A BRIEF SKETCH OF ST.VINCENT PALLOTTI PARISH

Responding to the pastoral and spiritual needs of the Catholics in the vast residential areas in and around Banaswadi, the Pallotine Fathers and Brothers of the Community of Pallotti Nilaya, Chelikere, volunteered to organise and develop this area into a parish and construct a church as the spiritual centre of the ever growing Catholic community. The initial efforts for the realization of this goal were begun with the consent and encouragement of the administration of the Prabhu Prakash Province of the Pallottines in India and with the permission of His Grace, MoSt.Rev. Alphonsus Mathias, the Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Bangalore.

The task of organizing the Catholic community and of constructing the church was entrusted to Fr. Philip Ettamparapil who showed enthusiastic interest and initiative in the project. Fr. Philip was warmly encouraged and ably supported by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Francis Werner Hunold in this endeavour. The preliminary steps towards the realization of the project were started in 1990 inspite of the financial uncertainties.

Prior to the organization of the Catholic parish community here by the Pallottines, the Catholics of the present parish belonged to different parishes in the neighbourhood. Hence St.Vincent Pallotti Parish was carved out of the existing neighbourhood parishes with clearly marked boundaries.

At the beginning, liturgical services were conducted in the Mariam Nilaya School hall and were attended by a significant number of people. As the number increased and the school hall became insufficient to accommodate all, the basement of the church under construction was envisaged for the purpose. It was inaugurated on April 21, 1996, the closing day of the Bicentenary Celebration of the Birth of St.Vincent Pallotti, the Patron of the emerging parish, whose feast day falls on January 22nd.

Mission

We strive to bring people closer to God and try to find God in every person.

Vision

Vinpal family of God is moving towards a society where love and concern within the family and the neighbourhood is a way of life.