Because of the rapid influx of Catholics, the need was felt for a station at Bajal and Fr Leo A. Cutinho was appointed on February 17, 1943 to organize a parish for the local people. The Cathedral donated the present church plot. 40% of the people are the settlers from Kulur. Bajal parish came into existence on January 1, 1944. Fr Leo A. Cutinho was the first parish priest. He constructed the church, the presbytery and a school building on a plot of land measuring 2 acres received as a legacy. A bell was donated by Mr Victor R. Veigas and Fr Edwin I. Pinto (1974) constructed the belfry; Fr Jacob S. Crasta built the presbytery.
The parish had no residential Vicar from October 25, 1965 to February 12, 1966 and Fr Denis D’Souza, the parish priest of Angelore was the parochial administrator of Bajal. Fr Herald Menezes built the present new church building on the land which Fr H. L. Buzhom, sj had bought for a school which he had started in a thatched structure. It was blessed by Bishop Basil Salvadore D’Souza on May 12, 1971. Fr Menezes also built the new presbytery. The Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes was built by Fr Benedict S. Rego.
Fr John Sebastian Titus Rodrigues had the church school upgraded to Higher Primary level. The Carmelite Sisters of St Theresa founded their convent on May 25, 1988, and the High School at Bajal was started in the same year.
The parish celebrated its golden jubilee on January 1, 1994 and the silver jubilee of the erection of the church on May 12, 1996.
Parish Priests who have served in the parish :
- Fr Leo A. Cutinho (1944)
- Fr John Sebastian Titus Rodrigues
- Fr Denis D’Souza (Parochial administrator from October 25, 1965 to February 12, 1966)
- Fr Herald Menezes
- Fr Benedict S. Rego
- Fr Edwin I. Pinto
- Fr Jacob S. Crasta
- Fr Francis Xavier Lewis (1997 - 2004)
- Fr Antony Vincent Lewis (2004 - 2011)
- Fr. Cyril Pinto (2011 - 2018)
- Fr Remegius C.M. Aranha (2018 - 2019)
- Fr Andrew D’Souza (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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