Sacred Heart Church, Keamari
| Sacred Heart Church | |
|---|---|
| Location | Andrew Road, Keamari, Karachi |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Membership | 90 families in 2011 |
| History | |
| Founded | 1862 |
| Events | destroyed 1969 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Sacred Heart Parish |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi |
Sacred Heart Church is a 150-year-old church in a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi in Pakistan.
On September 18, 2011, Archbishop Evarist Pinto and eight priests celebrated Mass for over a thousand people to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Church.[1]
History
The present church building was built in 1922 with funds provided by the Karachi Port Trust. There were approximately 200 Christian families living in Keamari at the time. In 1923 the Sacred Heart school was constructed. The medium of instruction was originally the Marathi language. The church has been heritage-listed.[2]
Ministries
The parish has two conferences of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Pakistan. The parish is also home to the Sacred Heart Secondary School. The Apostleship of the Sea is based in this port parish.
Parish priests
- Fr. Vittorine Fernandes O.F.M was appointed parish priest in 1922, when the port chaplaincy was elevated to a parish.[3]
- Fr. Anthony Lobo
- Fr. Bruno Sequeira [4]
- Father Thomas Gulfam
- Father Nazar Nawab[5]
- Father Inderias Rehmat [6]
Violence
In November 1990 fanatics attacked the Sacred Heart Church. The parish priest Fr. Bruno Sequeira was brutally beaten. The mob tried to throw him in a fire made from the pews.[4]
In 2009 thieves broke into the church on January 6 and took property worth 80,000 rupees (US$1,000). The chalice, a brass cross, the sound system and emergency lights were among the stolen items.[5]
In October 2010 a special mass was celebrated to consecrate the century-old church vessels recently recovered from the robbery.[6]
Mass centres
References
- ↑ UCANews September 20, 2011
- ↑ Karachi’s Churches January 23, 2012
- ↑ Mascarenhas, Oswin (2011). The Origin and Evolution of St Lawrence's Parish, Karachi, Pakistan: The Garden Area with the Settlement of the Christian Community (Kindle Locations 1363-1364). Kindle Edition.
- 1 2 Pakistan Christian Post October 25, 2010
- 1 2 3 UCANews January 28, 2009
- 1 2 UCANews October 21, 2010
- ↑ Mascarenhas (Kindle Location 1038)