By Thomas Scaria
Permude, October 22, 2026: St.John the Baptist Church in Permude at the outskirts of Mangaluru, becomes an icon of ‘communal harmony and peaceful coexistence’ with several Hindus and Muslims joining its construction and blessing.
Around 2000 Hindus and Muslims joined the inauguration and blessings of the Church on October 15 and shared the thanksgiving meals with the Catholic community of the parish.
The Church is situated on the way to the Durgaparameswari temple at Kateel, a popular pilgrim center of the Hindus in coastal Karnataka. The temple priest had visited the newly constructed church in early October and admired the peaceful atmosphere and harmony.
“It was an amazing moment of being a Christian in the midst of a multi-religious community, ” said Victor Tauro, a parishioner who told Matters India that every stone in the newly constructed Church has a “story of collaboration and mutual support”.
He said the neighbors, mostly Hindus have not only contributed financially to the church building fund, but have also joined ‘Sramadan’ (voluntary works) to build the Church along with their Christian friends.
Two days before the Church opening, there was an offertory procession, where hundreds of Hindus and Muslims have offered vegetables, rice and other utensils, which were used for cooking the festival meals on the Church opening day.
“We have kept up this tradition of inter-religious participation in all major church feasts from the beginning of its history”, said Fr. Edwin Vincent Correa, the parish priest
Speaking to Matters India after the thanksgiving mass, October 18, the priest said that his parishioners have personally visited all their neighbors, irrespective of their religion or cultural differences, and invited them to the inauguration of the Church.
“We had served the festival meals to at least 2000 Hindus and Muslims, besides our Catholic community on that day”, he observed, adding sharing meals together is the greatest sign of happy coexistence.
He said the Church has over 60 years of history, which was originally constructed by the parishioners under the initiative of one Catholic Woman, Seraphine Nazareth and her daughter, Juliana. Hindus had also helped its construction then.
Ever since, the Church stands as an icon of collective works, collaborations and mutual support, he observed.
The new church was built at a cost of over 60 million rupees ($635,440) with donations from both Christians and non-Christians alike. The Government of Karnataka also supported the construction with a substantial amount.
Ronald Fernandes, a businessman and a parishioner who coordinated the donation drive among the community, said the Church has accepted even the smallest donation from the people irrespective of their caste and creed, and so, “finally this Church belongs to everyone”.
He said involving and including people in the church construction has also built a vibrant inter-religious community around this structure, which is the most positive outcome.
He said several Hindu pilgrims who visit the Kateel temple also visit the Church and pray as a token of their respect and tolerance.
Jayanth Shetty, a Hindu leader of the village, said this inter-religious harmony was always prevalent in the region.
“We Hindus, Christians and Muslims co-existed peacefully and lived together”, said Shetty, who recalled Hindus donating a Dhvajasthamba (flag post) to the church over 30 years ago.
“Even for the Church construction, we donated whatever we could and participated in large numbers in its inauguration and festival meal”, he told MI.
He said the Navrathri festival of the Hindus, popularly known as Dusserah was a very meaningful celebration coinciding with this Church inauguration.
Seraj Bajpe, a Muslim leader of the region, recalled that at every village festival, be it of Hindu, Muslim or Christians, everyone participated from his childhood memories.
“We are happy that we kept up this tradition even now and partook in the newly built John the Baptist Church at Permude too”, said Seraj, whose family, along with several of his community members and the Mullah of their mosque, participated in the church inauguration and its thanksgiving meal.
Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha of Mangalore, who blessed the new church, observed it as a “historic icon of communal harmony in coastal Karnataka, which serves as a model for other regions”.