Palanpur, Divine Light Church

Catholic Ashram, Palanpur was a sub-centre of Deesa Catholic Mission. Thanks to the missionary zeal of late Bishop Charles Gomes SJ, who encouraged Fr. Thomas Kolady, the Jesuit missionary at Deesa, the land for a future independent mission was bought. It was Msgr. Stanislaus Fernandes SJ, Bishop of Ahmedabad, who erected Palanpur as an independent Parish and appointed Fr. Isidore Almeida as the first Parish Priest in August 1996.

In the year 1997, the Religious Sisters of Jesus and Mary Congregation opened their community. The Convent has a boarding attached with 85 girls. The schools: both English and Gujarati medium cater to the children of the town and tribal areas.

The vision of Archbishop Stanislaus, and the efforts of Fr. Almeida and the RJM Sisters are now bearing fruits in this mission. Catholic Ashram has a boarding with over two hundred boys and a beautiful Church. The new mission-centre at Vadgam is a part of the success story of the mission of evangelization and social action of the parish at Palanpur. The parish currently has about 200 members.