Patron
Nishkalanka Mata
Feast Day
8th May
Parish Celebration on
8th May
Pastoral Care
OFM Capuchin Fathers
Catholics
180
Sub-station
Vandrikal Camp, Burgida, Ramalaxmanapally, Lingampet
Address
Nishkalanka Mata Church
Arogyanagar, Vandrikal Kamareddy Dt. - 503 120, T.S.
CMI Priests: Fr. K. George (2007 - 2012)
Archdiocesan Priests: Fr. Bandaru Baltha Raj (2012 - 2014) Fr. Madanu Bala Showry (2014 - 2017)
CMI Priests: Fr. Thomas Perumtharayil (2017 - 2018)
OFM Cap. Priests: Fr. Payarda Chinnappa (2018 - 2020) Fr. Bandhanadham Arogyam (2020 - till date)
In 1967, some Catholic families living near Nizamabad, who originally migrated from Nalgonda District, moved into Vandrikal village. As it is in most villages in Andhra Pradesh, the Catholic families in Vandrikal village lived in an exclusive place, which they called Arogyanagar. The Eucharist, for the first time in Arogyanagar, was celebrated on 26th December, 1967 by Fr. M. Dhanraju who came all the way from Dharmaram. Until 1972, Arogyanagar was under the pastoral jurisdiction of Dharmaram. The Christian Hamlet at Burgida, called Lourdunagar was erected as an independent Parish on 28th July, 1974 with Arogyanagar as its Sub-station. The then Parish Priest, Fr. Remigi constructed a small Convent for the FCC Sisters in November 1974 and a Presbytery in February 1975. In August 1975 a Chapel was also built at Arogyanagar.
On 15th August, 1995 when Lourdunagar as Parish Head-Quarters was suppressed, two of its Sub-stations i.e. Kamareddy and Yellareddy were errected as new Parishes, and Arogyanagar was made Sub-station of Kamareddy Parish. As time passed, assessing the need for a resident Priest in Arogyanagar, Archbishop Marampudi Joji raised it to the status of a Quasi- Parish in 2007 and attached Vandrikal Camp as its Sub-station. From 2007 upto 2012, the Pastoral care of the Quasi-Parish was taken care of by CMI Fathers. From 2012 upto 2017, the Pastoral care of the Parish was taken care of by Archdiocesan Priests. Fr. Bandaru Baltharaj as Priest In-charge built Grotto at Arogya Nagar Quasi-Parish and on 08th April, 2013 Archbishop Thumma Bala blessed & inaugurated it. From 2017 upto 2018, the Pastoral care of the people was taken care of by CMI Fathers.
On 01st February, 2018, it was raised to the status of a Parish and was handed over to the pastoral care of OFM Capuchin Fathers by Archbishop Thumma Bala. Arogyanagar was raised to the Status of a Parish and apart from the already existing Sub-station Vandrikal Camp three more sub-stations were attached to it, namely Burgida, Ramalaxmanapally and Lingampet. Fr. Payarda Chinnappa OFM Cap is appointed as the Parish Priest. Holy Mass is celebrated at Arogyanagar Parish on Sunday is 09:30 a.m. and everyday at 06:30 a.m. He has taken initiatives to build a new Presbytery in the Arogyanagar Parish Church. The total number of Catholic families are 80. Archbishop Thumma Bala blessed and laid foundation stone for the new Presbytery at Arogyanagar Parish Church on 04th August, 2019.
On 24th May, 2009 the Archdiocese of Hyderabad took over the pastoral care of the Parish and from then on the Archdiocesan Priests are taking care of the Parish. Fr. Yeruva Showreddy as Parish Priest, built Bell Tower and it was blessed & inaugurated on 2nd September, 2010 by Fr. Thumma Solomon. Fr. Reddimasu Anand Rao as Parish Priest renovated Sanctuary and it was blessed and inaugurated on 30th March, 2016 by Archbishop Thumma Bala.
On 5th November, 2020 the new presbytery was blessed by Archbishop Thumma Bala and inaugurated by Fr Kasu Karunakar OFM Cap, the Provincial of Mary Matha Province. On same day the Bell towar too blessed by Archbishop Thumma Bala, which was built by Fr. Arogyam Bandhanadham OFM Cap.
With regard to boundary between Arogyanagar & Kamareddy, Arogyanagar Parish is upto Yerrapahad Village & Kamareddy Parish is after Yarrapahad village upto Hyderabad-Nizamabad Highway. With regard to boundary between Arogyanagar & Yellareddy, Arogyanagar Parish is upto Lingaram Village & Yellareddy Parish is after Lingaram village upto Yellareddy.
Vandrikal Camp : There are 10 Catholic families living at Vandrikal Camp Sub-station. These Catholic families migrated from other parts of Andhra. For the past many years, for these 10 families Holy Mass is being celebrated in a temporary shed on every Sunday at 07:00 p.m. In 2018, Vandrikal Gram Panchayat allotted a piece of land admeasuring around 15 Guntas for the Faithful to build a Church. Fr. Payarda Chinnappa OFM Cap took intitiative to build a new Church at Vandrikal Camp Sub-station. Archbishop Thumma Bala blessed and laid foundation stone for the new Church there on 3rd August, 2019 and the work is now in progress.
Burgida : Burgida Sub-station is 9 kms away from Arogyanagar Parish Head-Quarters. The name of the Church is Lourdhu Mata Church. Holy Mass is celebrated on every Saturday evening at 06:00 p.m. There are 5 Catholic families.
Lingampet : Lingampet is 15 kms away from Arogyanagar Parish Church. FCC Sisters have a Convent, English Medium School and Old Age Home. Holy Mass is celebrated on every Sunday at 06:00 a.m. at Jeevadhan Convent. Apart from Sisters and old people, there are 2 Catholic families.
Ramalaxmanapalli : Ramalaxmanapalli is 15 kms away from Arogyanagar Parish Head-Quarters. The name of the Church is St. Joseph’s Church. Holy Mass is celebrated on every Sunday at 7:30 a.m. There are 12 Catholic families.
Franciscan Clarist Congregation (FCC): : It is a missionary Congregation and has inherited the missionary spirit as a heritage from St. Francis of Assisi. Imbibing the spirit of compassion and accepting Our Lord’s command to go to the whole world and preach the Gospel to all mankind, FCC started its mission work in India in 1960 and Abroad in 1976. The then Parish Priest, Fr. Remigi CMI, constructed a small Convent for the FCC Sisters at Burigida in November 1974, but later it was closed. Then Jeevadan Convent was established at Lingampet on 12th January, 1978 by Fr. Remiji for FCC Sisters. In the beginning there was a Hospital, but now it functions only as a Dispensary. Laxmikantham Dispensary is run by FCC Sisters who come from Yellareddy and work there. They have a Home for the Aged & Destitute with 15 inmates at present. According to the request and need of the local people, they started an English Medium School in 2013. Ministry of FCC Sisters in Arogyanagar Parish is pastoral ministry in Villages, taking care of the sick through Dispensary, educating the children through Jeevadan School, helping the poor through Old Age Home.