St. Thomas Church

The Kerala Catholics migrated to Mankhurd, actively involved in all the activities of the first catholic church at Markhurd dedicated to St. Antony. As the Diocese of Kalyan was erected in the year 1988 to meet the long- standing needs of the Syro Malabar Catholics to have their own ecclesiastical rite of worship in the cultural and traditional form of the 2000 year old Apostolic Malabar Church, a new Qurbana Centre for Syro-Malabar Catholics also began functioning at Mankhurd. The activities of this Parish at that time were centered around St. Anthony’s Church, Mankhurd and around Our Lady of Peace Chapel, Anushaktinagar. The need to have our own centre for worship was strong in the minds of the Syro Malabar Catholics and during the year 1999, a plot in Mankhurd village was bought with the intention to build a Welfare Centre-cum-Church. With the grace of Almighty God and with the untiring efforts of our beloved parish priest, Rev. Fr. Davis Chirayath (1999-2005) and the generous financial support of our parishioners, our dream of having our own centre at Mankhurd was materialized slowly but steadily. The memorable day dawned on January 21, 2005, when His Excellency Mar Thomas Elavanal, Bishop of Kalyan Diocese consecrated, blessed and dedicated the Blessed Alphonsa Welfare Centre with a Prayer Hall to St. Thomas, the Apostle of India. Since then, all our liturgical, sacramental and other charitable activities gradually shifted to this Centre. With the firm commitment of our parishioners and promise of support from our friends outside, various charitable activities were planned and executed by the Karunya Trust of this Unit. The Trust caters to the needs of deserving medical and educational needs of the people around and distributes free food grains on all Sundays to the poor and needy around Mankhurd Village, which is primarily a slum area. As a part of diversification of neighberhood welfare activities, a Play School has been started at our premises during the academic session 2011-12. Rev. Fr. Shaiju Kattayath serves now in the parish as parish priest. The following Priests guided this Parish since its inception: Rev. Fr. Jose Thannipara, MST, Rev. Fr. Paul Madan, Rev. Fr. Joy Punnakuzhy, Rev. Fr. Jose Vattakuzhy , Rev. Fr. Paul Kalarikal, Rev. Fr. Augustine Puthiakulangara, Rev. Fr. Jovy Kundukulangara, Rev. Fr. Joju Arakal, Rev. Fr. Davis Chirayath, Rev. Fr. Sunil Kadaparambil, Rev. Fr. Joseph Vaikkadan, Rev. Fr. Mathew Maniamkerry, Rev. Fr. Poulose Chalakkal, Rev. Fr. Jijo Kallely, OFM Cap, Rev. Fr. Jinto Edattukunnel. DETAILS Forane: Antophill Status: Parish Parish Priest: Fr. Shaiju Kattayath Establishment of Parish Community: 1988 Official Erection as a Parish: 26/02/2006 Date of the Consecration of the Church: 21/01/2005 Area of the Church Property: 3000 sq.ft. No. of Family’s: 130 No. of Family Units: 13 Address: St. Alphonsa Welfare Centre, Near Railway Station, Mankhurd (E), Mumbai 400088 Phone No.: 25554436

St. Alphonsa Welfare Centre, Near Railway Station, Mankhurd (E), Mumbai 400088