St. Jude's Church
Encyclopedia
St. Jude's Church in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi, is situated in North Nazimabad
in Karachi
, Pakistan
.
from the Portiuncula Friary
. Fr. Edouald OFM was the first parish priest. In August 1955 a house was acquired and a small church and school started functioning.
Four hundred and fifty families from Laluketh
, Bara Maidan, Golimar, Peerabad, Siraj Colony and Jalalabad were included in the parish. Until 1958 most of the parishioners were Urdu-speaking.
In 1958 the Archdiocese acquired seven and a half acres of land in North Nazimabad. Jerome D'Silva
and his partner Hussain undertook a innovative housing scheme of 400 houses. 175 English speaking families joined the parish in 1961.
Fr Egidio Trindade 1970 - 1972
Fr D’Arcy D’Souza 1973 - 1974
Fr Anthony Martis 1974 - 1976
Fr Gerry D’Souza 1976 - 1991
Fr Peter John 1991 - 2001
Fr Nazar Nawab 2001 -2009
Fr Richard D’Souza 2009 -
On the evening of March 25, 2004, a crude incendiary device was lobbed into St. Dominic's Church in the congested Bara Maidan area of the parish. It caused little damage but left Christians feeling unsafe. Local authorities have provided security for the church and posted two constables on guard.
On 22 April 2009, armed men attacked a group of Christians in Taiser Town
within the parish. They set ablaze six Christian houses and injured three Christians, including an 11-year-old boy, who died on 27 April in the hospital. According to AsiaNews Taiser Town is home to about 750 Christian families including 300 Catholic families.
Fr Pervez Khalid, assistant Parish Priest at St Jude’s Parish, told AsiaNews that although no one was killed at that time, six people had received gunshot wounds.
.
The St. Jude's educational center is run by Soldiers of Christ, the youth group at St. Jude's parish. A team of six teachers hold two-hour evening classes during the week, preparing under-privileged students for ninth- and 10th grade exams while charging just 400 rupees (US$5) a month for the service.
On July 18 and 19, 2009, flooding from torrential rains claimed 50 lives and injured another 100 in Karachi. 50 Catholic families of St. Jude's parish were also affected. They were given essential items and housing supplies and cement, gravel and concrete blocks to rebuild their houses.
Caritas Pakistan
is doing its bit to fight the Global Financial Crisis with its Livelihood Program. St. Jude’s Parish was selected to promote the kitchen gardening program at the household level ensuring the availability of fresh vegetables to families. Kitchen gardening awareness seminars and post cultivation methods of kitchen gardening were organized at Nasrat Nagar area of the parish in April, 2010.
North Nazimabad
North Nazimabad is a suburb of North Nazimabad Town, Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. North Nazimabad was developed in early 1950s to settle Muslim refugees in Pakistan.-History:...
in Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
.
History
In 1951 Gabriel Indrias did a survey of 25 Catholic families living across the Lyari RiverLyari River
Lyari River is a small ephemeral stream that flows through the Pakistani megacity of Karachi from north east to the center and drains into the Arabian Sea at the Monora channel. It is one of the two rivers of Karachi, the other one being Malir River. The river is about 50 kilometres long...
from the Portiuncula Friary
Portiuncula Friary
The Franciscan Portiuncula Friary is the oldest Friary in Pakistan, founded in 1940. It is located in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Karachi, adjacent to the Christ the King Seminary....
. Fr. Edouald OFM was the first parish priest. In August 1955 a house was acquired and a small church and school started functioning.
Four hundred and fifty families from Laluketh
Liaquatabad
Liaquatabad is a neighborhood of Liaquatabad Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Liaquatabad was named after Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan, the first Prime Minister of Pakistan....
, Bara Maidan, Golimar, Peerabad, Siraj Colony and Jalalabad were included in the parish. Until 1958 most of the parishioners were Urdu-speaking.
In 1958 the Archdiocese acquired seven and a half acres of land in North Nazimabad. Jerome D'Silva
Jerome D'silva
Jerome D'Silva was born in Karachi, Pakistan in 1923. He completed his schooling from Saint Patrick's High School, Karachi. He obtained his BA from DJ Arts College and completed one year of law school....
and his partner Hussain undertook a innovative housing scheme of 400 houses. 175 English speaking families joined the parish in 1961.
Parish Priests
Fr Anthony D’Souza 1969 - 1970Fr Egidio Trindade 1970 - 1972
Fr D’Arcy D’Souza 1973 - 1974
Fr Anthony Martis 1974 - 1976
Fr Gerry D’Souza 1976 - 1991
Fr Peter John 1991 - 2001
Fr Nazar Nawab 2001 -2009
Fr Richard D’Souza 2009 -
Persecution
On September 22, 1989, four Muslim teenagers desecrated and burgled the church.On the evening of March 25, 2004, a crude incendiary device was lobbed into St. Dominic's Church in the congested Bara Maidan area of the parish. It caused little damage but left Christians feeling unsafe. Local authorities have provided security for the church and posted two constables on guard.
On 22 April 2009, armed men attacked a group of Christians in Taiser Town
Taiser Town
Taiser Town or Taiser Town Scheme-45 is one of the neighborhoods of Malir Town in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It has been established by Malir Development Authority to resettle people displaced due to the construction of Lyari Expressway along the Lyari River...
within the parish. They set ablaze six Christian houses and injured three Christians, including an 11-year-old boy, who died on 27 April in the hospital. According to AsiaNews Taiser Town is home to about 750 Christian families including 300 Catholic families.
Fr Pervez Khalid, assistant Parish Priest at St Jude’s Parish, told AsiaNews that although no one was killed at that time, six people had received gunshot wounds.
Current Situation
The St. Jude's complex includes a parish house (presbetery), a high school and the under-construction St. Pius X Minor SeminarySt. Pius X Minor Seminary
St. Pius X Minor Seminary is the preparatory seminary in the Archdiocese of Karachi, Pakistan. It had 25 seminarians in January 2010. Father Benjamin Shehzad is the seminary’s rector....
.
The St. Jude's educational center is run by Soldiers of Christ, the youth group at St. Jude's parish. A team of six teachers hold two-hour evening classes during the week, preparing under-privileged students for ninth- and 10th grade exams while charging just 400 rupees (US$5) a month for the service.
On July 18 and 19, 2009, flooding from torrential rains claimed 50 lives and injured another 100 in Karachi. 50 Catholic families of St. Jude's parish were also affected. They were given essential items and housing supplies and cement, gravel and concrete blocks to rebuild their houses.
Caritas Pakistan
Caritas Pakistan
Caritas Pakistan opened in 1965 and has many years of humanitarian assistance in Pakistan. It is affiliated with Caritas Internationalis, a Roman Catholic humanitarian organisation and one of the largest networks dedicated to reducing poverty and injustice in the world. -Asian Tsunami:The...
is doing its bit to fight the Global Financial Crisis with its Livelihood Program. St. Jude’s Parish was selected to promote the kitchen gardening program at the household level ensuring the availability of fresh vegetables to families. Kitchen gardening awareness seminars and post cultivation methods of kitchen gardening were organized at Nasrat Nagar area of the parish in April, 2010.