Saint Peter’s Church, Bandra – A treasure of History, Heritage and Community spirit.

The city of Mumbai has always prided itself to be a Westernized and cosmopolitan city whose people are both belonging to varied faiths and strata of emotional and literal intelligence. And though this financial hub, of the seventh largest nation in the world, is fast becoming a haven for the hard workers and the wealth inheritors, the city has overtime, amassed many a story whose tales have both contributed and inspired the social and economic fabric of a modern metropolis.

Nestled just beyond the reach of the original seven islands of the now city that never sleeps, Bandra or Bandora was the last outpost of the Portuguese on mainland India. Bandra only developed as a trading post in 1505 when the then Portuguese Viceory Dom Francisco de Almeida enroute to finding the Lisboa of the East [Panjim], set up base here.

Bandra came into full Portuguese possession with the Sultanate of Cambay ceding the region in the Treaty of St Matthew signed aboard the Portuguese brig St. Matthew in Baçaim harbor in 1534. The first Christian missionaries however to set foot on this land were the Jesuits [Society of Jesus] upon receiving a Royal Confirmation of Permission in 1570 by the Portuguese Crown.  They built St. Anne's (Santa Anna) College and Church in Bandra, the first church here.

The Portuguese then built additional churches in the area following the transfer of the Bombay Islands in 1661 [Not including Bandra] to the British as a part of the Marriage treaty between Catherine of Bragança of Portugal and Charles II of England. Upon learning the local languages and through their works of social service, the Jesuits today enjoy the support of six catholic parishes; Mount Carmel St. Peter's, St. Andrew's, St. Theresa's, St. Anne's and St. Francis D'Assissi, that lie within an area of four square kilometres of each other.

The Jesuits controlled Bandra till 1739 when they approached the British for help against the invading Maratha Army. This led to, against their will, the destruction of many Portuguese bastions including St. Anne’s college and Bandra Fort as precaution against the Marathas using them as bases to attack the then islands of Bombay.

Statues brought in by German Missionaries are more than a hundred
years old each and in good condition

Today Bandra, has retained its distinct identity of being a quaint hamlet with its open spaces, historic and colourful buildings of varied eras intertwined with bikes and people who criss cross the inner lanes riddled with antique Christian crosses and East Indian Homes. One can even spot a taste of Bollywood being splashed by artists onto the public walls of heritage houses in a bid to maintain and decorate a village of simple folk who have seemed to be lost in a world oblivious to the construction boom that soon will threaten their very existence.

But among the varied monuments Bandra has to offer the discerning tourist, Saint Peter’s Church and community does stand out. Originally built in 1852 and then redone in 1938 in the Romanesque style, Saint Peter’s started out as a shrine nestled among fishing villages. It has today become the pride of a Christian Community whose values encircle around service and community spirit. Even amongst Christian communities in the rest of the city, such tight nit bonds and ties among families led by the service and works of the Jesuits who lead them has been exemplary.

Being an innocuous tourist wandering in search of a story of a rich past, I ended up being welcomed in open hands by a community I would now proudly call my own. From the youth who proudly showcased to me the wealth of art and sculptured that were amassed by the once Swiss-German Missionaries who stayed here and who were either detained or deported by the British during the First World War, but whose statues have stood the test of time, being worshiped a hundred years since their arrivals; to the gentle embrace and family like attitude of the elderly whose hospitality and kindness could inspire many a poet. Its not uncommon to be invited to a home for tea or even convert passers-by into friends. The gaothans nestled in Chapel Road, Veronica Road and Rebello Road among many are simply a place of joy and a time lost serving as gentle reminders through the beauty of their architecture and the attitude of their people on what a community should be and what we stake to loose with the rise of a concrete jungle.

 I felt I was truly in a simple quaint neighbourhood where people were more one than many. This being an irony when I come from the city beyond where as the cold winds blowing through the skyscrapers, one does feel lonely even if in a crowd. There is a sense of love and community spirit irrespective to who or what you are for here you are first human then the identity of your choice.

I would always treasure my maiden visit to Bandra as a townie and this hamlet, one among many, has shown me a new way of living my life; a lesson we all need in world where the Rupee replaces the Divine.

German Missionaries in British Bombay- A tale of devotion to service beyond the self

Bandra, a land that both hails the start of mainland India from the once islands of Bombay and currently a suburb of modern Mumbai metropolis, is riddled with interesting facets of ancient and contemporary history that has intertwined and camouflaged itself well into the social fabric of the land.

But among the varied tales that are proudly associated with the Portuguese pride the land still holds through its myriad of markings that are sported by Christian Heritage Relics around every corner waiting to be discovered and admired; there is a tale of a group of missionaries who sailed the unforgiving seas to make a home amongst a fisher-folk whose love and hospitality have led to a large following and the birth of seven parishes within an area of four kilometers.

Among all the Churches that claim to former Portuguese Glory, with age and a collection relics to support their just cause, one church in particular has more than what meets the eye. St Peter's Church, nestled proudly along Hill Road enroute from Bandra Station to Mt. Mary's Church, recently celebrated 160 years of its existence. A fact one may initially find it hard to believe considering its beauty and grandeur in romanesque style architecture. Even its central altar has striking similarities with the Saint Stephen Basilica in Budapest. 

St. Peter's Church, started off humbly as a shrine nestled quaintly among fisher folk in the once land called Bandora or Vandra which derives itself from the Urdu word for port. With the advent of the Portuguese in 1505, the first missionaries to set sail to India were the Jesuits or the Society of Jesus whose motto was ad majorem Dei gloriam meaning for the greater glory o God.

The Jesuits were sent in two batches. The first were young priests who hailed from German and Swiss Provinces that heeded to the call to serve the poor and suffering in India. Arriving in 1855 after a turbulent voyage upon the rough seas, their credibility was now being tested as they would now have to face hostility and suspicion in a strange land. They tried their best to prove their worth through hard work including the building of varied structures with minimal resources.

However, later with the outbreak of the First World War, many Jesuit priests were detained at internment camps in various parts of the country while others were repatriated to Germany. The German and Austrian Jesuits were brandished as "Alien Enemies". Many elder priests lost their lives but they still maintained their simplicity of life and desire to serve writing many a letter including the need for blankets and cutlery and the will to even pay for it while many would sound the SOS.

Fr Peter Ribes - Latin Teacher

Filling the void that was now created by the departing German speaking Jesuits, the next wave came in from Spain and arrived in India to fulfill their mission of service, via Karachi in 1921. A testament to the existence of the Spanish Jesuits are two stalwarts of Spanish Origin. First being Fr. Peter Ribes, who at the wise age of 90 has proudly authored several books; Second being Fr. Albert Jou who hailed from a Spanish seminary and now speaks good Gujarathi and the Third being Fr. Francis Juan, born in Valencia, Spain, has become famous for delighting Government Officials with his learnt Marathi when he famously told them "Tumchya peksha mee jaast Indian aahe" [I am more Indian than you].

But more than the priests themselves, the church has a wealth of treasures waiting to be explored ad admired. For example, the stained glass  on the windows were designed and made in China by a Spanish Jesuit Brother Antonio Navascues and was shipped to Mumbai. They can be best experienced in the early evenings when the westerly sun lights them up from behind. Even the main altar is made of Carrara Marble. Its facade depicts Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper carved in relief. It was donated by General Franco of Spain. To ensure the Last Supper model would reach in once piece, a duplicate was also dispatched and is kept at the base of the altar of Mt. Mary's Basilica.

Cardinal Valerian Gracias

Let us not forget our First Indian Cardinal, Valerian Gracias, now resting at the Wodehouse Church, Colaba, had received his episcopal ordination in this church on 29th June 1946.

Thus Saint Peters is a treasure hidden amongst a growing population who have made a rising concrete jungle that has replaced the quaint Bandra Villages, as their home and has stood the test of  time to make its mark as among the worthy Heritage Structures of Bombay. A fact the Government can't easily ignore. 

A gift from General Franco of Spain