Parish History
History of Santhome Parish: A Legacy of Faith and Service
For over 25 years, Santhome Parish has served as a sanctuary, a place of worship and a centre for social activity, adapting to the changing needs of its parishioners while retaining its unique character.
Here, the History of Santhome aims to capture the essence of our Parish story.
Reminiscent of the birth of our saviour Jesus Christ, Santhome Parish had a humble beginning in 1998 at Santhome Study House’ in Hulimavu. This was a Major Seminary of Mananthavady Diocese, founded in 1981 under the guidance of the great visionary Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy. A group of dedicated Malayalee Catholic families who stayed nearby used to attend the Holy Mass there. As the number of faithful increased, the establishment of a Parish Church became inevitable.
Rev.Fr. Francis Karippukattil, the Rector of the Study House, took the initiative of forming a parish in 1997 under the guidance of the late Rt. Rev. Dr. Emmanuel Pothanamuzhi.
Despite challenges, the community thrived, and the Study House was elevated as an independent Mass Centre on 5th January 1998.
On 1st July 1998, it was formally declared a full-fledged parish by His Grace Alphonse Mathias, Archbishop of Bangalore Archdiocese. The parish's humble beginnings included just 33 families.
Fr. Francis Karippukattil was appointed as the first Vicar. Succeeding him, Fr. Kuriakose Kumbukeel, Fr. Paul Koottala and Fr. Sebastian Keezheth continued to maintain the charism of the parish.
As the parish expanded from 33 to over 100 families within a decade, its ministries and services also grew to meet the community's evolving needs.
In 2010, Rev. Fr. Saji Pariyappanal took on the role of Santhome parish's fifth Vicar, serving as their spiritual leader for seven years.
Navigating the challenges, construction of a new church building began in 2011 under the pastoral care and unwavering leadership of Rev. Fr. Saji Pariyappanal.
The foundation stone for our parish was laid on January 6, 2012, by the Most Reverend Mar George Njaralakkatt, who was then the Bishop of Mandya. We thankfully remember Mananthavady Diocese and Mar Jose Porunnedom for donating land for the Church.
On February 16, 2014, the new Church edifice was consecrated by His Beatitude Mar George Alencherry, Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church. This significant milestone was made possible by the wholehearted support and cooperation of the parish's growing community of over 150 families, dedicated well-wishers, and the immense blessings of the Almighty.
As the Eparchy of Mandya was extended to Bangalore in 2015, Santhome Parish became a part of it. Eventually, it was elevated as the Regional Pastoral Centre of the Diocese by Most Rev. Mar Antony Kariyil, serving a community that had grown to over 250 families.
Father Saji continued to serve this expanded community with genuine care and concern until 2017.
Rev. Fr. Manoj Ambalathinkal took over as the 6th Vicar of the parish in May, 2017. For the subsequent five years, he dedicated himself to nurturing the community, which grew to over 350 families, through a diverse range of ministries and events.
In May 2022, Santhome welcomed its 7th Vicar, Rev. Fr. Thomas Kattuthuruthiyil, as our new shepherd. His gentle and thoughtful approach creates a positive and supportive atmosphere for the community to thrive.
From its founding, Santhome Parish has been a beacon of hope and faith for the expatriate Malayali Catholic Community in South Bangalore. Its legacy is marked by its outreach efforts, establishment programmes to serve the poor, the elderly and the marginalised. Under the charismatic leadership of Vicar Fr. Thomas and His Excellency Mar Sebastian Adayanthrath Bishop of Mandya, the holistic development of the Parish continues as a spiritual haven for over 400 families.