A special jubilee service was held at San-Thome Catholic Church under St. Mary’s Parish Tuibuang in Churachanpur District on July 21, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Catholic community's presence in the area.
Nearly a thousand faithful, including Sisters, and members from different parishes and church units within Churachanpur District, attended the Jubilee Holy Mass.
The service was presided over by Father P. Lourdhusamy, Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Parish, Tuibuang, along with Father Stanis Khup, Rector of Oriens Theological College Shillong, Father Mark Aimneg, Associate Priest of St. Mary’s Parish, Tuibuang, and Father Athanasius Mung, Coordinator of RVA ZO Service, among others.
Father P. Samy, Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Parish, blessed and unveiled the Jubilee monolith. This was followed by a traditional declaration of the Jubilee through the ceremonial striking of the Gong by specially selected individuals.
The Catholic community in Tuibuang began with a small group of eight families in 1974 who embraced Catholicism despite stern warnings from village leaders enforcing a "one village, one denomination" rule.
These pioneers faced excommunication and hardship, lacking a place of worship. Initially, Pu Thangkhotong’s residence served as the gathering place for Catholic families.
In his homily, Father Khup emphasized the significance of the Eucharist in completing the essence of the Jubilee, stating, “We must reconcile with God during the Jubilee year.”
From its humble beginnings, the San-Thome Catholic Church has grown to become the most magnificent Catholic church in Churachanpur District, and possibly the most beautiful in all of Manipur State.
Father Mung, in his message, highlighted the Jubilee as a time of God’s blessings and a period to renew the covenantal relationship with God. “I thank God for this special event and I’m happy to be here on this historic occasion in this magnificent church,” Mung said.
The theme of the San-Thome Catholic 50-year celebration is “For Christ and the Church.” The church now boasts more than 100 families and stands as a beacon of faith in the region.
Esther Nuam, a participant married to a Catholic man, expressed her satisfaction with the Jubilee event, stating, “This is my first time participating in a Catholic Jubilee celebration. I have never seen such a massive and magnificent local church. The pioneers of San Thome have made us all proud to be Catholic. May God bless San-Thome members in their endeavors.”
Churachanpur is predominantly another denomination, with Catholics being a minority. Due to recent violence in Manipur, many Catholics, especially from St. Joseph’s Parish in Sugnu, have migrated to Churachanpur for safety and education. This has led to a significant increase in the Catholic population over the past year.
The Indian Catholic Church has committed to constructing more than 600 houses for internally displaced Catholic families.
In collaboration with the Archdiocese of Imphal, over 100 houses have been completed, and more than 300 are under construction in various parts of the district. Plans for additional houses are in progress and will soon be implemented across Manipur.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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