Mangalore: Foundation Stone laid to rebuild St. Antony’s Church at Kuloor

By John V. Tauro, Mangalore
Bellevision Media Network

Mangalore, 10 Apr 2012: The foundation stone for the building of the new church dedicated to St. Antony at Koolur that was recently demolished in order to provide space for the widening of the Highway was laid by Rev. Dr. Aloysius P. D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore on Tuesday, April 10, 2012 after the solemn Mass at 6 pm. A number of priests and prominent personalities from different political parties attended the programme.

 

 

The Koolur church was constructed by the European priests on the high Kollur hill which was dedicated to St. Antony in 1888. The hill was granted by the then government to the Catholic priests for religious and educational purposes.  The church was the main attraction of the region as it was situated on a high hill overlooking the Gurpur River beyond which there is the Arabian sea.

 

With the urbanization, the National Highway 66 that has been passing by the side of the hill over which t he church had been located had to be widened. Hence, the hillock went on shrinking. Though a concrete barricade was erected by the side of the highway, it could not sustain the church and eventually, for the greater good of the society and development of the city, the church authorities yielded and the church had to be demolished so that the highway could be broadened.

 

 

Though the church was demolished to make way for the highway, it was felt that a new church as to be built to cater the spiritual needs of the people of the area. Hence, generous people came forward to contribute for the building of a new and spacious church dedicated to St. Antony whose foundation stone was laid on Tuesday, April 10, 2012.