| About |
In 1956 Msgr. Malenfant, Ofm. Cap. the then prefect of Gorakhpur-Banares Prefecture, seized upon the charism of Fr. Raimon Panikker and gave him his full blessing to settle among the student community of Banares Hindu University (BHU) with an eye on the possibility of leavening the intelligentia. Thus it was Fr. Raimon Panikker who began the first serious ministry among the Catholics of Banaras Hindu University. It was a small affair in the beginning, in a hired room, next to the university; then two rooms in Vishnu Bhavan at Lanka. In 1982, the Diocese acquired a spacious, double-storied house in the locality of Nagwa, which was named as Assisi Bhavan. Pastoral care of the Christ's faithful in and around B.H.U., Lanka, Nagwa, etc. were looked after from Assisi Bhavan while the area remained within the territory of St. Mary's Cathedral, Varanasi. In the beginning the student priests staying at Assisi Bhavan and studying at B.H.U. were seeing to the spiritual needs and pastoral care of the faithful in the area. The name of Fr. Scaria, OFM is gratefully remembered for his pastoral care of the faithful in the area. Later on Jesuit priests took care of Christ's faithful while engaged in the dialogue ministry. When dialogue ministry was shifted to Bhelupur, the pastoral care of the people here was entrusted to diocesan priests. In 2001, the area in and around B.H.U., Lanka, Nagwa, Samne Ghat, Pandey Ghat, Shivala Ghat, Luxa, Bhelupur, Sunderpur, Karaundi, Susuwahi, Madhopur, etc. was separated from the territory of St. Mary's Cathedral and erected a new parish under the heavenly protection of St. Francis of Assisi after the name of Assisi Bhavan. Fr. John Abraham was appointed as the first parish priest of this parish. |
