St. John the Baptist Church, Mumbai

From Bharatpedia, an open encyclopedia


Ruins of St. John the Baptist Church in Andheri, built by the Portuguese in 1579

St. John the Baptist Church is an abandoned and ruined church presently located within the SEEPZ Industrial Area, in Andheri, Mumbai, India. It was built by the Portuguese Jesuits in 1579 and opened to public worship on the feast of John the Baptist that year. It also had an attached graveyard. The church was abandoned in 1840 after an epidemic hit the village. Fr. José Lourenço Pais, the then Vicar of Kondivita transferred the church to the nearby Marol village. The baptismal font, pillars and altars were transferred to the new church.

After abandonment, the church fell into decay and vegetation started to take over the ruins. Despite being abandoned, the native Christians visit the church once every year, as is traditional worldwide.

The church was handed back to Fr. Rodney Esperance of Bombay Archdiocese in 2003 by the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.[1]

References[edit]

  • Roofless, but soul is intact, Jeetha D'Silva, Times of India, pg-5, 2005-07-10
  • Sarna, Deepa H (15 May 2007). "St. John's opens for mass". DNA. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
Information red.svg
Scan the QR code to donate via UPI
Dear reader, We kindly request your support in maintaining the independence of Bharatpedia. As a non-profit organization, we rely heavily on small donations to sustain our operations and provide free access to reliable information to the world. We would greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to consider donating to our cause, as it would greatly aid us in our mission. Your contribution would demonstrate the importance of reliable and trustworthy knowledge to you and the world. Thank you.

Please select an option below or scan the QR code to donate
₹150 ₹500 ₹1,000 ₹2,000 ₹5,000 ₹10,000 Other