ST FRANCIS XAVIER CHURCH, CHIKKAKAMMANAHALLI

On 27 August 1957, Fr Aloysius Farias SJ took over as the Parish Priest at Chikkakammanahalli from his predecessor, Fr Renard. Bells rang, men beat drums, women sang and children screamed as Fr Farias who was garlanded entered the village. The total catholic population entrusted to him was about 500. There was an old church and a little presbytery. He taught the Catholics to live up to their faith so as to be good examples to the rest and invite them to the fold of Christ.

They were a mixed class, most of them Tigalas who spoke Tamil and Telugu. Their church language however was Kannada. Fr Aloysius Farias provided the primary needs to the people like the construction of a road to the village, portable drinking water etc. Fr Denis Alveres SJ, the next to follow, had a problem in getting children to attend school. Parents being illiterate sent their children to look after the cattle. They had only a primary school and needed Rs. 200 to run it then. The missionary had to sacrifice his personal needs to meet the needs of the mission. Extreme poverty made it difficult to preach about spiritual things for it was like flogging a dead horse. However, sometime later, there were hopeful signs where people gradually began imbibing the true Christian spirit.

Chikkakammanahalli is now a full-fledged Parish. It has a government-aided school with classes up to the higher primary section. With a generous helping hand of the Sisters of Charity, the school is doing quite well. What is encouraging is that Chikkakammanahalli mission station by which it was once known has now completed 50 years of fruitful labour with love.