Location :
Vamanjoor Parish, dedicated to St. Joseph the Worker is situated at a distance of 11 kms to the north-east of Mangalore and is surrounded by Gurpur, Kelarai and Bondel parishes.
The Beginning :
Fr Edwin C. Pinto as the director of CODP and in charge of Social Action Centre took up residence in 1975 in a bungalow of the property at Nirmal Padav sold by Mrs Letitia Fernandes to Fr C.T. Sequeira, the director of the Social Action Centre. He used to celebrate mass in a room, which neighbouring people began to attend. Finding the need for a church, he built it in 1980. The church was inaugurated on May 1, 1981 on the feast day of St Joseph the Worker. Fr Edwin C. Pinto took charge as the first parish priest. He built the presbytery, which was blessed on May 1, 1984. He donated 6 acres of land to the Sisters of the Queen of the Apostles for opening their Novitiate there in 1976. Adjacent to the socio-economic centre established by Fr Edwin Pinto at Nirmal Padav, the Bethany sisters have a house.
Fr Cyprian Coelho who took charge on June 6, 1984, started the Higher Primary School in 1986 and constructed the school building.
Fr Bonaventure Nazareth took charge on May 16, 1993 and Msgr Alexander F. D’Souza on January 7, 1999. He undertook the extension of the presbytery in 1999 and also the extension of the church which was blessed on May 21, 2001.
Fr Alphonsus D’Lima took charge on July 9, 2001 as the fifth parish priest of Vamanjoor and served till 2008.
New hall was inaugurated and the church was renovated during the tenure of Fr Cyprian Pinto (2013 - 2020) as parish priest.
Inauguration of New hall of Vamanjoor Church
'Sabha Bhavan', the newly-constructed hall of St Joseph the Worker Church was inaugurated and blessed on December 18, 2016 by bishop of Mangalore diocese Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza.
The thanksgiving mass was held and officiated in the morning by bishop Dr Aloysius D'Souza. After the Eucharistic celebration, bishop inaugurated 'Sabha Bhavan'. The bishop of Mangalore blessed the hall along with parish priest Fr Cyprian Pinto.
This was followed by a stage programme where bishop Aloysius Paul D Souza presided over.
Bishop; MLA, Mangaluru South, and chairman of Legislative Standing Committee for Backward Classes and Minority, J R Lobo; MP of Dakshina Kannada, Nalin Kumar Kateel; MLA Mangaluru North, B A Mohiuddin Bava, and mayor, Mangaluru City Corporation, Harinath M addressed the gathering.
The pastoral council members appreciated Fr Cyprian Pinto and the bishop honoured him.
Fr Victor Machado, vicar forane, Sr Cecilia Mendonca BS Provincial Superior, Mangaluru, and Sr Zeena D'Souza, SRA provincial superior, Mangaluru were present.
Inauguration of Renovated St Joseph the Worker Church
Renovated St Joseph the Worker Church was inaugurated and blessed by Bishop of Mangalore Diocese, Most Rev Dr Peter Paul Saldanha on 16th December 2018 at 4 pm. Later a thanksgiving mass was offered where Bishop was the main celebrant. Fr Victor Machado - Vicar Vara, Mangalore City Deanery, Fr Cyprian Pinto - Parish Priest and many deanery and guest priests con-celebrated.
Fr Cyprian Pinto was transferred on 28 July 2020 and Fr James D’Souza took charge as parish priest.
Parish Priests who have served the Parish since its inception :
- Fr Edwin C. Pinto (1st May 1981 - June 6, 1984)
- Fr Cyprian Coelho (June 6, 1984 - May 16, 1993)
- Fr Bonaventure Nazareth (May 16, 1993 - January 7, 1999 )
- Msgr Alexander F. D’Souza (January 7, 1999 - 2000)
- Fr Alphonsus D'Lima (2000 - 2008)
- Fr Joseph Alphonse Cardoza (2008 -2013)
- Fr Cyprian Pinto (2013- 28 July 2020)
- Fr James D’Souza (from 28 July 2020 onwards)
Compiled by Catholic Time Staff with inputs from Facebook page of the parish (facebook.com/vamanjoorparish)
Last updated in Dec 2020.
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