History: Infant Jesus Church – Sharavathi Nagar
At the end of the 17th century, the Paris Foreign Mission Society, with its Headquarters at Pondicherry, took over the administration of the Mysore Mission. The Civil districts of Shimoga, Chitradurga and Chikkamagalur fell into the able hands of the Fathers of the Paris Foreign Mission Society. Already in 1830, Shimoga town had a small Church and a burial ground.
It was constituted into a Parish in 1847. In 1871, a new Church began to be constructed and it was completed and blessed on 4th April 1875 and was dedicated to Sacred Heart of Jesus As the Catholic population increased, this Church was found to be small and an extension was put up and inaugurated on 30th November 1976.
As a Sub Station, when the Catholic population was increasing an acre of land was purchased by Rev. Fr T J Cyriac on 12-01-1979 in Sharavathi Nagar and contiguous to it, another plot was donated by the owner of the land. In 1982, a temporary Chapel was put up by Fr Cyriac for the purpose of celebration of Mass on Sundays and to celebrate the Sacraments. Later on Rev Fr Jerome F Fernandes put up a compound wall to the entire property.
The work of the construction of the new church was commenced by Rev Fr Cyriac in 1989 and it was completed in 2 years by the parish priest Fr Jerome F Fernandes. The new parish church was dedicated to Infant Jesus. It was blessed on 02nd January 1992. The degree of erection was issued under the signature and the seal of Most Rev. Dr Ignatius Pinto on 17th January 1992 and it came into effect on 19th January 1992. According to the degree the new boundaries of the parish were Kuvempu Road, Jewel Rock – McGann Hospital, Fire Station Road, Jail Road, Mission Compound, Sharavathinagar, Hosamane, Vinobanagar, gejjanahally, Alkola, Gadikoppa, Guthyappa Colony, Gopala, Milghatta, Buddhanagar, Anna Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Police Quarters, Hospital Quarters. The new parish had three substations viz Ayanoor, Nyamthi, Honnali. Rev. Fr Felix Joseph Noronha was appointed as first parish priest and he took charge of the new parish on 19th January 1992.
Few years later Honnali was joined to the civil District of Davanagere. Claretian Fathers were invited to take up the Mission Station. On 10th August 2003, Honnali was erected as a Mission centre and it was placed under the Patronage of Christ the Redeemer and given to Claretian Fathers of Bangalore province. Rev. Fr Mathew Pottemparambil CMF was the first Mission Director. As per the degree the entire civil taluk and Nyamthi also belong to the Mission Centre. Years later, as the Catholic Population was increasing in the area of Gopala which belong to the territorial jurisdiction of Sharavathi Nagar, there took place a bifurcation of Infant Jesus Church, Sharavthi Nagar and erection of a new parish on 08th April 2012, which was dedicated to Good Shepherd. Rev. Fr Felix J Noronha was the first Parish Priest.
Address:
Infant Jesus Church
Sharavathinagar
Shimoga - 577 201
Tel: 08182 - 257906
Email:
Families: 332 Catholics: 1,331
