St. Joseph's Church, Bajpe
Credit : Glany Saldanha, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
During the Double Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction of Canara between Goa and Verapoly, a number of parishioners of Pezar at Bajpe and other places seceded from that church and used to gather at the ancestral house of the Albuquerques in the Uggedane grama for worship, and a priest coming from Kinnigoli parish celebrated the Mass on Sundays. Later another house served as a chapel till 1848. The people of Bajpe found that chapel too distant. In the year 1858, Fr John A. Coelho of Pezar secured a plot measuring 42 cents of land and built the new chapel at Bajpe which was finally completed only in 1867. The parochial house was built in 1873.
The first parish priest was Fr Lawrence Patrao (1885-1893). Fr Anthony A.W.C. Colaco constructed a church in February 1904. The territorial boundaries were demarcated on April 21, 1912. Fr Leo Saldanha (1908-1937) added the new portico to the church. Mr Balthazar Nazareth donated the belfry. The presbytery was extended. Fr Leo Carvalho (1941-1964) added two spacious wings to the church. Chapels were established at Permude and Adyapadi. Fr Thomas D’Sa presented a new hearse. Fr Joseph J. Saldanha constructed the present church, the foundation stone of which was blessed by Pope John Paul II during his historic visit to Bajpe in 1986. Fr Saldanha also built the new belfry. The new church was blessed on May 4, 1988.
Two higher elementary schools were started - in 1917 for boys; and in 1932 for girls. The parochial Higher Primary School has completed more than 100 years of its existence. Fr Leo Carvalho started high school in 1945. The Pre-University College, started by Fr Bernard L. D’Souza in 1972, is run by the Christian Brothers since 1979.
Priests who served / are serving the parish :
- Fr Lawrence Patrao (1885-1893)
- Fr Leo Saldanha (1908-1937)
- Fr Leo Carvalho (1941-1964)
- Fr Thomas D’Sa
- Fr Norbert D’Souza (1973 - 74)
- Fr Joseph John Saldanha (1981 - 1990)
- Fr Norbert Lobo (1997 - 1999)
- Fr Mathias Perreira (2004 - 2012)
- Fr Leo William Lobo (2012 - 2019)
- Fr Ronald Cutinha (from 2019 onwards)
(Complete list will be updated soon)
Compiled by Catholic Time Staff with inputs from dioceseofmangalore.com
Last updated on Dec 2019.
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