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Gandhinagar, Premavatar Isu Mandir

Gandhinagar is a planned city begun around 1965. At first, the Gandhinagar town was part of Kalol Parish. St. Xavier’s and Mount Carmel Schools were established in 1968 with the late Bishop Charles Gomes SJ as Principal of St. Xavier’s and Sister Loyola, AC, Principal of Mount Carmel in one building given by the government till each school constructed their own building. The late Bishop Charles Gomes and subsequent Principals attended to the needs of the Catholics who gathered at the Principal’s residence for Holy Mass and Religious Services. When the community grew, they met in a hall in the school building in sector 19. Thus Gandhinagar as a substation was established in 1970 and was separated from Kalol Parish in 1983.

The building work of the Church started in 1985. The plan of Shri Errol Reuben was accepted. The new church was blessed by the newly appointed Bishop Stanislaus Fernandes SJ in 1990.

Late Bishop Charles Gomes, Fr. Freddie D’ Souza, Fr. Ignatius Pinto, Fr. James Travesa, Bishop Godfrey de Rosario, Fr. Leslie D’Souza and Fr. Francis Mendonca served as Parish Priests or acting Parish Priests successively. In 1995 the Parish was entrusted to the care of Diocesan clergy with Fr. Jebamalai as Parish Priest.

The Jesuits and Sisters of Apostolic Carmel have their schools in the Parish while the Carmelites of Charity of Vedruna have a community to assist in St. Xavier’s school and the Parish. The Archdiocesan Socio-Pastoral Centre and the Jesuit Novitiate House are situated within the area of the Cathedral parish.

With the establishment of the Archdiocese, Gandhinagar Parish Church became the Cathedral of the Archbishop. Fr. Valerian Pereira is the present Parish Priest. The parish currently has about 915 members.

Catholic Church
Sector 8, Gandhinagar – 382 008
(079) 23243497
Parish Priest: Fr. Valerian Pereira
Community Members
Fr. Malarazhagan (Asst.PP)
Fr. Siby Mathew (Asst.PP &Chaplain for Malayalees)
Sub-Center: CRPF (In charge: Fr. Jebamalai and Fathers of JVK-Pethapur)

Religious Houses
1. Xavier (Jesuit) Residence
(079) 23221365
2. Apostolic Carmel Convent
(079) 23260081
3. Carmelite Sisters of Charity- Vedruna
(079) 23233088
4. Sadhana Sadan (Jesuit Novitiate)
(079) 23276349

Schools
1. Mt. Carmel School: (Principal)
(079) 23244292, (Office) 23221182
2. St. Xavier’s School: (Principal)
(079) 23231492, (Office) 23221431