Sandor
Encyclopedia
Sandor Parish Map
Sandor is a village in the Vasai-Virar region
of the historic Lata region of the North Konkan
, located in the District of Thane
in Maharashtra
state, India
. The natives of Sandor are predominantly Catholics who converted with the arrival of Portuguese in the region, although there had also been some Nestorians descended from converts made by the Apostles, St. Thomas the Apostle
and Bartholomeo the Apostle.
Following the conversions of 1564, a Portuguese noblewoman,Donna Irina, had a chapel, Our Lady of Help (Nossa Senhora da Ajuda) built in the village for the converts. The first mass was held in this chapel on 11 November 1566 by the Jesuit missionaries. A Sandorian tradition states that St. Gonsalo Garcia
, martyred by the Buddhists in Japan
, was present as a young boy at the foundation laying ceremony of the chapel.
The chapel was renamed after St. Thomas the Apostle
, when in 1565, his picture was brought from the fort and enshrined in the chapel. It seems that sometime or the other a new church was built a little further towards the north occupying the actual site on which the present edifice stands. The church was destroyed by Muslim Arab invaders from Gujarat in 1571, and was reconstructed in 1573.
Fr. Pedro de Almeida S.J., was appointed the 'Pai dos Cristaos' for 1574–1576, with charge of the Christians of Sandor and Papdy parishes.
In 1679, Arabs from Gujarat once again attacked and damaged the church. In 1690, a certain invader by name of 'Kakaji' also attacked and damaged the church.
The Maratha invaders of 1739 did not destroy the chapel, although the Jesuits were forced to leave and it was thereafter served by the secular priests
.
The chapel was enlarged in 1889. The three altars of the chapel are from one of the original churches in the Bacaim Fort. At some time, a cross and a grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes
was added.
It is not known when the chapel was elevated to the rank of a parish church
, but from the evidence, it seems to be some time before 1574.
Subsequently, the parishes of Our Lady of Remedies at Remedy, Our Lady of Grace at Papdy, Mae de Deus (Mother of God) at Palle, Our Lady of Mercy at Merces
and St. Michael the Archangel at Porim (Manickpur
) were carved out of it (1574–1606).
Sandor and the rest of the Vasai region were not disturbed by the intra-Catholic Padroado
-Propaganda
conflict as the region remained firmly faithful to the Archbishop of Goa and refused to accept the authority of the Vicars Apostolic of Bombay and their successors, the Archbishops of Bombay.
In 1886, the northern part of the Archdiocese of Goa was carved out as the Diocese of Damao, including the Vasai region, and it was only in 1928 that the two dioceses (Damao and Bombay) were merged, so that the Vasai region came under the Archbishops of Bombay for the first time in 1928.
At present, the parish of Sandor also serves the village of Saloli
. The church celebrates its feast 9–15 December every year, and has a big feast in the evenings.
The village of Sandor has now been made part of the Municipal Corporation of Vasai-Virar
.
Founded in 1833 by Frederick Ozanam, a French lawyer, author, and professor in the Sorbonne
University of Paris
to help impoverished people living in the slums of Paris, France.
The Society numbers about 950,000 in some 132 countries worldwide, whose members operate through "conferences". A conference may be based out of a church, community center, school, hospital, etc., and is composed of Catholic volunteers.
ST.Thomas High School, Sandor
Sandor is a village in the Vasai-Virar region
Vasai-Virar
Vasai-Virar is a city in Maharashtra state in western India. As per 2011 census this is the 5th largest city in Maharashtra . It is located in Thane District, 50 km north of Mumbai. The city is located on the north bank of Vasai Creek, part of the estuary of the Ulhas River...
of the historic Lata region of the North Konkan
Konkan
The Konkan also called the Konkan Coast or Karavali is a rugged section of the western coastline of India from Raigad to Mangalore...
, located in the District of Thane
Thane
Thane , is a city in Maharashtra, India, part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, northeastern suburb of Mumbai at the head of the Thane Creek. It is the administrative headquarters of Thane district. On 16 April 1853, G.I.P...
in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
state, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The natives of Sandor are predominantly Catholics who converted with the arrival of Portuguese in the region, although there had also been some Nestorians descended from converts made by the Apostles, St. Thomas the Apostle
St. Thomas the Apostle
Saint Thomas the Apostle was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.It may also refer to:-Places:*St. Thomas the Apostle , a large civil parish in Devon, England*St Thomas the Apostle Rural, a civil parish in east Cornwall, United Kingdom-Other:...
and Bartholomeo the Apostle.
History
The natives of the Vasai region are predominantly Norteiros or East Indians, a people whose culture derives from a composite of the Konkani substrate, overlaid by the Portuguese, Marathi and British rulers. The Sandorians are predominantly of the Vadval sub-ethnic group, and speak the Vadval dialect, which is considered by the government as a dialect of Marathi, although this view is disputed.Following the conversions of 1564, a Portuguese noblewoman,Donna Irina, had a chapel, Our Lady of Help (Nossa Senhora da Ajuda) built in the village for the converts. The first mass was held in this chapel on 11 November 1566 by the Jesuit missionaries. A Sandorian tradition states that St. Gonsalo Garcia
Gonsalo Garcia
Saint Gonsalo Garcia, O.F.M., was a Roman Catholic Franciscan friar from India, who died as a martyr in Japan and is venerated as a saint. Born in the western coastal town of Vasai, now an exurb of the city of Mumbai, he hailed from the town--then known as Bassein--during the time the town was...
, martyred by the Buddhists in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, was present as a young boy at the foundation laying ceremony of the chapel.
The chapel was renamed after St. Thomas the Apostle
St. Thomas the Apostle
Saint Thomas the Apostle was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus.It may also refer to:-Places:*St. Thomas the Apostle , a large civil parish in Devon, England*St Thomas the Apostle Rural, a civil parish in east Cornwall, United Kingdom-Other:...
, when in 1565, his picture was brought from the fort and enshrined in the chapel. It seems that sometime or the other a new church was built a little further towards the north occupying the actual site on which the present edifice stands. The church was destroyed by Muslim Arab invaders from Gujarat in 1571, and was reconstructed in 1573.
Fr. Pedro de Almeida S.J., was appointed the 'Pai dos Cristaos' for 1574–1576, with charge of the Christians of Sandor and Papdy parishes.
In 1679, Arabs from Gujarat once again attacked and damaged the church. In 1690, a certain invader by name of 'Kakaji' also attacked and damaged the church.
The Maratha invaders of 1739 did not destroy the chapel, although the Jesuits were forced to leave and it was thereafter served by the secular priests
Secular clergy
The term secular clergy refers to deacons and priests who are not monastics or members of a religious order.-Catholic Church:In the Catholic Church, the secular clergy are ministers, such as deacons and priests, who do not belong to a religious order...
.
The chapel was enlarged in 1889. The three altars of the chapel are from one of the original churches in the Bacaim Fort. At some time, a cross and a grotto to Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition said to have appeared before various individuals on separate occasions around Lourdes, France...
was added.
It is not known when the chapel was elevated to the rank of a parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, but from the evidence, it seems to be some time before 1574.
Subsequently, the parishes of Our Lady of Remedies at Remedy, Our Lady of Grace at Papdy, Mae de Deus (Mother of God) at Palle, Our Lady of Mercy at Merces
Mercês
Mercês is a Brazilian municipality located in the state of Minas Gerais. The city belongs to the mesoregion of Zona da Mata and to the microregion of Ubá....
and St. Michael the Archangel at Porim (Manickpur
Manickpur
Manickpur is a small village in Vasai town in the Thane district in the Indian state of Maharashtra.- History :Not much of the rich and great history of Manickpur is documented. It is only passed on through the generations by word of mouth...
) were carved out of it (1574–1606).
Sandor and the rest of the Vasai region were not disturbed by the intra-Catholic Padroado
Padroado
The Padroado , was an arrangement between the Holy See and the kingdom of Portugal, affirmed by a series of treaties, by which the Vatican delegated to the kings of Spain and Portugal the administration of the local Churches...
-Propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
conflict as the region remained firmly faithful to the Archbishop of Goa and refused to accept the authority of the Vicars Apostolic of Bombay and their successors, the Archbishops of Bombay.
In 1886, the northern part of the Archdiocese of Goa was carved out as the Diocese of Damao, including the Vasai region, and it was only in 1928 that the two dioceses (Damao and Bombay) were merged, so that the Vasai region came under the Archbishops of Bombay for the first time in 1928.
At present, the parish of Sandor also serves the village of Saloli
Saloli
The Saloli area of the town of Vasai , part of Thane district of the state of Maharashtra, India comprises the following villages:**Devalbhat*Prathambahat*Dolbhat*Pholodi*Kaular Wadi*Tiwarbhat*Kharbhat*Sutarbhat*Dhupalwadi*Silshiwadi...
. The church celebrates its feast 9–15 December every year, and has a big feast in the evenings.
The village of Sandor has now been made part of the Municipal Corporation of Vasai-Virar
Vasai-Virar
Vasai-Virar is a city in Maharashtra state in western India. As per 2011 census this is the 5th largest city in Maharashtra . It is located in Thane District, 50 km north of Mumbai. The city is located on the north bank of Vasai Creek, part of the estuary of the Ulhas River...
.
Church based charity/social organizations
Started in 1971 under the leadership of Very Rev. late Msgr. Philip Tavares the then parish priest of the Church. This society is a part of Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Paris, France, an international organization of Roman Catholic lay men and women of all ages, whose primary mission is to help the poor and less fortunate.Founded in 1833 by Frederick Ozanam, a French lawyer, author, and professor in the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
University of Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
to help impoverished people living in the slums of Paris, France.
The Society numbers about 950,000 in some 132 countries worldwide, whose members operate through "conferences". A conference may be based out of a church, community center, school, hospital, etc., and is composed of Catholic volunteers.
Schools
Carmelite Convent English High School, Sandor, Vasai west 401201ST.Thomas High School, Sandor
External links
- JAGRUK NAGRIK SANGH An initiative by youth's of Sandor parish, against anti-social and political influences in Religious,Financial and Social institutions
See also
- East Indians
- Norteiro
- Map of East Indian villages
