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St. Anne’s Catholic Church, Sasaram

St. Anne’s Catholic Church

Address

St. Anne’s Catholic Church
REAP, New Area, Sasaram
Dist. – Rohtas
Bihar – 821 115, India
Ph.: (+91) 9453348841 Email: benysj@gmail.com

About Church

With the arrival of Fr. Mann in 1956 and the pioneering SND sisters in 1966, on the foothills of Kaimur Mountains, in Burhan, the history of Sasaram mission began to take concrete shape. Though the parish priest Fr. Mann and the many associates in the coming years were open to all sectors of people, the privileged group that received their services were the Dalits of different categories, especially the Ravidas. A wide network of village primary schools along with mass centers came up gradually though not all the masters or the catechists had the required training. The social concern took the form of food for work, medical care, generous helps for education including hostel facilities at the centre, financial aid for buying land for the landless poor, etc. Education of girls was considered a priority from the beginning.

However unfortunate events followed in the years to follow. In 1977, Fr. Mathew became officially the pastor of the mission. The dreams of the pioneering missionaries and some others were at variance. On March 7, 1980, Fr. Mathew was murdered and with this came the tragic end of the mission, at least temporarily.

At this juncture SND Sisters moved into a village called Kalasahar, about 30 K.M. away south west of Burhan. Similarly a Jesuit, Fr. Joseph Srampickal, began living in Ramdihara, another village about 45 kilometers away east of Burhan. There was a ministry of loving presence among the people. No spectacular ‘missionary works’ were undertaken. They discovered an important insight into the future ministry - “Our loving, prayerful presence within their environment has more lasting effect on them, than any material aid does....”

A commission was set up at the deanery level to look into the future of Sasaram mission and they proposed to re-open the mission in a fresh location closer to the town. Similarly the Jesuits also came to the same conclusions in their extended deliberations with their provincial team. Land was bought in New Area, the present location. The foundation stone of the Jesuit residence was laid in 1992. After Fr. Mathew’s murder the Jesuits had been functioning from Burhan from 1980-1993 under the guidance of different priests. Once the Jesuit residence was ready, parish activities began from the residence until the blessing of the new church on February 26, 2011.

These were eventful years under the guidance of Frs. James Kalapura, Tony Pendanadath, K.P. Jose, Jose Vadassery, Susairaj, Seraphim John, Stephen Raj, Victor Virender, and Benny Moolan along with many other Jesuits.