Udupi : St Francis Xavier Church at Udyavar, one of the older churches in Udupi district is celebrating its post-centenary golden jubilee this year. The celebrations will be held on May 1. The parishioners will celebrate this day with parish priest Fr Cyprian Pinto, together with the church vice president Lawrence D’Sa and the church secretary John D’Souza who have been offering their commendable service to the parish.Already, 3 days pilgrimage was arranged to the land of St Francis Xavier in Goa and 4 days of retreat has been organised at the Church.
This church was a part of the Kallianpur parish (presently the Cathedral of new Udupi diocese). Late Dominic Pereira and Late Louis Lobo and other parishioners of Udyavar had placed for the a demand for a separate church to the then Archbishop of Goa, Dr Amerin Passo, who in the year 1863 granted the permission. This church of Udyavar, devoted to St Francis Xavier was constituted and was structured as a small gazebo besides the road near the present day elementary school. On 10-01-1866 it was inaugurated by Fr John Louis Marian D’Souza who offered the holy mass as a parish priest.
With a strong determination, the new parish priest Monsignor Raymond Mascarenhas along with the help of generous donors purchased 3 acres of land on north side and began the mission of constructing a new church. The new structure was blessed by the bishop Kavadhini on 06-01-1909. This blessed priest was named as “Gods Servant” on 03-06-2008, and the people of Udyavar are the witnesses of his sanctity.
Presently, there is a belfry, boundary wall around the church, parish community hall, chapel at Bolargudde, high school, English medium school, two convents and a presbytery have been constrtucted on behalf of the church.
