St. Mary's Cathedral is one of the oldest church of the
Ranchi
Ranchi (, ) is the capital of the Indian state of Jharkhand. Ranchi was the centre of the Jharkhand movement, which called for a separate state for the tribal regions of South Bihar, northern Odisha, western West Bengal and the eastern area ...
, in the
Chota Nagpur Plateau
The Chota Nagpur Plateau is a plateau in eastern India, which covers much of Jharkhand state as well as adjacent parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Bihar. The Indo-Gangetic plain lies to the north and east of the plateau, and the bas ...
area. Catholics and Christian faithful working as tea gardens in Tea Estates area, Railway along with the farmers were the early community of the church.
History
Christian Missionaries serving among the people made thatched sheds on the hillock near the market and Kallada River. One of the thatched sheds used as Church during 1866 was the first Church of Ranchi established by the Roman Catholic missionaries. The Church was named afte
'Mother of Good Counsel'St. Mary) and liturgies of the Church were in Latin. St. Mary's Church was built in 1909 and remodelled with concrete structure during 25 May 1927.
Belgian Carmelite missionaries were the First Fathers of Punalur and of places around Punalur. During the Second World War the First Fathers had to go back, entrusting the church work to the diocesan clergy of Quilon (
Kollam
Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...
).
Ranchi Diocese was separated from the
Diocese of Quilon (Kollam) and created into a separate unit by the Bull “Verba Christ” of
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
, issued on 21 December 1985.
Location
St Mary's Cathedral complex is located on north of Ranchi railway on Dr caumil Bulke path (Purulia Road).
See also
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Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Diocese of Ranchi
External links
References
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Ranchi district
Roman Catholic cathedrals in India
Roman Catholic churches in Jharkhand
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