The parish of Prabhatnagar was carved out from the erstwhile parish of San Salvador Church, Honavar. The area it covered was one of the wado of the parish called by the name, Infant Jesus Wado. This area was sparsely populated once upon a time. In recent years it has seen a surge of people migrating from nearby villages surrounding the Honnavar town. One of the reasons for this is the frequent flooding during monsoon experienced by these villages. Sensing the need for a church nearby for these people, the parish of Infant Jesus Church was established by Bishop Derek Fernandes in 2009 and Rev. Fr. Lancy Rodrigues was appointed as its first parish priest. A statue of Infant Jesus brought from Prague was also blessed and installed on the same day.
During the installation of the statue, prayers were recited for various needs of the parish and the parishioners. One of the parishioners also prayed for his relative who was living in Mumbai and was ailing for a long time with no hope of a cure. He got healed and is enjoying good health eversince.
The foundation stone for the church building was laid on the 3rd of December the same year and the newly constructed church was blessed by the Bishop of Karwar, Rt. Rev. Dr. Derek Fernandes on 20th June 2018. The magnificent church structure bears testimony to the untiring efforts and zeal of Bishop Derek Fernandes who has left no stone unturned to make it an architectural grandeur and a worthy place of worship.
Fr. Gabriel Lopes is the present parish priest appointed on 1st July 2018.
In a short span of few years the parish has grown to its full stature and is beaming with activities. Being the only church dedicated to Infant Jesus in the coastal region of the Karwar Diocese, the devotion to Infant Jesus of Prague is spreading far and wide. Novena service conducted every Thursday in honour of Infant Jesus is attended by people coming from surrounding parishes. Reports of healing and favours received encourage people to visit the church for a quiet moment of prayer and petition.
Fr. Gabriel Lopes
