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It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. When Rev. Fr. Basil Baretto, Vicar Forane and Parish Priest of Pezar, took this small step more than a hundred years ago, perhaps he too would not have envisaged the extent to which the Sacred Heart Church in Surathkal would grow to. Thanks to the foresight and ingenuity shown by him, Surathkal today is blessed with a Church that is counted among the most prominent in the region.
Land measuring an acre and ninety cents was acquired way back in the year 1899 and the foundation stone for the first building was laid soon thereafter.
January 14, 1917 is a red-letter day in the annals of Surathkal, for it was on this day the Church dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus made a humble beginning. An edict promulgated by His Excellency Rt. Rev. Dr. Paul Periri S. J., Bishop of Mangalore said, “For the glory of God and in order to meet the spiritual needs of the people around, we have resolved to detach Surathkal from the Pezar Parish to form a new Parish consisting of the surrounding villages such as Kankulai, Katla, Posody, Krishnapur, Mukka, Telar and Bollagi.” This promulgation subsequently led to the birth of the Sacred Heart Church on Sunday 14 January 1917.
The parishioners of Surathkal today enjoy the fruits of the sapling – which has indeed blossomed into a gigantic tree - planted by Rev. Fr. Basil Baretto. Fr. Baretto himself began to offer Holy mass on Sundays till the year 1900. In the year 1900, the then Bishop of Mangalore, Rt. Rev. Dr. Abundius Cavadini S.J. sent Rev. Fr. Denis D. F. Coelho S. J. to Surathkal as pioneer missionary for the conversion of infidels in the locality. Fr. Baretto extended the presbytery to accommodate the missionary and most of the requirements of the infant parish were attended to.
Fr. Baretto won his laurels for the splendid manner in which he catered to the spiritual needs of the people. He was supported and sustained by the generosity of Pezar confraternity, who opened their hearts and minds to the cause of this new Parish.
As we delve into the annals of the Sacred Heart Church, we recall, with gratitude, the sacrifices and service successive priests have rendered over the years.
Rev. Fr. Denis D . F. Coelho S. J.
He carried forward the missionary work from 1900 till the close of the year 1917. He was appointed the first ‘ad interim vicar’ by the decree of erection dated 09-01-1917 with effect from 14th January 1917. He gave a good account of himself as an able administrator. Fr. Denis Coelho strained every nerve for the development of the Surathkal Parish having also spent the cream of his life here. He was the benefactor of not only the Catholics of Surathkal but also the Hindus in whom he injected the desire for education, extending them opportunities to study in the six schools that he opened. Fr. Coelho added one more feather to his glittering cap when, following his relentless efforts, the Post Office was opened in Surathkal. He was also instrumental in opening the Co-operative Credit Society which he himself guided during its formative years.
Fr. Coelho proved his mettle through the manifold activities he engaged in such as improving the Chapel, acquiring the land, building houses and above all raising a huge building for the Higher Elementary School. He was not the sort of person to let the grass grow under his feet and it was he who imparted a lot of importance to the plantation. The shade the trees provide in the Church premises to this day is eloquent testimony to the toil and arduous labour Fr. Coelho put in.
A multifaceted illustrious pastor who relentlessly toiled for both the spiritual and material building of the people from all walks of life, Fr. Coelho left an indelible mark in the history of the Sacred Heart Parish. The yeoman’s service that he rendered to this Parish came to an end with his transfer on 23rd January 1918 and soon thereafter, Fr. Coelho left for his heavenly abode on 23 October the same year. A passionate missionary, Fr. Denis Coelho set a fine example for the other priests to emulate.
Rev. Fr. James S. Sequeira (23 June 1918 - 28 November 1919)
Fr. Coelho was succeeded by Rev Fr. J. Sequeira who was a teacher by profession. It, therefore, came as no surprise that he had to shoulder the added responsibility of managing the Higher Elementary School in addition to discharging his duties as the Parish Priest. However, his term was short-lived as he was associated with this Parish only till 28 November 1919.
Rev. Fr. Raphael Pinto (28 November 1919 – 5 February 1930)
Fr. Raphael Pinto took charge of the Parish on 28 November 1919 and went on to offer his services for a long span of 10 years. He did a lot of material work and spiritual good during his long stay in Surathkal.
Fr. Pinto built the presbytery comprising three rooms in 1920, renovated the kitchen and extended the old Chapel, helping it give the resemblance of a Church. He also procured many new items for the Church such as: Tabernacle, a new bell, the small statues of the Sacred Heart and St. Sebastian.
Rev. Fr. Sylvester Menezes (February 5 1930 - October 30 1938)
Rev. Fr. Menezes took over the reins of the Parish from Fr. Pinto on 5 Feb 1930. He bought the Surathkal property with money from the endowment fund of the Church. The tenants’ houses in the Church compound were also repaired. In 1934, with the help of the Catholic Revenue Inspector, Fr. Menezes, a Trojan for work, procured from the Government a plot in Iddya for burial purposes. Fr. Menezes left no stone unturned for the spiritual improvement of the Parish. He erected the Altar Boys’ Sodality and Sodality of Mary for girls connonically on 15 August 1932 and 23 June 1932 respectively. The confraternity of Christian Doctrine was also canonically erected.
He formally established the association of Apostleship of prayer by decree of the Diocese on 26 October 1932. He directed his attention towards the improvement of the school and during his tenure, the school registered a healthy rise both in strength and efficiency.
Rev Fr. Piedade Saldanha (30 October 1938 - May 12 1944 )
Fr. P. Saldanha took charge of the Parish on 30 October 1938. He accorded top priority to catechism which he himself taught the children. He got the Tabernacle fixed to the high altar. The pillar opposite the cemetery as well as the Cross overseeing the cemetery were erected in November 1940.
Regular catechism classes were held for non-school going children and the Catechism Day was celebrated every year. For the greater glory of God, to obtain a filial devotion to our Lady, the Virgin Mary of God and for the sanctification of the Catholic mothers of the parish, the sodality of the Christian Mothers was started. Fr. Saldanha worked tirelessly to collect the Baptismal, Marriage and Confirmation records of families from the Pezar Church.
The Silver Jubilee of the Surathkal Parish was celebrated on 14 January 1942 with a day of prayer, thanksgiving and rejoicing. A High mass on the day was celebrated by Rev. Fr. Sabas J. Fernandes, Parish Priest and Vicar Forane of Pezar.
This generation is highly indebted to Fr. Saldanha, for had he not taken the initiative of maintaining the historical records of the Parish, perhaps, this piece on the history of the Sacred Heart Church would not have seen the light of day.
Rev. Fr. Alphonsus I. Castelino (12 May 1944 - 26 January 1951)
Fr. Charles collected the subscriptions from each family of the Parish for the new Church Building. With the introduction of the Compulsory Education by the government in the year 1945, the Church school building was extended to accommodate the inflow of students. In order to keep pace with the growing needs of the school, Fr. Castelino, a zealous educator, extended the Church school building.
Rev. Fr. S. M. Rasquinha (21 February 1951 - 28 January 1961)
Fr. Rasquinha took charge of the Parish on 21 February 1951 from Rev Fr. C. Mathias who was sent ad interim to act for 22 days. Fr. Rasquinha got into the act straightaway and had the Church pavement replastered before the end of February 1951, the well in the hospital compound was built up.
20 May 1951 was another red-letter day in the history of the Parish. A plaster of paris statue with a golden crown that was donated by the benefactors was carried in a procession through the main streets.
In November 1953, a new Church building fund was floated for voluntary contributions. Donations started flowing thick and fast. In early January 1954 when the old foundation was excavated, parishioners voluntarily came forward to extend their services. On 7 February, Rev. Fr. Msgr J.l.A. D'Souza, Vicar general of Mangalore Diocese blessed and laid the foundation stone for the new Church. Thanks to the generous contribution from the Bishop of the diocese Rev. Dr. Victor R. Fernandes, Pezar church and the benefactors, the dream of having a new Church in Surathkal became a reality. The new Church was blessed on 21-01-1958 by Bishop Peris. The following day was feast day. The roof connecting the Church with the presbytery was completed in December 1960.
Rev Fr. S. M. Rasquinha handed over the charge to Rev. Fr. G. L. R. Miranda on 28-01-1961.
Rev. Fr. G. L. R. Miranda (28 January 1961 – 7 May 1965)
The erudite Fr. Miranda’s short stay at the Sacred Heart Church went a long way in sweetening the lives of the parishioners. His thoughts were always with the elderly and the sick for whom he provided seating arrangements in the Church. He was particularly fond of children and like Jesus Christ, they were always close to his heart. Fr. G .L. R. Miranda handed over the charge to Rev. Fr. Charles Nazareth in 1965.
Rev. Fr. Charles Nazareth (7 May 1965 – 11 May 1972 )
Rev. Fr. Charles Nazareth took over the charge on 7 May 1965. Following the new harbour project at Panambur near Mangalore, the nearly 100 Catholic families displaced from the harbour area were rehabilitated at Katipalla and it was in no small measure due to the active role played by Rev. Fr. Nazareth. The Katipalla Chaplianry was formed to which greater part of bollagi ward was dismembered from Surathkal in 1968 as per the decree of bishop Rev. Dr. Basil D’Souza.
On 15th 1969, surathkal parish was carved out to form chaplaincy at Mukka with a territorial independent jurisdiction.
Under the auspices of Bishop of Mangalore Rev. Dr. B. S. D’Souza, parish council was formed with four committees :
Spiritual Committee, Finance Committee, Youth Committee and Socio-Cultural Committee.
In the year 1971, a new gate on the northern side of the church was constructed. Fr. Nazareth also extended the school building.
Rev. Fr. William E. Veigas (11 Mar 1972 – 1 June 1976)
Fr. William Veigas took over the charge on 11 May 1972. He worked tirelessly for the betterment of the school. Extensive repairs to the Church were carried out in 1972. The school betterment committee was formed in 1974. The commendable rapport he enjoyed with the newly formed School Betterment Committee resulted in the growth of the school by leaps and bounds.
Fr. Charles Saldanha (1 June 1976 – 11 April 1984)
Fr. Charles Saldanha succeeded Fr. William E. Veigas as the Parish Priest of the Church. The belfry that was planned to be built in 1976, was completed the following year. One of the parishioners, Mr. Michael Alwyn Pinto came forward to sponsor the cost of replacing the old altar with the current one.
A funeral vehicle was bought by the Church in 1978. The same year, the first ever convent of the Dominican Sisters in the Parish was also opened.
In 1982 it was decided to build the new school building along with the school office and a stage. The foundation stone was laid on 18th June 1982 and Bishop Rev Dr. Basil S. D’Souza inaugurated the new building on 22 December 1983.
Rev. Fr. J. J. Martis (11 April 1984 – 23 May 1991)
The first of Fr Martis' achievements was the peaceful settlement of a long standing dispute over the tenanted property of 8 cents which was sold to the tenants vide a sale deed.
With a view to popularizing and nurturing the Marian devotion, Fr. Martis introduced Novena to our Lady of Perpetual Succour.
On 6 Feb 1986, His Holiness Pope Paul II visited Bajpe, and every family of the Parish contributed towards the Papal visit fund.
In 1986, 12 ceiling fans were installed thereby fulfilling one of the parishioners’ long aspirations. In order to fulfill yet another requirement, three small rooms of the presbytery were superseded in 1986 and were converted to a Parish hall that was to be used for conducting meetings. In 1986, a telephone was installed in the church.
In 1987, Cutting classes (tailoring) were introduced in the Parish for the benefit of girls who wanted to be self-employed. Some miscreants tried to over reach the elevated plot of the cemetery due to which the necessary safety measures had to be put in place. The tent made way for a wire fencing and the leveling work that followed was blessed by the Bishop in 1988.
The work on the first floor of the new school building was undertaken and every family in the Parish was asked to contribute for this cause. However, although around 75% of the work was completed in 1989, only two class rooms were made available.
The Parish was privileged to have the services of Fr. Leo Cutinho, retired priest who arrived in Surathkal on 1 July 1989. On 3 Feb 1991, there was a memorable celebration of the sacerdotal silver jubilee of the Parish priest Fr. J. Joseph Martis. The Parish priest was assisted by Bro Ronald D’Souza, Bro. Roque D’sa, Bro. Walter Mendonca from the Jeppu Seminary for the Sunday ministry.
Fr. Victor Pinto (23 May 1991 – 22 May 1998)
With the intention of springing to the aid of the needy and the downtrodden, Fr. Victor Pinto had the foresight to start the Vincent de Paul Society with an initial strength of 10 members. This Society has over the years rendered yeoman service to a large number of parishioners and whenever the need arises, the members of this Society leave no stone unturned to alleviate the sufferings of the needy. With an eye on development, a new account titled 'Sacred Heart Church Parish Development Fund' was opened. One of the first development works Fr. Pinto undertook was to expedite the completion of the school building which was successfully accomplished. He was instrumental in renovating the presbytery which was given a totally new look.
He then directed his attention to the daunting task of providing sufficient drinking water to the school children. Fr. Pinto - a great hand at overcoming impediments - rose to the occasion and put this problem behind him. A new church bell was installed replacing the old bell that had served the Church for 75 years.
It was during Fr. Victor Pinto’s stint as the Parish Priest the old church was superseded and a new church constructed at a considerable cost. In order to accommodate the burgeoning number of devotees, this was a crying need and Fr. Pinto took it upon himself to accomplish this arduous task. Moving heaven and earth to overcome staggering challenges, with the active co-operation of the parishioners, he proved his worth, yet again, in the process adding one more feather to his glittering cap by accomplishing this feat. This church which today caters to the spiritual needs of more than 600 families, bears testimony to the efforts and toil put in by Fr. Pinto.
The Holy Family English Medium School that stands tall in the Church compound is the brainchild of the suave, Fr. Pinto. One who laid a lot of emphasis on the English language, he understood the growing necessity of educating the students in an internationally acclaimed language and took this giant leap. This school which has over the years grown by leaps and bounds has imparted education to hundreds of students and helped them mould their future.
Fr. Robert Pinto (22 May 1998 to 23 March 2002)
One of the first works Fr. Robert Pinto undertook was to level the Church ground and widen the entrance approach road leading to the Church. He gave a totally new look to the front portion of the Church following which the Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was erected in a newly made Altar. A permanent Tabernacle was also erected for worship by the general public.
The Sacred Heart Yuvak Sangh and the parishioners, under the leadership of Fr. Robert Pinto played a pivotal role in constructing the Church Meeting Hall. A garage and a utility room were also constructed in the vicinity. With a view to inculcating leadership qualities in students, the Youth Catholic Students Wing was introduced in the Parish. Due to the errant supply of electricity, a generator was installed in the Church the benefits of which are being enjoyed by all those attending the services. A lot of repair work was carried out at the Holy Family School.
Even at a time when Fr. Robert Pinto was toying with new developmental ideas, he had to abruptly leave on health grounds after which Fr. Denis Moras Prabhu had to step in as the Parochial Administrator for a brief period of about three months.
Fr. Denis D’souza (30 June 2002 to 23 May 2005)
Fr. Denis D’souza was transferred from Cascia Church to the Sacred Heart Church Surathkal at a time when the region was in the grip of communal disturbances. Naturally, therefore, he had to tread on eggshells. The new Parish Priest played a major role in dousing the fires of disdain. He was instrumental in mobilizing a large number of people of all faiths from Surathkal to take part in the Sarva Dharma Sammelana in December 2002 following which, a semblance of normalcy returned to the place.
The Sacred Heart Higher Primary School had its Centenary Celebrations in November 2003. Various persons who had put their heart and soul in imparting education to thousands of students over the years were honoured. Many dignitaries graced the occasion which was attended by nearly 2500 people.
After delineating the property owned by the Church, a boundary wall to cover the entire area was constructed. In order to accommodate the growing needs of the English Medium School which required a library, a laboratory and a computer room, a floor was added to the existing office. A new and bigger grotto was installed in place of the 25 year old grotto.
Fr. J.B D’souza (23 May 2002 to 31 May 2008)
The erudite Fr. J.B. D’souza who took over as the new Parish Priest from Fr. Denis D’souza was a very affable person who endeared to all the parishioners. The magnificent arch that stands on the road to the right of the Church was built when Fr. J.B. D’souza was the Parish Priest. Thanks to the efforts of some parishioners, the website of the Church was launched.
To keep pace with the development of the Church, Fr. Frederick Monteiro was appointed as the Assistant Parish Priest who rendered his whole hearted support to Fr. D’souza for about a year.
Fr. Anthony Lobo (1 June 2008 - 2016)
With the arrival of Fr. Anthony Lobo, the development work in the Church and the schools received a shot in the arm. Drawing on the experience he had assiduously gained while serving other parishes, Fr. Lobo put that into practice in Surathkal. A flurry of activity was suddenly conspicuous. Activities that had fallen by the way gathered momentum.
He installed a water purifying system to provide cold drinking water to the students and with the intention of supplying uninterrupted supply of power, a new generator was installed in the school. Close on the heels of this, additional class rooms were also constructed in the Holy Family School. A computer lab was introduced in the School with nearly 42 computers. A play school for the tiny children was started by Fr. Lobo.
In what was to become an annual event, he started the devotion to our Lady of Lourdes in front of the grotto dedicated in her honour. He introduced the Way of the Cross in the open ground and this has also been carried forward. A grotto dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was erected. So too were the grottos dedicated to our Lady of Vailankanni, Infant Jesus and Divine Mercy. To keep pace with the development seen in many Churches, Fr. Lobo constructed the Adoration Room next to the Church. A new belfry that was the crying need was also installed.
Railings were installed at the entrance of the Church in order to help the elderly. New benches with kneelers that were provided in the entire church. The present choir room from where melodious hymns are rendered was constructed by Fr. Lobo. A projector where hymns are displayed was also installed. Due to the relentless efforts of the Parish Priest, an electronic transformer was installed in the Church premises.
He took up the task of completing the cemetery compound wall. Interlocks were installed around the path leading to the cemetery and an arch was erected at its entrance.
Fr. Lobo, blessed with the gift of the gab, appraised the people about the political developments and urged them to take active part in political activities. He exhorted the parishioners to avail of the various schemes introduced by the government for the benefit of the minorities thanks to which several parishioners benefited from his timely advice.
In order to provide shelter to the security personnel, a cabin was built in front of the Church. In order to house the staff, the staff quarters were constructed.
A directory containing certain vital information about the parishioners and other helpful details was released by the Church. The new Mahima Hall was built and this has indeed gone a long way in helping several parishioners conduct their private functions.
Fr Antony D. Lobo handed over the charge to Fr Paul Pinto in 2016.
Fr Paul Pinto (2016 - 2022 )
One of the major events during the tenure of Fr Paul Pinto was the inauguration of the newly-built Sacred Heart Hall. Bishop of Mangalore, Dr Peter Paul Saldanha inaugurated the new hall on Wednesday , May 1, 2019. Along with the Parish Priest , the Bishop led the ceremony of blessing and purified the hall and its premises with holy water.
After the blessing of the new hall, a formal stage programme was held in the hall. Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha presided over the programme. Oscar Fernandes, MP, Rajya Sabha; Ivan D’Souza, MLC; B A Mohiuddin Bava, former MLA and Vincent Misquith, president, ESPA Dubai graced the event as chief guests. Dony Suares, parish vice-president and Bernard D’Souza, secretary were present on the dais.
Earlier Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha offered thanksgiving Mass along with parish priest and priests of the deanery. A large number of people around Surathkal attended the event.
Fr Austin Peter Peres (from 2022 onwards)
Compiled by Catholic Time Staff with inputs from surathkalchurch.com
Last updated in Dec 2022.
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