THANNIRBAVI

Originally, this was included in the Kulur Parish.  People of Thannirbavi used to go to Kuloor or Urwa churches for Sunday Mass before 1940.  It was suggested by the Kulur parish priest that a chapel be erected at Thannirbavi as the people had to cross the river and this was very difficult during monsoon.  So, the Saldanha family, who had sixty cents of land with a bungalow at Thannirbavi donated it to the Diocese of Mangalore in 1948 and occasionally Mass was celebrated here by the Kuloor parish priest.   It became an independent entity on May 16, 1950.  Fr John Augustine P. Miranda was the first parish priest.  A chapel was built in 1951 by Fr John Augustine P. Miranda and it was blessed by Bishop Victor R. Fernandes in the same year.

Later, Bishop Victor Fernandes bought 1 acre of land and handed it over to Thannirbavi parish.

In 1961 the Thannirbavi Fatima church plot was acquired by the central government for the New Mangalore Port.  A small plot of land at the border of Bengre village, opposite to Sultan Battery was given by the government for relocating the church, with Rs.59,000/- as compensation.  A small chapel, with a room for the priest, was constructed at the next site.

In 1994 when Rev. Fredrick Pinto retired due to his ill-health, the parish was administered by Kulur parish for nine months.  With the arrival of Fr Apolinarius Crasta in 1995 as the parish priest,  people came together and most of the families contributed free labour for days and weeks for the construction of new church and presbytery.  Both were inaugurated on  May 13, 1998.