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.  

Church leaders pay tributes to Cardinal Simon Pimenta

Church leaders from Pune pay tributes to Cardinal Simon Pimenta http://www.sakaaltimes.com/NewsDetails.aspx?NewsId=5142287103793569427&SectionId=4924098573178130559&SectionName=Latest%20News&NewsDate=20130722&NewsTitle=Church%20leaders%20from%20Pune%20pay%20tributes%20to%20Cardinal%20Simon%20Pimenta
- CAMIL PARKHE Sakal Times Monday, 22 July 2013 - 05:27 PM IST
Tags: Church leaders from Pune, Cardinal Simon Pimenta, Simon Pimenta, Bishop Thomas Dabre

Pune: Church leaders in the city have paid rich tributes to Emeritus Cardinal Simon Pimenta, the first  Marathi-speaking clergy to be elevated to the rank of cardinal, whose funeral will take place in Mumbai on Tuesday.

Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre described Pimenta as a veteran leader of the Church in the country who had also advised Pope John Paul II on various vital issues including inter-religious dialogues.

“He was the vice-principal of Thomas Baptista School in Papadi in Vasai  when I was a student there. I was touched with his simplicity when he, along with students, used to clean out the weed in the school garden,” Bishop Dabre told Sakal Times.  

Describing Cardinal Pimenta as a real pastor who cared for his flock, Emeritus Bishop Valerian D'Souza said that he had personally known the Pimenta for the past few decades. “I was touched by his integrity, honest and forthrightness,” Bishop D'Souza said.

“One of the major steps taken by the Pimenta as bishop and later as archbishop was to insist on establishing only Marathi medium schools in Mumbai archdiocese in order to preserve Maharashtrian culture,” the emeritus bishop said.

Simon Pimenta, born at Marol, Andheri in Mumbai in  1920 was head of the Mumbai archdiocese from 1978 to 1996 He was also president of the Catholic Bishop Conference of India for three consecutive terms. 

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Comment

Errol - Tuesday, 23 July 2013 - 05:13 PM IST

Eternal rest grant unto Rev Cardinal Pimenta, oh Lord and may perpetual life shine on him, may his soul rest in peace Amen

JOE KASBE - Monday, 22 July 2013 - 08:50 PM IST

I had got a chance to met him twice & I have known him very kind-hearted and loving personality.He had the quality of attracting people towards him, and always had secular thinking and this kind of person has not been or will never be in future.May god bless him and may his soul rest in peace. PRESIDENT CATHOLIC ASSOCIATION OF PUNE (Vadgaonsheri) JOE KASBE