People's Edit
Christ King Parish, Kohima: A stepping Stone for growth of Catholic Church in Nagaland
Opinion | People's Edit | Benjamin Chang | 13-Aug-2021
The origin of the Christ King Parish can be trace back to the arrival of Salesian missionary Mgr. Emmanualel Bars SDB to Kohima. At the request of the then Governor of Assam, Sir Akbar Hydari to Bishop Stephen Ferrando, he arrived on 29th December 1948, as chaplain to Sisters of the Missionaries of Christ Jesus, who were employed to serve the newly established Naga Hospital at Kohima. On 14th December 1952 Kevipele Belho of Kohima Village was baptized in the hospital and Christened John Kevipele. His father Mr. Pralie was baptized in 1954 along with 8 others. The first Catholic Church in Kohima was built in 1957 in T.Khel...
In 1958 Lt. Philip Suosahie came to offer his service to the Church and was appointed the first Catechist. Lt. Philip Suosahie Dzüvichü, was a pioneering leader of the Catholic Church in Nagaland. He was instrumental in spreading the Gospel and the Catholic faith to different parts of Nagaland, particularly Kohima, Zhamai, Zelume, Thizami, Phek, Lazami, Tesophenyu, Tseminyu and Peren. He dedicated himself to the service of the Church as a Catechist for so many years and translated prayer books, hymn books, seven books of the Old Testament and other religious books. He left a great legacy of nurturing and serving as the First President of the Angami Catholic Union. (Today, the Catholic Church needs so many people like him)
Fr. Marocchino started a Lower Primary School at Mr. Levi’s House. It was later shifted to Pazilietsie near the church. The school continued to run about 50 students. On 14th May 1964, the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA) arrive at Kohima and began the Little Flower School...
Within a short time, the heroic beginnings of the pioneers brought tangible results. Catholic communities were established in the following villages: among the Southern Angami at Jakhama, Kigwema, Viswema; among the western Angamis at Jotsoma, Khonoma, among the Northern Angamis at Merama; among the Rengmas at Theosopinnyu and Contsenyu; in Chakhesang area at Zhamai and Zelumi. In each village a temporary chapel was erected and a Catechist was appointed...
In 1967, the Parish opened a primary school christened it as Christ King School. The Bethany Sisters who came to Nagaland in the same year opened a house at Kohima and took the responsibility of nurturing the school. In 1987, it was decided to upgrade the School and so class VI was opened. The first batch of HSLC students appeared in 1991 and class XII in 2005. Today, there are 1365 students and 46 teachers in the School. As the school is situated in the capital, though the majority of the students are Angami from Kohima village, there is also a sizeable presence of other tribes especially Lothas, Sumi, Rongmei, Zeliang and Rengma...
In 1971, Fr. Ittiyachan Manjil opened the Don Bosco High School. Students, who passed class IV in Christ King, went to Don Bosco School for their higher studies. In 1972, the Medical Mission Sisters established a dispensary in the heart of Kohima village, and gave quality and timely health care to all the village of the parish.
The Missionary efforts of great pioneers like Lt. Fr. Felix, Lt. Fr. Paul Bernick SDB, Fr. U.V. Mathew SDB, Lt. Fr. Resto Khasi SDB, Lt. Fr. Mathew Maniachira, Lt. Fr. P.C. Mani, Lt. Fr. T.J. Chacko and from 1970 the Jesuits under the leadership of Fr. Coelho SJ, and their successors along with the Valiant efforts of the sisters and committed Lay people, resulted in the birth of a number of parishes. Thus the parishes at Dimapur, Jakhama, Chizami, Tseminyu, Medziphema, Catholic Publication Centre, Thenyuzumi, Peren, Cathedral, Chiephobozou and Lazami were all carved out of Christ King Parish. It is from this Parish that the Catholic Church gave birth to so many Parishes of Kohima Diocese.
(The Author is a Priest in the Diocese of Kohima, and can be reached on Benjamin.chang24@gmail.com. The content of the Article is personal)
Visitor comments
Dr. Vincent Darlong
14-Aug-2021
Very inspiring. I am sure every Parish, if not every Catholic village in Northeast will have their own unique stories and histories. Wish we could chronicle as many and leave for posterity.
Salam Irene
14-Aug-2021
I think this is an extremely enlightening account of the Catholic Church in Nagaland and the pioneer religious and laity did wonderful work in establishing the Catholic Church in Nagaland on a firm footing
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Dr.Rosemary Dzuvichu
16-Sep-2021
Thank you Fr.Benjamin for the article on Christ King Parish .Just a litte more information on the same...My late father , Philip Suosahie Dzuvichu gave our family home to the successive Catholic Parish priests to stay till the Christ King church and home was built.We shifted to my grandmother's house which luckily was empty.He received the highest Papal Award for Citizens on the occassion of his Golden Jubilee as a Catechist.He translated the seven books of the Old Testament into Angami because the then Holy Bible in Tenyidie translated by the Baptist church ,which was ussd by all Tenyimia churches, was without these seven chapters .The Holy Bible in Tenyidie used by Catholics since then ,has the complete translation of the Holy Bible.