By H R Alva, Maria Advertisers Mangalore For Daijiworld News Network]
Udupi, April 17:Pangla, a place with jasmine fragrance is a unique parish in the Diocese of Mangalore, comprising South Canara and Udupi Districts and Kasargod Taluk It is the 8th largest parish among the 155 parishes of the Diocese both in population and families according to the Diocesan Directory 2005. The Catholic population of Pangla is 4742 and number of families 655. (Of course, in 2006 this figure may well cross over 5000 and 700 hundred mark respectively).
The Pangla Parish dedicated to St. John the Evangelist, one among the 12 disciples of Jesus was established on 22nd November 1922. Though ‘Pangala’ is a place on the National Highway 17 in between Kaup and Katapady, the Church which is located at Shankerpura on the State Highway in between Katapady and Shirva and 3 Kms to the East of Pangala is called “Pangla” Church or Parish, in Konkani.
Pangla Parish though established in 1922, the history of the Parish School starts well ahead of that. The Lower Primary School with IV Std. was started in 1902, the Higher Primary with Std.VIII in 1940, the High School with Std. X in 1981 and the English Medium School in 1998. Now under the leadership of Rev. Fr. Alexander F. Lobo, the Parish Priest and the Correspondent of the Schools, Pangla Parish is all set to start a Pre-University College (Std.XI and XII) from June 2006. The Parish has asked the permission of the Government of Karnataka to start I Year Pre-University Classes with Arts, Commerce and Science Courses and it may be granted any time.
In this regard, Pangla Parishioners residing within and outside the Parish have been taken in confidence. Several deliberations were held in Pangla. One such meeting was held in early January 2006 at Shankerpura with the Pangalites leaders of Mumbai and the Gulf countries. All were enthusiastic and have assured of their whole hearted co-operation.
To gather support from the Pangalites and well-wishers residing in Mumbai a meeting will be held on Saturday, the 22nd April 2006, at the MIG Cricket Club, Bandra (East), Mumbai at 7.00 p.m. under the patronage of Albert W. D’Souza, the internationally known Entrepreneur of Mumbai and a Pangalite. Albert has the credit of supporting 3 Catholic Engineering Colleges in Mumbai and one at Mangalore and a Management College in Mumbai. He has always supported the projects of his home Parish Pangla, and now a strong piller of the proposed Pre-University College at Shankerpura.
Fr. Alexander Lobo, the Parish Priest of Pangla and the recipient of State level Best Teacher Award will paticipate and grace the meeting in Mumbai. Aged 72, Fr. Lobo has vast experience in establishing educational institutions at several places of the Diocese of Mangalore. He has established High School at Balkunje, Junior College at Moodubelle and English Medium School at Rosario, Mangalore. Besides these institutions and at Kundapur he has served over 25 years as Teacher, Headmaster and Principal. He was the Asst. Parish Priest at Milagres, Kallianpur and Warden at Puttur. He was the Parish Priest at Allipade and since 27 May 2002 he serves in Pangla both as Parish Priest and Correspondent of the Schools. Altogether he has 47 years of vast experience in the educational field. Moreover he has pupils and well-wishers numbering in thousands. Prominent leaders from Pangla will accompany him to Mumbai.
All Pangalites, and well-wishers of Pangla residing in Mumbai have been cordially invited to attend the meeting. Well-wishers and pupils of Fr. Lobo have been specially invited. Those wish to participate please call (022) 2407 4899 / 2407 8866 (Bernadette), 2888 8062 / 4 (Janet). This will help the organizers to arrange the meeting in an