St. John the Baptist Church, Mumbai explained

St. John the Baptist Church
Fullname:Igreja de São João Batista
Pushpin Map:Maharashtra
Pushpin Mapsize:200
Map Caption:Location of the church
Coordinates:19.1216°N 72.8744°W
Location:Andheri, Mumbai
Country:India
Denomination:Roman Catholic
Tradition:Latin Rite
Status:Ruins
Functional Status:Inactive (since 1840 AD)
Semi-active (since 2003 AD)
Architectural Type:Church
Style:Baroque
Years Built:1579 AD
Diocese:Archdiocese of Bombay

St. John the Baptist Church is an abandoned and ruined church presently located within the SEEPZ Industrial Area, in Andheri, Mumbai, India. It was built by the Portuguese Jesuits in 1579 and opened to public worship on the feast of John the Baptist that year. It also had an attached graveyard. The church was abandoned in 1840 after an epidemic hit the village. Fr. José Lourenço Pais, the then Vicar of Kondivita transferred the church to the nearby Marol village. The baptismal font, pillars and altars were transferred to the new church.

After abandonment, the church fell into decay and vegetation started to take over the ruins. Despite being abandoned, the native Christians visit the church once every year, as is traditional worldwide.

The church was handed back to Fr. Rodney Esperance of Bombay Archdiocese in 2003 by the then Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde.[1]

References

Notes and References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20130720083220/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2003-09-28/mumbai/27215539_1_seepz-church-shiv-sena CM gives SEEPZ church back to archdiocese