A girl performs at the celebrations. Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha

Kalimpong, Nov. 7: St Teresa Church today kicked off its year-long celebrations to mark its platinum jubilee year.

This parish was instrumental in establishing the Roman Catholics in the subdivision.

A host of programmes, including a high mass in the morning and the felicitation of Roman Catholics above the age of 75, was held today. Institutions which are under the parish also performed cultural and musical dos to commemorate the church?s 75th anniversary. The celebrations will continue till November 7 next year.

?St Teresa is the main church of the Roman Catholics here. It was first established by the French fathers,? said Benjamina Tamang, the secretary, of the Platinum Jubilee Celebration and Integration Committee.

The church was established in 1929, Tamang said. ?The French fathers were sent here on a mission ? to enter Tibet and to preach the gospel there. This happened in 1845. but they could not gain entry into Tibet and settled here.

In 1882, Fr. Augustine Desgodins settled at Pedong, around 22 km from Kalimpong, and started their mission of preaching from the gospel,? Tamang said.

However, it was in 1902 that Fr. Jule Deuenel tried to preach the gospel in Kalimpong.

They were allowed to enter as the Scottish Missionary was already there. They then took the help of the Cluny Sisters of Calcutta and opened a parish at St Joseph Convent here.

In 1929, when there were about 35 Roman Catholics in the small parish of St Joseph Convent, they opened St Teresa Church.

?Many more Roman Catholic churches have been opened in the subdivision since. This church can be called the mother of all Roman Catholic churches here,? Tamang said.

The church was handed over to the Swiss Fathers, who were preaching from the gospel in Sikkim when age overtook their French counterparts. That happened sometime in 1937.

?The church was subsequently handed over to the Darjeeling Diocesan Fathers in 1962. They continue to look after the parish,? Tamang said.

Roman Catholics from all over the district arrived at the church today. Bishop of Darjeeling Diocese Fr Pieush Marcus and Fr Joseph Hofstetler from Switzerland attended high mass in the morning.

The choir of Gandhi Ashram performed a musical and other institutions like St Augustine School, St Agnus Primary School, St Philomena School and others attached with the parish put up cultural shows. A play, highlighting the history of the parish, was also staged.

A Bible quiz and exclusive Christmas parties for children have been planned.

The closing ceremony is slated to have an exhibition on the different institutions and churches attached to St Teresa Church.