Location :
This church is situated at a distance of 140 kms from Mangalore at the extreme north of the Mangalore diocese and 42 kms from Kundapur and is located at the border of Udupi and North Kanara Districts. This church is surrounded by Trasi and Padukone of Mangalore diocese and Bhatkal and Kalmakki parishes of Karwar Diocese (North Kanara District).
History:
Gangolli was the Mother Church to the Catholics of Byndoor. Even before the captivity there was a church at Byndoor, which was destroyed by Tipu Sultan. In 1850, a Mission Station was established here. A chapel was in existence there prior to 1894. It was served from Gangolli.
Fr Cajetan Suares was appointed the first resident priest in 1912. It was once again reverted to Gangolli. In 1915 Fr A.E. Coelho was appointed to be the resident parish priest. In 1924 it was reverted to Gangolli once again until 1925 when it had the resident priest.
It attained the status of an independent parish on March 11, 1928 by a decree of Bishop Valerian J. D’Souza. Fr Alex P. D’Souza of Gangolli who had worked hard for the establishment of the Byndoor parish became the first parish priest.
Fr Charles Saldanha constructed the belfry and a new bell was installed on November 10, 1929. The Lourdes Grotto was erected by Fr Leo P. D’Souza on May 1, 1936. Fr P.P. D’Souza extended the church in 1954 with a new facade. He built the new belfry in 1960.
Fr Ferdinand Gonsalves built the church hall and it was inaugurated on April 10, 1991. Electrification of the Holy Cross church was sponsored by Mr Lawrence Nazareth.
Fr Andrew Nazareth constructed the present church in 1998. It was blessed by Bishop Aloysius Paul D'Souza on May 28, 1998.
Fr Thomas D’Souza erected the Stations of the Cross along the way to the Holy Cross Hill and the stations were blessed by the Vicar General, Msgr Edwin C. Pinto on May 8, 2000.
The Cross donated by Mr Joseph Lobo was blessed and erected on January 22, 1978. Fr Maxim Furtado constructed a Memorial building on the church hill on May 3, 1985.
A plot of land on which the Holy Cross Convent stands today measuring 1.43 acres belonging to the church was donated to the congregation of Fatima Sisters.
Mrs Juliana Machado donated a hearse to the church. A new drama stage was built and inaugurated on January 9, 1994.
The 150th year of the founding of the mission station at Byndoor was celebrated on May 18, 2001.
Fr Alex D’Souza started Holy Cross Elementary School in 1909 in the Byndoor church premises. Fr Maxim Furtado constructed the new building of Holy Cross Primary School on January 13, 1984. In 1991, the children of Edwin and Precilla Ammann donated their house to the church. The church is conducting kindergarten classes at this place.
Parish Priests who have served in the Parish :
- Rev. Fr. Alex.P. D’Souza (11/03/1928 to 13/05/1928)
- Rev. Fr. Charles Saldanha (13/05/1928 to 10/01/1932)
- Rev. Fr. Leo P. D’Souza (10/01/1932 to 26/05/1940)
- Rev. Fr. Jerome Pinto (26/05/1940 to 07/06/1945)
- Rev. Fr. Mark J. Vas (07/06/1945 to 29/05/1950)
- Rev. Fr. A. D’Cunha (29/05/1950 to 21/06/1950)
- Rev. Fr. Aloysius Furtado (21/06/1950 to 03/02/1957)
- Rev. Fr. J. D’Souza (03/02/1957 to 20/04/1957)
- Rev. Fr. P.P. D’Souza (08/02/1957 to 09/03/1969)
- Rev. Fr. Jose P. Siquera (20/04/1967 to 02/05/1977)
- Rev. Fr. Raymond C. Moras (09/03/1977 to 02/05/1983)
- Rev. Fr. Maxim Furtado (02/05/1983 to 28/05/1988)
- Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Gonsalves (28/05/1988 to 28/05/1992)
- Rev. Fr. Andrew Nazareth (28/05/1992 to 28/05/1999)
- Rev. Fr. Thomas D’Souza (28/05/1999 to 30/05/2006)
- Rev. Fr. Francis Cornelio (27/05/2006 to 26/05/2013)
- Rev. Fr. Ronald Miranda (27/05/2013 to 02/06/2019)
- Rev. Fr. Vincent Coelho (From 2019 onwards ...)
Compiled by Catholic Time Staff with inputs from byndoor.com
Last updated in Dec 2019.
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