St. Sebastian's Church (Dilshad Garden)

St. Sebastian's Church
St. Sebastian's Church
Address	Dilshad Garden, Delhi
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Administration
District	Karnal
Province	Province of Delhi
Diocese	Simla and Chandigarh
Clergy
Bishop(s)	Most Rev. Ignatius Loyola Mascarenhas
Laity
Youth ministry coordinator	NCYS

St. Sebastian's Church is located in Dishad Garden city of Delhi, India. It has been declared as a historical monument by Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage. The St. Sebastian's Church is dedicated to St. Sebastian's .

History

The foundation stone of The St. Sebastian's Church was blessed and laid by Rt. Rev. John Burke(B.A., L.L.D., D.D.) Bishop Shimla on 26 th August 1962. The Church of Immaculate Heart of Mary was blessed by Rt. Revd. Mons. Alfred Fernandez (D.D.) Bishop of Shimla and Chandighar on 22 nd August 1968.

Architecture

The church is built in Victorian style of architecture. The main structure consists of an altar, a baptistry, a pulpit and two vestries. The pulpit of the church is adorned with velvet curtains. The floor of the church is made up of geometrical tiles. A ground is also located at the back of the church for ceremonial purposes.

Structures

The main hall cover an area of 1325 square feet and can accommodate around 40 people. The walls of the hall are 2 feet thick. The bell is another feature of the church.

Grotto

There is a beautiful grotto of Marry is at the entrance of church boundary.

Sabotage

In the year 2014 prior to Christmas was gutted by some anti social elements so as to create social unrest among the religious minority community listing one more incident of Anti-Christian violence in India. The Evangelical Fellowship of India condemns the burning of St. Sebastian’s Church in Dilshad Garden, in the national Capital, New Delhi early this morning. The entire interior of the Church building, including the Altar, the Holy Bible and Cross were reduced to ashes. The church was constructed in 2001 in East Delhi.

Delhi Archbishop Most Rev. Anil Couto said "The arson in St. Sebastian's church was condemnable not just because it was an act of sacrilege and hate against the community and its faith, but that it could happen in the national Capital which is just recovering from a series of communal incidents."

The act of sacrilege and hate against the Christian community is carried with impunity with very often law agencies remaining silent spectators. This will dent the image of the present government within India and abroad and leave the minorities vulnerable and targets of hatred.

Administration

The church is a Latin Rite church administered by Roman Catholic Diocese of Simla and Chandigarh, archdiocese of Catholic Church in India holds worship services in the Church. The Catholic Pastor-in-charge is The Rev. and the District Superintendent is Rev. . It is a part of the denomination Catholic Church in India. The Resident & Presiding Bishop of the Catholic Church for Delhi Area is Bishop .The archbishop of the archdiocese of Roman Catholic Diocese of Simla and Chandigarhis and bishop is Most Rev. Ignatius Loyola Mascarenhas.

Parish Members

There are 100 families and total strength of 500 people. Catholics devotees are the people from various regions of India such as Jharkhand, Punjab, South India etc. apart from local Christians who settled here due to the reason of employment.

Parish Council

There is also a parish council of the church whose members take decisions regarding the welfare of Church people. the decisions regarding feast celebration, organisation of camps are taken with the consent of parish members. Representatives from All India Christian Council are also invited while taking major decisions. Monthly meeting is held for this purpose.

President
Secretary
Cashier
Member
Member
Member
Member

Mahila Mandal

To empower the women of parish the church has set up a welfare group for women which enables women in strengthening them morally and financially by committee system.

Youth

Indian Catholic Youth Movement being the apex body under the auspices of Catholic Bishops' Conference of India works for the development of Christian youth helps the upcoming Christian youth various seminars, Retreat camps are simultaneously organised for and by youth with the helping hands of parish council members. The function of the youth is to provide their services at times of social services at church as choir, musician, church decoration etc. Duties are rotated among the members of group and hence responsible ones are nominated as leaders for the group. |- |}

Priest in the service of Church

The current parish Priest are of Indian Missionary Society.