St John The Baptist Church in Kokkada of Belthangady taluk is the oldest Church in the surrounding region. The Church is situated in Kokkada at a distance of 75 kms from Mangalore city.
Several Catholic families in Kokkada, Nidle, Nelyadi and Uppinangady, during 1900 had to travel to Puttur to satisfy their spiritual need. Puttur, that is located 35 km away from Kokkada was the only nearby Church for them to take part in the religious activities.
Therefore, in 1918, a petition was made to the Mangalore Bishop to form a separate Church. A small prayer hall dedicated to St John The Baptist was built in the same year by Fr. P.S. D’ Souza of Puttur church, who started the mission station.
Kokkada became a parish on April 1, 1918. The church was blessed and the first mass was offered. Fr Rosario D. Sequeira took over as the missionary parish priest in 1919. In 1923 Kadaba and in 1928 Uppinangady were separated from Kokkada.
Fr Albert Pinto bought a plot of land and constructed a new church building in 1938. Fr Harold D’Souza (1946-1953) used to go to Shirady twice a month in order to say mass for the Malayalee Catholics living there. Mr Liguory D’Souza of Bendore donated the main statue of St John the Baptist. It was during Fr Jerome D’Souza’s time (1956-1959) that kneelers and belfry were provided to the church. 6 buildings for the orphanage were constructed by Fr Benedict Sylvester Rego. Sound system to the church was provided by Fr Victor G. D’Souza.
During the tenure of Fr. Ronald Lobo (2010 - 2017), Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the Bishop of Mangalore Diocese laid the foundation stone for the new Church of St. John the Baptist on May 17, 2012.
Kokkada's substation Infant Jesus Chapel , Nellyady with 80 families was declared parish in 2018 with Rev Fr Vincent Dsouza as its first Parish Priest.
About educational institution :
Fr R.D. Sequeira began St John’s Primary School in 1924. Fr Albert Pinto constructed the school building in 1933. In 1938 the school was upgraded. In 1965 St John’s school was upgraded to Higher Primary level.
Parish Priests who have served in the parish :
- Fr Rosario D. Sequeira (1919 - first parish priest)
- Fr Albert Pinto
- Fr Harold D’Souza (1946-1953)
- Fr Jerome D’Souza (1956-1959)
- Fr Benedict Sylvester Rego
- Fr Joseph John Saldanha (1962 - 1969)
- Fr Ferdinand R. Gonsalves (1986 - 1987)
- Fr Victor Gerald D'Souza (1987 - 1993)
- Fr Alban Rodrigues (1993 -2000)
- Fr Valerian Lewis (2000 - 2007)
- Fr Stany Montheiro (2007 - 2010)
- Fr. Ronald Lobo (2010 - 2017)
- Fr Frederick Monteiro (2017 - 18)
- Fr Jagadish Pinto (from 2018 onwards)
(complete list will be updated soon)
Compiled by Catholic Time Staff
Last updated in Dec 2018.
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