The Parish of Our Lady of Remedies, Kirem, is situated 30 kilometres to the North-East of Mangalore, 10 kilometres off the Arabian sea-coast. It is one of the most ancient parishes of Mangalore diocese. It was the seat of the Goan Vicars General till 1886 when the ecclesiastical unit of Mangalore was raised to the status of a diocese.
The Parish of Kirem at the time of its establishment was enveloped in the west by the parishes of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Ghazni (Mulky), in the north by Our Lady of Health at Shirva, in the north-east by St Lawrence at Karkal, in the east by St Joseph at Pezar, in the south-east by the Holy Cross at Bidrem (Hospet) and in the south by Our Lady of Rosary at Bolar and Our Lady of Milagres in Mangalore.
In 1730 King Chennaraya Samanth a feudatory of the Nayaks of Keladi donated 6 acres of land to the Christians to build a church at one rupee 2 annas chaalgeni per year. Fr Joseph Francis Alvares, a Goan priest, lived here from 1759 to 1761 and he offered mass in the thatched building. The first parish church with a tiled roof was built in 1783. It was demolished by the soldiers of Tippu Sultan in 1784 and it was found in ruins by a priest called Fr Paulinus when he visited Kirem in 1794.
In 1800 the foundation for a new church was laid and a church was raised. Later, the Portuguese King used to give a grant to the church and to mark this a Cross which looks like the Portuguese crown was kept at the entrance of the church where the present façade stands. In 1810, the church was re-roofed.
During the Padroado Propaganda Controversy there was a split at Kirem as was the case at Kallianpur and Shirva. Most of the Kirem parishioners accepted the jurisdiction of the Propaganda diocese of Verapoly while the Goan parish priest Fr Joachim E. Mark da Costa remained under the Padroado. The problem was solved when Kirem was placed under the Padroado in Goa which now had a bishop approved by Rome.
Until 1886 Kirem was the residence of Goan Vicars General of Canara. Two Goan Vicars General Frs Avelino Jose Mark Baretto (1870-1880) and Joseph Lucas dos Rei (1880-1887) resided at Kirem as the parish priests. Fr Cajetan Philip Sebastian de Noronha (1887-1903) was the last Goan parish priest of Kirem.
Fr Aloysius John D’Souza (1903-1908) became the first Mangalorean parish priest to serve Kirem. Fr Salvadore D’Souza built the outstation church at Paladka where he became the founder parish priest. Fr Emmanuel Rebello (1914-1937) constructed 2 chapels, one at Balkunje, and the other one at Niddodi. Fr George Menezes (1937-1951) built the fourth church building in 1943.
3 huge bells were bought from Germany and a belfry was built to commemorate the Sacerdotal Silver Jubilee of Bishop R. D’Mello, a Kirem parishioner, on May 7, 1962. Fr Valerian Pinto, the 25th parish priest since 1806, has constructed the new presbytery and the Bi-centenary Memorial church hall.
Kirem Parish is the mother parish for many parishes surrounding the area. Many parishes were carved out of Kirem Parish :
1. Kinnigoli (1804)
2. Belman (1894)
3. Paladka (1913)
4. Balkunje (1915)
5. Niddodi (1937)
6. Neerude (1945)
7. Bola-Kelmbet (1964)
8. Kateel (1971)
9. Mundkur (1998)
Educational Institutions :
The humble beginning of Pompei high school dated back to pre independence period has a remarkable history of struggles, endurance and perseverance which can never go unnoticed in the generations to come.
Rev. Fr Aloysius J D’souza, the pioneer of education in the Kirem parish and locality started a primary school in 1901 and named it Pompei Elementary School. He built a small school in 1903 near the existing school, the foundation of which was in ruins. It had only 3 standards then. With the transfer of Rev. Fr Aloysius D’souza in 1907 , Rev. Fr Salvadore D’souza came to Kirem as the parish priest. Rev. Fr Salvadore took the initiative and opened IV standard in 1910 and thereafter one class was added year after year and VI, VII and VIII standards were opened . Rev Fr Salvadore was followed by Rev. Fr Emmanuel M. Rebello. He worked in such a way, the name of the Pompei primary school reached the summit. After Fr Rebello, the administration of the school had passed on to the Catholic Board of Education.
Fr Emmanuel Rebello also started a new primary school at Elinje-Patte.
In 1937, the late V. Rev. Fr George Menezes D.D. was appointed as parish priest of Kirem church. Talipady in those days was a remote village and high school and college education was a distant reality then. Fr George went personally to Madras to represent the need of starting a high school in Talipady. He was successful and got permission to open the high school in June 1945. Class after class was added in the subsequent years and in the year 1948-49 the first batch of SSLC students wrote their public examination. The high school building was constructed during his time.
The institution reached another milestone on June 22, 1966 when the then head master and correspondent of Pompei high school Fr Basil A. D’souza (1955 - 1969) got permission to start pre-university education with PCM and HEC combinations. It was one year PUC then and 2 year PUC was introduced from 1971-72.
In 1972 the Pre-University Board, Bangalore granted the permission for the conversion of higher secondary school into junior college during the tenure of correspondent & principal Rev. Fr. Aloysius Alvares (1969 – 1981). The college was given permission to start Arts, Commerce and Science sections. Fr Aloysius Alvares built a two-storied building for the Pompei Junior College Science department. Under his leadership Pompei celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1971.
Then parish priest Rev Fr Abundius F. D’Souza (1969 - 1982) constructed the new Pompei Higher Primary School building.
Rev. Fr Bernard L. D’souza took over the baton of Pompei PU college in 1981. He was responsible for founding Pompei College in 1981. As the Principal of Pompei Pre University college for 14 years (1981 - 1995), Fr Bernard extended the building of the college. He introduced co-education system for the benefit of local girls. During his time, Pompei reached the golden jubilee period.
Diamond Jubilee celebration of the PU college was held in December 2005 when Rev. Fr Charles Noronha was the correspondent and Sri K.M. Uthaiah was the principal. During this time a new block with college auditorium was constructed as a Diamond Jubilee Memorial.
Rev Fr. Paul Pinto started St. John Paul II P.G. Block with M.Com. Courses in 2012.
The correspondents played a vital and predominant role in the growth and development of this great institution. Rev. Fr Rev. Fr Denis Moras Prabhu (1981-85) ; Rev. Fr Lawrence D'Souza (1985-92) ; Rev. Fr Alexander Cyril D'Souza (1992-95); Rev. Fr Valerian Pinto (1995-2001); Rev Fr Charles Noronha (2001-2008) and Rev. Fr Paul Pinto (2008-2015) served as correspondents of this institution. The correspondents played a vital and predominant role in the growth and development of this institution.
Most. Rev. Dr Peter Paul Saldanha, the current President of the Catholic Board of Education , who is also the President of the institution from the year 2018, is the alumnus of this institution.
The Pre-University college celebrated Platinum Jubilee (75 yeras jubilee) in 2019 - 20 during the tenure of correspondent Rev. Fr Victor D’mello and principal Mr Mathew N. M.
Rev. Fr Oswald Monteiro guides the instituiton as correspondent from 2021 onwards.
Educational Institutions run by the parish :
1. Pompei Hr Pry School
2. Little Flower Hr Pry School, Elinje
3. Pompei P.U.College
4. Pompei College
5. Pompei PG College
Parish Priests who have served in Kirem :
Rev. Fr. Jose Francisco Alvares (1759 - 1761)
List not available (1761 - 1805)
Rev. Fr Narcissus Piadade Baretto (13-04-1806 to 1812)
Rev. Fr Camillo Maunel Salvadore D’Silva (12-07-1812 to 1818)
Rev. Fr Canstantius de Misquita (01-02-1818 to 1822)
Rev. Fr Joachim Vincent Marian Gomes (14-04-1822 to 1823)
Rev. Fr Francis Xavier Suares (12-10-1923 to 1829)
Rev. Fr Joseph Lawrence Vas (14-04-1829 to 1834)
Rev. Fr Pascal Antony Parias (01-09-1834 to 1836)
Rev. Fr Joachim Eleutherius Mark Da Costa (Schismatic –died at Kirem) (17-04-1836 to 1867)
Rev. Fr Avelino Joao Marcel Baretto V.G. (13-01-1867 to 1871)
Rev. Fr Euphemian Fidelis de Espirito Sancto Costa (Sept. 1871-1876)
Rev. Fr Avelino Joao Marcel Baretto V.G (Sept. 1876 to 1880)
Rev. Fr Lucas dos Reis V.G. (July 1880 - 1887)
(Both above were the Goans Vicar Generals who resided at Kirem)
Cajetan Philip Sebastian de Noronha (17-02-1887 to 1903)
Rev. Fr Aloysius John D’Souza (04-02-1903 to 1908)
(The first Mangalorean Parish Priest at Kirem; the earlier ones were Goans.)
Rev. Fr Salvador D’Souza (1908 to 1914)
Rev. Fr Emmanuel M. Rebello (1914 - 1937)
Rev. Fr George Menezes D.D. (02-10-1937 to 1951)
Rev. Fr P.D.G. Rego (17-06-1951 to 1955)
Rev. Fr Basil A. D’Souza (12-04-1955 1969)
Rev. Fr Abundius D’Souza (18-05-1969 to 1982)
Rev. Fr Bernard L. D’Souza (29-051982 to 1983)
Rev. Fr . Simon D’Souza (14-05-1983 to 1984)
Rev. Fr Victor Saldanha (05-04-1984 to 1987)
Rev. Fr Vincent Martis (01-07-1987 to 1994)
Rev. Fr Valerian Pinto (06-06-1994 to 2001)
Rev. Fr Charles Noronha (2001 to 2008)
Rev. Fr Paul Pinto (2008 to 2015)
Rev. Fr Victor D'Mello (06.06.2015 to 2021)
Rev. Fr Oswald Monteiro (from 2021 onwards)
Compiled by Catholic Time Staff with inputs from kiremchurch.com
Last updated in Dec 2021.
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