located the Our Lady of Fatima School for girls which offers education from grade 1-10. The parish also operates the Archdiocesan Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary whose current rector is Rev. Fr. Luis Esquinas Pajuelo.

History

It was approved on 22 August 1953 when the Most Rev. Alcuin Van Miltenburg (the late Archbishop of Karachi) set the boundaries of the new parish. In May 1955 it became a chaplaincy under St. Patrick's Cathedral with resident priests. In September 1957 it became an independent parish.

On 13 July 1962, the foundation Stone of the present church building was blessed and laid by H. E. Mgr. Xavier Zupie, the Vatican Internuncio. On 8 September 1963, the Church was blessed and dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima. This is the name given to the miraculous appearance of the blessed Virgin Mary in a small village of Fatima in Portugal. According to the legend, the Virgin Mary appeared to 3 shepherd children in 1917.[2]

The church is in circular shape with large glass windows around the facade. The seating is in semi-circular shape encircling the altar.[3] The church has been heritage-listed.[4]

Parish Boundaries

The following areas come under the operation of the parish:

Parish Priests

In total 12 parish priests have served over the years amongst which Fr. Luis Esquinas Pajuelo has served for the longest period i-e from 2006–Present. Former parish priests Fr. Canisius Mascarenhas, Fr. Robert D’Silva are presently stationed in the parish as well to assist the parish priest with the increasing responsibilities.

  2. 1957 - 1959 Rev Fr. Floregius Rypma OFM
  3. 1959 - 1961 Rev. Fr. Timothy Carney OP
  4. 1961 - 1967 Rev. Fr. Daniel McCaffrey OP
  5. 1967 - 1974 Rev. Fr. Kieran Smith OP
  6. 1974 - 1978 Rev. Fr. Finbar Carroll OP
  7. 1978 - 1982 Rev. Fr. Xavier P Hennessy OP
  8. 1982 - 1990 Rev. Fr. Canisius Mascarenhas
  9. 1990 - 1995 Rev. Fr. Melito Dias
  10. 1995 - 2001 Rev. Fr. Robert D’Silva
  11. 2001 - 2002 Rev Fr. Tony D'Cruz
  12. 2002 - 2006 Rev. Fr. Archie D’Souza
  13. 2006–Present Rev. Fr. Luis Esquinas Pajuelo

Groups of the Parish

There are several groups and ministries operating in the parish. Our Lady of Fatima Parish has always been full of life and moving mainly because of the different groups which help the parishioners to get engaged in the events of the parish.

Dominic Savio Choir

The Dominic Savio Choir / Club is currently headed by Alan Govias. There are about 20 members in the choir majority of whom are school going children. Choir practice is held every Sunday from 11.30 am to 1.00 pm.

The 9.00 am Masses on Sundays are reserved for the Dominic Savio Choir. Apart from this they sing for weddings and funerals when called for.

The Dominic Savio Choir encourage and coordinate the participation of the faithful by singing common hymns which the congregation are well versed with. They also sing at big Hotels during the Christmas season or at the PACC (P every year.

They raise funds by calling for donations, through secret collection amongst members, Christmas bazaars, concerts, etc., to cover their activities such as transport, printing of hymn books etc.

The Legion of Mary - Senior Presidium

The Legion of Mary is a lay Catholic apostolic organization founded in Ireland by a layman Frank Duff in 1920. The purpose of the organization is personal sanctification through active apostolic work. It has spread throughout the world and can be found very active in Africa and Asia, Australia and the USA. Each parish group is called a Praesidium and is composed of a President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary and remaining members. The numbers of our members is 06 who have been there since the last 10 years or more. The group meets once a week every Saturday at 6:45 p.m. and is usually involved in house visitations, hospital visitations and visits to Institutions. The members of our group are active during Advent and Lenten seasons when they contact neighborhood churches in the different areas of the parish. This is coordinated and promoted through our regular meetings and interaction with the parish priest.

The Fatima Senior Choir

The Fatima Senior Choir ensures that Mass each Sunday evening is complemented by hymns that enhance the spiritual element of worship during the Eucharistic Celebration. In addition to Sunday's, it has been a long-standing custom for them to lead the Midnight Services for Christmas, New Year, and Easter each year. Over the past couple of decades, they have adhered to in as much as organizing as well as actively participating in various, parish events, including but not limited to concerts, fairs, outings and dances oriented towards propagating and encouraging an air of communal oneness within the parish. At the moment, one of the prime objectives of the choir is to recruit members of the parish earnestly interested in making a positivistic impact on the quality of the choir as it exists today.

Society Of Vincent De Paul

It is composed of Council General - Paris, National Council - Pakistan, Regional Council - Karachi and Conference at Parish level. There are eight members in Our Lady of Fatima Conference who continue until they leave or die. The Conference holds meetings weekly and engages in these activities:

Fund Raising Programs include :

Parish Ministries

Eucharistic Ministers

The Eucharistic Ministers are composed of Lay Members of the parish. At the moment there are about 08 members in this group who have been installed since 2005. Their duties are allocated and conveyed through a monthly roster. The Eucharistic Ministers are usually involved in distributing / administering the Holy Eucharist at Mass and to the sick.

Altar Boys

The Altar boys society is of the parish is composed of an overall Incharge and remaining members. The number of members are 12. The duration of their tenure is from the time they receive Holy Communion right up to adult hood.

One of the major problem weakness this ministry faces at the moment is that none of the boys are willing to serve at the first mass at 6.30 am while very few are encouraged by the parents to even join.

The Lectors Group

There are around 25 members in total in this ministry of the parish (majority being females) all those who are thirteen years and above are eligible (Class VIII and above) to join the group.

The lectors do not conduct regular meetings since it is difficult for members to attend as they are usually busy, however, if they do find it necessary to meet in any emergency, an announcement is made in the Church along with a message passed through members of the group.

A roster is prepared every month providing the names of Lectors and the days and times they have to read. Most of the members find it difficult to read on weekdays for the same reason as stated above but somehow make attempts to comply on their turn or request someone else to read for them.

The Neocatechumenal Way or Neocatechumenate

It is a ministry dedicated to adult faith formation within the Roman Catholic Church established following the Second Vatican Council. It dedicates itself to "a post-baptismal catechesis in the form of the catechumenate", i.e. a Christian adult faith formation process similar to the Catechumenate, the ritual preparation for baptism in the early Christian church. It was initiated by the Spanish painter Francisco (Kiko) Argüello in the early '60s.

KIKO ARGÜELLO : It is a path to conversion whereby one re-discovers the riches of baptism. The current process of secularization has led a great many people to abandon the faith and the Church. Perhaps that is the reason the Lord prompted us to set up formation itinerary through which we can help renew the Council and pave a way for those who have drifted off.

The Neo-Catechumenal Way does not aim at being a movement in itself but at helping the dioceses and parishes to open up a path of initiation that purposes to evangelize the people of today. It's worth noting that in his Letter Pope John Paul II says:

'I recognize the Neo-Catechumenal Way as a way of Catholic formation valid for modern society and times' and expresses his hope 'that brothers in the episcopate, along with their presbyters, will appreciate and help this work for the new evangelization'.

It's an instrument at the service of bishops and parish priests to bring back to the faith the great many who have abandoned it. At present there are 4 communities in Urdu and 4 in English.

Parish Council/Social Committee

The Parish Pastoral Council serves as a means of communication between the clergy and laity of the parish. The council identifies the needs of the parish and acts upon them. It encourages involvement of the parishioners in all phases of parish work.

The council functions according to the spirit of Vatican II and according to the guidelines of the Pastoral Directives of the Archdiocese of Karachi.

Security and Ushers

There are more than 10 members in the Security / Ushers group who effectively provide their assistance as under :

SECURITY : Whenever there are melas, functions, heavy attendance at Mass on occasions such as Feast days or Christmas, New Year and Easter, the Security members are active at the gate and in the compound to ensure that peace and harmony prevails throughout such events.

USHERS : They come into play for Masses such as Christmas, New Year, Good Friday and Easter. They try to accommodate people in the Church in an orderly fashion on the benches rather than have them standing at the rear of the Church. If they feel the crowd will be heavy, they arrange for extra chairs and shamianas with the permission of the Parish Priest, to provide more comfort to the parishioners. They also ensure that people come to receive the Eucharist without rushing since priests and lay people are deputed at various points in and outside the Church.

Archdiocesan Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary

In 1991 the Intercongregational Commission set up by Pope John Paul II proposed a new plan to deal with the serious scarcity of Priests all around the world.

The same idea which was proposed by the Commission back then has been now applied on the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminaries which prepare presbyters for the New Evangelisation in accordance with the program prescribed by the Neocatechumenal Way.

The Seminary at the moment has 5 local and 5 International seminarians, the rector of the Seminary is Rev. Fr. Luis Esquinas Pajuelo who is assisted by Vice Rector James Albert Borg.

Recent events

A mini mela took place on 3 June 2012. There were many different stalls at the mela including snacks, tea/coffee and games. There was also a DJ system for people to enjoy music. The attendance at the mela was about 350 not counting the stall members.

On 31 July a talent show took place, with tickets sold at Rs.150 per person. Many children participated in the competition. The attendance was about 150 above. Gavin memorial tournament (cricket) had been organized.

References

  1. ↑ The Tribune July 30, 2015
  2. ↑ The Express Tribune July 28, 2013
  3. ↑ Karachi website October 15, 2011
  4. ↑ Karachi’s Churches January 23, 2012

External links

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