St Peters Church, Barkur.
A few words in kind remembrance of founding fathers…
Barkur is best explained through its rich cultural heritage, now-a-days visibly demonstrated in dailyreligious celebrations…..Once renowned for royal recognition and for housing splendid monuments, built over the centuries, though many of them destroyedand disappeared, it’s only these temples/ mosques and church, in Barkur, retained as well as maintained fairly well and sincere efforts from all communities are made to renovate, preserve them, in recent years….
Once a city of two forts, and opulent palaces, our church located at the centerin the midst of sprawling coconut groves, gracefully surrounded by schools, temples, convent, Friday market, almost got renovated and restructured (mainly the exteriors, keeping the basic structure as it is), is deservedly a fabulous treasure trove of architecture….now gearing up forinauguration on 15th December, 2019…….. Today’s Barkur offers a plethora of places to visit and explore…. and about century old Gothic styled churchdedicated to St. Peter, the Apostle, will undoubtedly one of them….an ancient parish in the Diocese of Udupi and in Coastal Karnataka, overflowing with 160,even more yearsof colorful history….Rightly a witness to many landmark events……may it be personal, socio-cultural and religious…..!!
We heard from our forefathers and elders that the Church, an architectural marvel, took almost four long years to construct…. Mons. Denis Jerome D’Souza then Vicar of Barker had a tough and challenging time, not to compromise the quality and beauty….Once you enter this House of God, you will be filledwith indispensable feelings of the presence of the Creator, a holy and appropriate place to thank, pray and to rejoice for everything that is fine in one’s life….
During those difficult years, it was teamwork of clergy, laymen and experts, contribution by way of donations in cash or in kind and labor… A witness for religious tolerance, and the generosity of the people of Barkur….At this juncture, we are duty bound to remember all greatmen and women, who sacrificed and toiled in different measures to leave this legacy behind….for all of us to adore, and bow down our heads with respects….We pray for these noble souls to rest in heavenly grace…..!
Kindly note the following list of Patrons, Benefactors / Donors who were just a small part of the long list of unsung heroes….Also its necessary to keep in our minds that, in the same location, there was a Chapel, since 1854 the same was upgraded to be a parish on 29th April, 1861, with a resident priest Rev. Fr. Cosmos Rebello, and served and nurtured by various priests and that continued till 1923, that is about 60 long years….Unfortunately, we were not able to trace or locate the authentic list of donors of the time, in way back in 1854.
The FOUNDERS of the Barkur Church.
- HE Rt. Rev. Paul Perini – The Bishop of the Diocese of Mangalore
- Rev. Fr. Denis J D’Souza – Vicar of the time
- Rev. Fr. William Picardo, S.J. (First ordained Priest from Barkur)
- Denis Picardo - Pandeshwar
- St. Peters Association, Barkur - Mumbai
- Juze Mingel Anthony D’Souza ( Donor of High Altar)
- Monthi Mary Picardo
- Eugene James Fernandes.
- Nicholas, Ruzar and Kashmir Picardo ( in memory of their father)
First Class Benefactors
- Rev. Fr. SBC D’Souza
- Rev. Fr. S. D’Souza
- Rev. Fr. A. Cornelio
- Rev. Fr. Francis D’Souza – Former Vicar Barkur
- Clement Fernandes
- Paul B. Lewis
- Didwac Lobo
- Juze Mingel D’Souza
- Cosmos Mingel Lewis
- Monthu Marian Sequeira
- Francis Mendonca
- Louis Buthello
- AJ Fernandes
- Anthony J. Fernandes S/O Leo Fernandes
- Catharine Mary Fernandes
- Salvador D’Souza – Bombay
- Piad Mathias – Kodialbail
- Phulkeria Fernandes
- Lawrence D’Almeida
- Francis, Laurent, Anselm & Lazarus Sequeira
- Maurice Picardo – Ruzai
- George Sequeira – Hosala
- Sebastian D’Souza Hosal
- Angeline D’Silva – Kachhur
- Raymond Ignatius Sequeira – Kachhur
- Maxim Sequeira
II Class Benefactors
- Francis Augustine Rebello
- Peter D’Souza - Udupi
- Gaspar D’Mello – Bombay
- Salvador D’Lima – Nagermutt
- Santhan D’Lima – Nagermutt
- Didwac Sequeira – Kachhur(Administrator of the Church of the time)
- Gregory Mendonca – Kachhur
- Simon D’Almeida Kachhur
- B. Mahabaleshwar Shetty, Mabukala Tile Factory
- Abdon Sequeira – Hosala
- Jerome D’Silva
- Ignatius Roche
- Isaac Roche
- Basil Furtado
- Joachim D’Almeida..
- Zacharias Lobo
- Lawrence Pinto
- Augustine Louis Sequeira – Hosala
- Salvador Montheiro – Hosala
- Rozario D’Almeida – Kachhur
- Jacob Fernandes – Kachhur
- Domingo Suaris – Kachhur
- Anthony D’Almeida – Kachhur
- John Francis Fernandes Kachhur
- Jacob, Paul, Peter D’Lima S/O Lawrence D’Lima
- Jethruz D’Souza - Kachhur
- Salvador D’Silva
- Benedict Mendonca - Kudru
- Francis Crasta - Hosala
- Baptist Picardo – Malpe
- Celestine D’Souza
- H. Ramanna Shetty
- Nicholas Andrade – Nagermutt
- William Menezes – Kudru – Bombay
- D’Almeida Family
- Telis Suaris Kachhur
Benefactors Electrical
- Nicholas Picardo – Kudru
- Balthazar D’Souza – Kudru
- Julian D’Souza
- Xavier Lobo – Hosala
- Evezef Furtado – Hosala
- Baptist D’Souza – Nagermutt
- Gaspar Furtado – Nagermutt
- Joseph Kashmir D’Lima – Nagermutt
- Gregory Mendonca – Kachhur
Every year during the Annual parish feast day, in December, the Vicar of the time, honor these Founders with gratitude’s, symbolically presenting a Candle to them or their descendants….Most of them, rather all of them now in heavenly abode, and many of them migrated to other places and made great progress and marked their presence felt wherever they are……however we know it for sure, few of them not aware of this meaningful ceremony or ritual, preceding the Grand Mass of the Parish Feast….!
Barkur-on-line pages in these days have more than a thousand visitors every day, …and the big chunk of it residing away from Barkur, trust this fond remembrance or refreshing your memories of your ancestors,their goodwill and sacrifices willwe hope, rightly a proud moment to cherish…..…..
On behalf of Team Barkur-on-line & ICYM Barkur Ex-Members Association,
P. Archibald Furtado, 26th November, 2019.