St Xavier’s Church in Chinchwad to be dedicated on Sunday

St Xavier’s Church in Chinchwad to be dedicated on Sunday
- CAMIL PARKHE Tuesday, 25 February 2014 - 07:40 PM IST
Tags: St Xavier’s Church, Chinchwad, Bishop Thomas Dabre, Emeritus Bishop Valerian D'Souza,Camil Parkhe

Pimpri: The newly constructed St Francis Xavier Church in Chinchwad, will be dedicated by Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre on Sunday, March 2 evening. 

The new church, with a balcony and spacious parking lot, will be one of the largest churches in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. 

The church's Parish Priest Fr Simon Almeida told Sakal Times that the novena prayers of St Francis Xavier are being conducted during the church's daily evening mass, nine days prior to the dedication ceremony.  

The relics of St Francis Xavier, the Jesuit saint, after whom the church is named, will ceremoniously be taken from the altar of the old church (established in 1972) to the new church on the eve of the blessing of the new church on March 1. 

A souvenir will also be released by Bishop Dabre at the dedication ceremony which will be attended by Emeritus Bishop Valerian D'Souza and a large number of priests and parishioners from various churches in the city.

The work for the new church building had commenced in July, 2012. The church parishioners and others had raised funds for the construction and an equal amount will be contributed by the Pune diocese. 

The various church institutions under St Francis Xavier Church parish include St Andrew's and St Ursula High Schools, Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa) Home, Ashakiran Health Centre and Don Bosco Professional Training Centre. The church has over 3,000 parishioners.