Manipur: Catholics celebrate new church for those displaced by tribal violence

The place of worship, dedicated to St Joseph, is located in the village of Munpi, a remote area in the Singngat region. A Catholic couple from Goa made a significant contribution to its construction. The inauguration was presided over by the Archbishop Emeritus of Imphal. For the prelate, the church ‘will contribute to their healing, their relief and their sense of stability’.

Delhi (AsiaNews) - Catholics in a remote area of Manipur, a state in the north-east that has been the scene of ethnic and religious violence involving the Christian minority, celebrated the opening of a newly built church, the first in the area, dedicated to internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The place of worship is located in the village of Munpi in Singngat, a town in the district of Churachandpur, and welcomed the faithful for the first time during the blessing ceremony held on 18 October, led by the Archbishop Emeritus of Imphal, Monsignor Dominic Lumon. The prelate concelebrated with 13 priests, numerous nuns, catechists and a thousand villagers from the area.

The church, dedicated to St Joseph, was built thanks to the fundamental contribution of a Catholic couple from Goa, Jeronimo Pereira and his wife Mary, who contributed “generously” by donating a substantial sum of money for its construction.

Among the sources of inspiration, the man says, is the valuable work done by Street Providence Goa, an NGO that works on behalf of the homeless and the less fortunate by providing them with food, clothing and basic medical care. ‘We were deeply moved,’ he says, ‘by the community's need for a place of worship, and our family wanted to provide them with a suitable church.’

The new church and related community projects in Singngat mainly benefit Catholic families from the village of Singtom, who were displaced by recent violence in the Chandel district.

This community is known for its rich heritage linked to the local Catholic tradition and has taken a leading role in re-establishing community life in Munpi. As part of a broader initiative that goes beyond the church, long-time catechist Peter Kammang and his brothers donated agricultural land to create new settlements for displaced families.

On the day of the inauguration, other community resources and assets provided by donors and the archdiocese were also blessed, including: a grotto dedicated to Our Lady; a large cross; and a 50,000-litre drinking water tank for displaced families.

The construction is a testament to the resilience of the community, as the villagers actively participated in clearing the land, producing concrete bricks and building new houses. In this regard, the archdiocese announced that 18 October will be celebrated annually as Munpi Pilgrimage Day.

When asked by AsiaNews, Msgr. Dominic Lumon explained: ‘It was a moment of grace, a moment of great joy. These people had to leave their villages, where they had lived for generations, they were expelled from their homes and their church, but now they have a home (built by the diocese) and a place of worship.

The prelate continued, "this will contribute to their healing, their relief and their sense of stability. In this area, the rehabilitation of the people has taken place. A local Catholic, he says, donated the land and the diocese built houses for the displaced. The Pereiras voluntarily contributed 80% of the construction costs. It was a moment of great happiness, a moment of immense grace."

Fr. Athanasius Mung, parish priest of the newly consecrated Church of St. Joseph, adds: "We are about 100 families, all internally displaced. This newly built church was named after St. Joseph because their church in the village, dedicated to St. Joseph, was burned down. So far, the diocese has built 50 houses, 26 are under construction, and we still need to raise funds to build another 24. I too,‘ concludes the priest, ’belong to the Kuki Zo tribe, and my family has also been displaced from our village."

Ethnic and religious violence between the Meitei and Kuki in Manipur broke out in May 2023 and has flared up periodically since then, with a total death toll of nearly 300 so far.