Despite ethnic conflict, Manipur's Catholic Church celebrates 40 years of faith and perseverance

The Catholic Community at St. Teresa's Parish in Tuaitengphai, Manipur, India, marked a jubilee on May 20, 2024, amidst challenges, celebrating a heritage of faith and perseverance.

The Emeritus Archbishop, Most Rev. Dominic, D.D., accompanied by ten priests, presided over the Jubilee Mass in the school auditorium because the church was unable to hold the over 1500 Catholic faithful who gathered from different locations.

In his homily, the archbishop stated that a spiritual life contributes to the happiness of bishops, priests, nuns, and laypeople.

The prelate stated, "Due to a lack of spiritual life, some catholic churches and parishes in Manipur burned, and the faithful ran for their lives and scattered."

In 1976, a pivotal event in the church's history took place when a group of devout Catholics, originally from other regions, came to this village to found the church.

Seven families made the decision to convert to Catholicism in 1983, which helped to establish the Catholic Church in Tuitengphai Village. They did so because they had a vision for the village's spiritual and overall development.

Currently, amidst the moving ceremonies, the parish priest paid tribute to several families who had passed on, while presenting mementos to the living elders.

Over 1500 local Catholic church dignitaries, clergy, nuns, and parishioners gathered for an official celebratory event in the auditorium.

The bishop extended his congratulations to the community and noted, "The recent violence has resulted in a substantial rise in membership at St. Mary's Parish, Good Shepherd Parish, and St. Thomas's Parish within this district."

"This is a testament to God's miraculous work, so don't lose hope; one day, everything will align according to God's plan," said the bishop.

In his message, the bishop claimed that at present there are more than 200 priests and 700 nuns in the diocese, some working in the USA and Europe, and many more.

The priests and sisters of the archdiocese worked for the vineyard of the Lord seen in this jubilee celebration, bearing fruit and expressing his happiness and gratitude to them for their works.

According to the bishop, disturbances caused by undesirable elements in the area led to the church's abandonment. After a 10-year gap, Fr. Mark Thang Khan Ai, former Director of RVA: Zo Service, became the first resident.

Since then, members have gradually increased, and in 2010, the community slowly matured into a full-fledged parish.

Father Louis Khongsai, the parish priest, expressed his gratitude to the church pioneers, who faced hardships and difficulties when they embraced Catholicism in the beginning.

He encouraged the present faithful to continue this mission forward, celebrating the Golden, Centennial, and many more milestones to make the Catholic Church a beautiful church in the area.

The parish priest appealed for the continuation of faith, regardless of its size, to persist as a beacon in the region now and in future times—a faith rooted in the sacrifices of forebears who confronted perilous situations and even the threat of death.