History

Brief History of St. Anthony’s Church

Shivajinagar, Pune

The origins of St. Anthony’s Church, Shivajinagar, may be traced back to the early 1960s, when only a handful of Catholic families resided in the area. In those days, the faithful had to travel considerable distances to fulfill their spiritual needs—either to the City Church (Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception), St. Ignatius Church at Khadki, or, for families living near Aundh, the Military Chapel at Aundh Chest Hospital. On Karve Road and in Kothrud, Mass was celebrated only occasionally at Crispon’s Home (the Anglican Chapel at Nal Stop), through the pastoral care of priests from St. Teresa’s Church, Panch Howd. Until the early 1970s, the present-day Senapati Bapat Road itself did not exist.

From 1965 onwards, the situation began to change. The establishment of the National Chemical Laboratory, the Agricultural College, and the Shivajinagar Police Lines drew an increasing number of Catholic families to the area. In response, Sunday Masses were organized in private homes—those of Inspector D’Souza at the Police Lines, Mr. Peter Dhanpal at Shirole Vasti, and Mr. Christy and Mr. D’Mello at the Railway Quarters. Priests from Our Lady of Perpetual Help (OLPH), Tadiwala Road, rendered faithful service to these small gatherings.

Recognizing the need for a permanent place of worship, Bishop Andrew D’Souza acquired a parcel of land in Model Colony (Survey No. 115/6). The negotiations, facilitated by Dr. Moniz, a professor at the Agricultural College, led to a successful purchase from Baba Shirole, the landowner. Bishop William Gomes, his successor, soon erected a two-storied building. The ground floor was designed as a Prayer Hall, while the upper floor housed seminarians and priests pursuing studies at Pune University, among them Bishop Emeritus Thomas Dabre. This building, named Vidya Bhavan, was solemnly blessed by His Eminence Cardinal Valerian Gracias on 29 September 1969.

The following years witnessed the growth of both parish and school. In 1971, the primary section of Vidya Bhavan School began functioning, with classes conducted during weekdays in the same Prayer Hall. On Sundays, the furniture was rearranged to make space for Mass. In time, a dedicated school building was constructed, and the Prayer Hall was reserved exclusively for liturgical purposes.

The Church was placed under the patronage of St. Anthony, and Rev. Fr. Anthony Lobo became its first Parish Priest. In those early years, the priest also served as principal of the school. The altar, at first positioned near the present main door, was later relocated in response to the parish’s growing needs.

In 1983, under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Alfred Barreto, the church was expanded with the addition of a ground-floor corridor. The altar was moved to the central wall adjoining the school building. Since the original Prayer Hall was adapted into a church, it lacked the traditional façade of Catholic churches. At that time, there were entrances from both the present altar side and the staircase.

Another significant phase of development came in 2005, when Rev. Fr. Willie Fernandes oversaw the relocation of the altar to its present position, along with the addition of a sacristy. A modern façade, designed by architect Peter D’Souza, was constructed, while late Clarence Joseph undertook the creation of the finely crafted wooden altar platform. An adoration chapel was also added at this time.

With the expansion of Vidya Bhavan School and its adoption of the CBSE curriculum, the need for additional classrooms became pressing. Plans were drawn to reconstruct the church building in such a way that it could serve both as a place of worship and as a foundation for school facilities. Work commenced in 2021 under the guidance of Rev. Fr. Roque Green and Rev. Fr. Dominic Adams. The new structure, comprising the church, classrooms, and priest’s residence, was solemnly blessed and inaugurated on 30 November 2023 by His Lordship Bishop John Rodrigues. 

Parish Priests of St. Anthony’s Church

Fr. Anthony Lobo (1969–1972) – Principal cum Parish Priest

Fr. Sabino D’Souza (1972–1974) – Principal cum Parish Priest

Fr. Alfred Barreto (1974–1984) – Principal cum Parish Priest

Fr. Isidore Soares (1985–1989) – Principal cum Parish Priest

Fr. Nelson Machado (1989–1995) – Principal cum Parish Priest

Fr. Jerry D’Souza (1993–1998) – Parish Priest

Fr. Mariano D’Silva (1998–2003) – Parish Priest

Fr. Willie Fernandes (2003–2008) – Parish Priest

Fr. Edwin Joseph (2008–2013) – Parish Priest

Fr. Clement Raj (2013–2015) – Parish Priest

Fr. Roque Green (2015–2021) – Parish Priest

Fr. Dominic Adams (2021– ) – Parish Priest

Over the years, several retired priests, including Rev. Fr. Rock D’Souza, Fr. Torcato, Fr. Manuel Mascarenhas, and Fr. Anthony Lobo, have resided here and contributed as assistant parish priests.

Parish Life and Distinctions

Education: St. Anthony’s is the only parish in the Diocese of Pune to administer three Catholic schools.

Parish Boundaries: The territory extends from Wakdewadi and Patil Estate in the east to Warje, Kothrud, Bavdhan, Baner, and Balewadi in the west.

Catholic Institutions: The National Housing Society on Baner Road, founded in 1949, was once the only Catholic bungalow society in western Pune.

Holy Trinity Church, Navi Sangvi: When the Military Chapel at Aundh was closed in 1990, parishioners raised funds through donations, a lottery, and a cultural programme to acquire land at Navi Sangvi, leading to the establishment of Holy Trinity Church.

Lay Leadership: In 2003, Mr. Alphie Monteiro of this parish was elected the first President of the Pune Central Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

Academic Excellence: The parish has consistently produced rank-holders in SSC and HSC examinations.

Vocations: Fr. Sebastian Mony, a diocesan priest, hails from this parish.

Notable Parishioners

Padmashri Dr. Paul Ratnasami – Distinguished scientist, Director of NCL, with over 150 patents.

Mr. Allen Pereira – Former Chairman & MD, Bank of Maharashtra.

Dr. Divota – Senior Scientist & Director, NEERI.

Mr. Kevin D’Sa – CFO & President–Finance, Bajaj Auto Ltd.

Mr. David Mascarenhas – Vice President, David Greaves.

Mr. Thomas Balan – General Manager, General Insurance Co., and MD of ARN Brokers.

Mr. A.J.S. Fernandes – Deputy General Manager, Tata Motors.

Mr. Harry David – Sports Editor, Times of India.