ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI'S CHURCH

Established : 1981 Patron : St. Francis of Assisi Address : St. Francis of Assisi Church, ATP Colony, Anpara P.O, Sonebhadra Dt - 231225 Telephone : 05446-273358 Religious : Canossian Daughters of Charity (FDCC) A Brief History Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board (UPSEB), now known as Uttar Pradesh Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (UPRVUNL) had erected a new Thermal Power project in Anpara, with Japanese collaboration in the neighborhood of the Renusagar Power Station of Hindalco. Renusagar was already a visiting station for the Priest from Renukoot, with some floating catholic families. The UPSEB organization approached the Diocese of Allahabad through Rev. Fr. Eric Pinto, who was then the Parish Priest of Renukoot to begin an English Medium school, affiliated to CBSE Board, to cater to the educational needs of the wards of UPSEB employees. So, UPSEB made an agreement with the diocese of Allahabad to provide a rent free school building and a church to take care of the spiritual needs of the catholic population living in Anpara, Renusagar, Beena and other nearby villages and also for a convent to help out in the school as well in the parish activities. Villages around this place were already visited by Rev. Fr. Bader and his religious brothers when they visited Singrauli (present Shaktinagar). On account of the Rihand Dam all the villages were submerged and people were shifted and this is how they settled around Anpara. When Diocese agreed to open the School, four rooms on the road side near Auri Morh were given by the plant, for the mission to start the School in 1981. Rev. Fr. Scaria was the first Priest to stay there till the School building was ready at Anpara in the township of the Power House. The present church building was provided to us in the year 1995 with the help of Engineer S. P. Singh, the then Chief General Manager of the Plant. Parish has almost 550 floating Catholics in 120 families from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Mangalore, Jharkhand and some local Catholics. They live at Bina, Kakhri, Rehta, Renusagar, ATP colony and also in Lal tower Dera & Alexander Dera. Canossian sisters are also rendering their services in the parish. Presently parish is divided in to four zones; viz., Anpara Zone, Beena Zone, Renusagar, Kakhri & Rehta Zone, & Lal Tower Zone. People are mainly working in Northern Coal mines, Hindalco Power Plant, and also in Uttar Pradesh State Electricity Board. Most of them work as daily laborers in the plant. Though ours is a floating community, people are very active, co-operative and God fearing parish community. They take keen interest in all the church activities. Hence we feel very happy to give our best to bring up our parish family. Parish Priests Fr. Scaria 19/08/1981 to 30/4/1984 Fr. Mark D’Souza 01/05/1984 to 30/6/1990 Fr. John Lobo 01/07/1990 to 30/9/2001 Fr. William Mathias 01/10/2001 to 30/6/2007 Fr. Michael D’Souza 01/07/2007 to 28/1/2008 Fr. Vincent Pereira (Caretaker after the demise of Fr. Michael) Fr. Jacob Bona D’Souza 01/04/2008 to 2015 Fr. Baptist D’Souza 2015 – to date

St. Francis of Assisi Church, ATP Colony, Anpara P.O, Sonebhadra Dt - 231225