Tura, Oct 17: Hectic preparations are currently on for the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of Tura Diocese on November 4 and 5 at Don Bosco Higher Secondary School Playground, Chandmary Tura, where various eminent personalities are expected to attend and grace the auspicious occasion.
Most Reverend Victor Lyngdoh, Archbishop of Shillong Diocese will Bless the Adoration Chapel at Sacred Heart Shrine on 4th November, 2023 while Most Reverend John Moolachira, Chairman, Northeast India Bishops’ Council will offer Holy Mass on 5th November, 2023. The Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma will also attend the Jubilee Mass on Sunday.
Various programmes for the parishioners were planned for 3 years but it could not be materialized due to the worldwide outbreak of Covid-19 and therefore, the Golden Jubilee Year was opened on 23rd April, 2022 at Wakbalkre Parish, Tura and since then seminars, symposium, etc., for holistic spiritual and social development were organized for all catholic Faithfuls also reminding the roles and responsibilities of Parish Council according to Canon Law, Family Prayer, re-evangelization amongst others.
Reflecting on the growth of the Tura Diocese over the past 50 years, a remarkable transformation can be seen. From just six parishes with a population of around 40 thousand, the Diocese has burgeoned to encompass 46 parishes with a population of 3.40 lakh. This growth is mirrored in the establishment of numerous educational institutions, including Catholic schools and colleges, which have become integral to the fabric of Garo Hills. Furthermore, the Catholic Church’s tireless efforts extend to healthcare, both in rural and urban areas, ensuring the well-being of the community.
It may be mentioned that the first Catholic missionaries to reside in Tura were Reverend Fathers A Pinazzy SDB and L Rocca SDB back in 1933. From then on a number of European missionaries followed by South Indian Missionaries worked tirelessly to spread the Gospel in Garo Hills. Pope Paul VI raised Tura into a Diocese on 7th April 1973 by detaching territories from the Archdiocese of Shillong-Guwahati with late Bishop Orestes Marengo SDB as Apostolic Administrator. There were six parishes with 21 priests out of which 16 religious and 5 diocesans.
On 8th February 1979, Saint John Paul II relieved Bishop Marengo of the office of Apostolic Administrator and appointed Rev. George Mamalassery of the Diocesan clergy as the first Bishop of Tura and the first task of the new bishop was to build a seminary building to promote local vocations to priesthood. During his term of 28 years as bishop, he opened 24 new parishes with a church, presbytery, hostels for both boys and girls, a convent, school and dispensary and also invited 14 more religious congregations including Claretians, Capuchins, Jesuits, Franciscan and Monfort brothers to serve in the diocese.
Then, on April 22, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop Andrew R Marak of the local clergy as successor to Bishop Mamalassery on his completion of 75years of age. As the size of the diocese grew both in size and number of the faithful, Rev. Fr. Jose Chirackal was appointed as Auxiliary Bishop of Tura in 2020.
The Diocese of Tura has been at the forefront providing quality education to many children and youth in the region through its 2 colleges, 22 Higher Secondary Schools, 53 Secondary Schools and more than 100 primary schools and hostels which has also enhanced literacy as well as contributed to the overall socio-economic development of Meghalaya. The past pupils of catholic institutions in Garo Hills hold important positions in the society and public life today.