Indian Christianity
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HISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA : M. M. NINAN<br />
The organized work of evangelization in Manipur actually began with the erection of the Diocese of<br />
Dibrugarh in 1951, with Bishop O. Marengo, sdb, as Manipur was drawn within his ecclesiastical<br />
jurisdiction. Every year Bishop Marengo visited Manipur and pushed the work ahead with the cooperation<br />
of the burning zeal of the laity.<br />
The Catholic faith among the Tangkhuls, one of the first hill tribes to accept the faith, was brought by Mr.<br />
Dominic Shomi, former pupil if St. Anthony’s School, Shillong, and Mr. George Hongrei, former student of<br />
Don Bosco School, Guwahati. In 1952, Fr Marocchino, chaplain of the Kohima Hospital, was invited to<br />
Hundung, a village near Ukhrul. Mr. Shomi had prepared 350 persons ready to embrace the faith. Fr.<br />
Marocchino gave them more instructions and received them into the Church.<br />
The best way to promote the work of evangelization, as Bishop Marengo saw it, was to have resident<br />
priests in the area. Losing no time, he sent Fr A. Ravalico, sdb, and Fr Peter Bianchi, sdb, as the first<br />
resident priests who reached Imphal on March 5, 1956. Initially, they lived in a rented house in Imphal.<br />
The following year, on May 7, 1957, they acquired a new house (the present site of the “Nirmalabas”) in<br />
the heart of the town. Towards the end of that year, Fr Felix, sdb, and Fr Venturoli, sdb, joined them in<br />
the mission. The Church in Manipur began to take its roots gradually and firmly.<br />
The vastness of the Lord's vineyard demanded more workers to the harvest. In 1958, Fr Joseph<br />
Kachiramattam, the first diocesan priest to step into Manipur soil, arrived in Imphal and joined the<br />
community of the Salesian missionaries. Later, two other diocesan priests, Fr Mathew Planthottam and<br />
Fr Mani Parenkulangara reached Manipur in 1959 and 1961 respectively. Since then, more priests and<br />
religious have strengthened the promotion of the evangelization work in Manipur. Among the pioneering<br />
Women Religious Congregations, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA), the Congregation of<br />
Mother of Carmel (CMC), Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC) and Sisters of the Adoration of the<br />
Blessed Sacrament (SABS) are also worth mentioning.<br />
The Diocese of Kohima - Imphal which included the two states of Nagaland and Manipur was erected on<br />
January 29, 1973 by Pope Paul VI, with Rt. Rev. Abraham Alangimattathil, sdb, as its first Bishop.<br />
Bifurcating the Diocese of Kohima - Imphal, the Diocese of Imphal comprising of the entire State of<br />
Manipur was erected by Pope John Paul II on April 21, 1980 with Rt. Rev. Joseph Mittathany, then<br />
bishop of Tezpur, as its first Bishop. Later, on August 1, 1995 His Holiness, John Paul II, raised the<br />
Diocese to the status of an Archdiocese with Most Rev Joseph Mittathany as the Archbishop.<br />
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