History: May Immaculate Church, New Town, Bhadravathi.
May Immaculate Church situated in the New Town, the Church stands on a plot granted free of cost by the Mysore Iron and Steel works. The site measures 225’ X 150’ say one and a half acres and lies behind the new town club and adjoins the Umblebyle road. The grant of the site is subject to conditions that the Church will not transfer, sell or otherwise alienate the property and so on.
It was Bishop Departures himself who had personally carried on negotiations with the works for the acquisition of the site. The Church was constructed in 1937 through the instrumentality of Fr Stany Aranjo, then assistant priest at Shimoga having been blessed on 30-11-1937. The parish of Bhadravathi was erected on 01-01-1938 after the territory that constitutes it was detached from Shimoga. Its Sub Stations were then: Tarikere, chennagiri, Sulekere, Lakkavalli, Birur, Shimoga Line, extending these two stations.
Fr Stany Aranjo became the first parish priest. The number of Christians in the Whole of Bhadravthi which in 1936 was about 530, rose to not less than 1200 in 1938. A presbytery was constructed during the ministry of Fr Stany Aranjo in 1939. In 1938 there was a Cemetery at Janapura on company’s ground. It was not blessed.
The Catholic population in 1952 was about 900. The Sub Stations in 1961 were: Kadur, Birur, Ajampura, Tarikere, Lakkavalli, Chennagiri, Modar, Karehalli, Gantekhan, Hemmagundi and Bhadigunda. Only at Kadur the Church had a little house where the priest could occasionally stay.
During the administration of Fr V S Utherian a grotto of Our Lady of Fathima was built at the extreme left end of the compound facing the public road and behind it a hall was renovated by Fr Anthony D’Souza. During Fr K A Mathew’s time, a small Shrine was constructed opposite to it at the right end of the compound.
Following the permission given by Bishop R Feuga of Mysore on 06-07-1953 the church building was extended by Rev Fr K J Thayil, Parish Priest of New Town. Later, on 07-03-1956 Fr Thayil had purchased two houses in Old Town and he constructed a Presbytery.
Address:
May Immaculate Church
New Town
Bhadravathi – 577 301
Shimoga District
Tell: 08202 – 274123
Email:
Families: 361
Catholics: 1462