ST. FIDELIS CHURCH

It was on August 2, 1961, the then Archbishop Dr. Dominic Athaide appointed Fr. Edmund OFM Cap to initiate the first Mission Station of the Archdiocese of Agra. He started the mission in Aligarh, residing in a rented room in Abdullah Lodge and offering Sunday Mass in the spacious residence of the then Aligarh Station Master, Mr. Cabral, a Catholic from Allahabad. Meanwhile the Archbishop invited the FSMA Sisters of Mhow (M.P.), to open a convent and an English medium School in Aligarh. The Sisters camped in Chhatri Wali Kothi on rent, and later shifted to Khalil Manzil. The school was in another building in the premises of Abdullah Lodge on Marris Road, till it was in permanent location in 1967. The second Priest in-charge of the Mission, also the first Diocesan Priest was Fr. Thomas Paramundayil (1964-1967). His ingenuity, wisdom and farsightedness gave a permanent campus to the Mission. With the arrival of Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity, the Mission became more lively. After staying in a rented house for a couple of years, the Sisters moved to their own house in Jamalpur in 1983. The Mission was blessed with its Church in 1986 by Fr. Jose Akkara, the then Priest in-charge. The founding of St. Fidelis School in 1992 by Fr. K. K. Thomas, brought enhancement to the Mission. From 1993, the Holy Family Congregation has been rendering their services. Later in 2001, Fr. Sebastian Pantaladi shifted the Classes from sixth upward to the new site in Tala Nagari. Fr. Dennis D'Souza upgraded the School to Senior Secondary. On July 1, 2005, the Fatima Sisters arrived in Aligarh and started to help in the field of education. The unique, alternative ministry, catering to the needs of street children, Savio Navjeevan Bal Bhavan was established on 31st August 2005 by Fr. Jose Akkara. In July 2010, the congested shelter in Ekta Nagar was moved to a spacious house in Tala Nagari. The Inter-religious dialogue, a unique endeavour to bring the people of different faiths together, was very dear to the pioneer Archbishop of Agra, the Most Rev. Dr. Dominic Athaide. He started this movement in Aligarh in the year 1974 itself. The Foundation Stone for 'Sadbhavana' - a Centre for Inter-religious Dialogue - was blessed by Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, the President of the Pontifical Council for Inter Religious Dialogue, Rome, in 2004 in the presene of Archbishop Oswald Gracias and Msgr. Felix Machado, the Secretary of the Pontifical Council. The same was established in 2012, is now headed by Fr. Varghese Kunnath. The Centre continues to be at Tala Nagari, Aligarh. For the Silver Jubilee Block, the foundation stone was laid on April 6, 2016 and blessed and inaugurated on July 3, 2017. The foundation stone for the St. Fidelis' Niwas was laid on October 7, 2016 and was blessed on December 1, 2017. The foundation stone for Kroot Bhawan was laid on September 4, 2016 and inaugurated on August 20, 2017. The following are the Parish Priests: Fr. Edmund, OFM Cap 1961 - 1964 Fr. Thomas Paramundayil 1964 - 1968 Fr. Hugh, OFM Cap 1968 - 1970 Fr. Peter Celestine, OFM Cap 1970 - 1974 Fr. James, OFM Cap 1974 - 1975 Fr. John Lewis, OFM Cap 1975 - 1976 Fr. Jose Maliekal 1976 - 1977 Fr. Sebastian Pantaladi 1977 - 1981 Fr. Jose Akkara 1981 - 1987 Fr. Thomas K.K. 1987 - 1995 Fr. Sebastian Pantaladi 1995 - 2001 Fr. Dennis D'Souza 2001 - 2003 Fr. Johnson Chiriyankandath 2003 - 2008 Fr. Bhaskar Jesuraj 2008 - 2009 Fr. Alwyn Pinto 2009 - 2013 Fr. Gregory Tharayil 2013 - 2019 Fr. John D'Cunha 2019 - 2020 Fr. John Roshan Pereira 2020 - Address St. Fidelis Church, Ramghat Road Aligarh - 202 001, U.P. Phone 0571-2740468 E-mail stfidelisch@gmail.com Patron St. Fidelis Annual Feast Day April 24 Estd 1961 Catholics 292 Mass Centres Narora, Jamalpur Clergy Fr. John Roshan Pereira (PP) Fr. Charles Toppo (APP) Fr. Elias Correia Fr. Jose Akkara Religious Houses Holy Family Convent (CHF) T. 2740807 Kroot Bhavan (FS) M. 9412122259 Prem Niwas (MC) T. 2721683 Our Lady of Fatima Convent (FSMA) T. 2740122/9456976976 Institutions: Our Lady of Fatima Sr. Sec. School T. 2740828/2970980 Our Lady of Fatima School (H.M.) M. 7830410535 Sadbhavana Pre-School T. 2780462 Savio Navjeevan Bal Bhavan T. 2780093 St. Fidelis Sr. Sec. School T. 2740854, 2780092

St. Fidelis Church, Ramghat Road Aligarh - 202 001, U.P.