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For a long time it was looked after by Varanasi Parish. The Church was built in 1935, blessed on February 11, 1936 and dedicated to Christ the King by Dr. Angela Poli, Bishop of Allahabad. This church was built at the cost of Rs. 22,000 which were paid chiefly by the Bishop who added his generous donation to the sum collected among the faithful of Mughalsarai. Mughalsarai church was established mainly for the people of the Railway Colony. It was for a long time under the spiritual care of the pastors from Benares who took care on Sundays to attend to two congregations facing several difficulties of traveling across the river Ganges. Later an assistant was given to the parish priest of Benares so that he might dedicate all his activities for railway colony. The Sisters of the Queen of the Apostles opened their house in 1955. Along with the pastoral care and visiting the families, the sisters were engaged in Education Ministry in Christ The King School which was shifted to Hinauli under the name of St. Mary’s Convent School. The school was mainly for the children of the railway employers. Once upon a time, being one of the biggest railway yards, Mughalsarai has many Anglo Indian Catholic families who were employed in the railways. Attending to the pastoral needs of these people is one of the major ministries here. In 1984, the devotion to Infant Jesus of Prague, started by Fr. Stanislaus D'Souza, became an important aspect of the ministry here. Today the Church is more popularly known as the Shrine of Infant Jesus. The annual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Infant Jesus is on the first Sunday of Advent. It is one of the best ways to prepare for Christmas by paying a visit to the Shrine of Infant Jesus on the first Sunday of the Advent. Since there are direct trains from many places and the church is close to the railway station, it is convenient for people to come for the pilgrimage. A long procession "Shobha yatra" is organized through the city for about five kilometers distance on the day of pilgrimage. Today a lot of people visit the shrine on Christmas and Easter day. A big pilgrime centre with spacious accommodation for the pilgrims is built by the generous donation of the pilgrims. The life size statues of way of the cross and mysteries of the Holy Rosary mounted on the wall of the church make it a place of prayer and devotion. |
