Country Pakistan Membership 90 families in 2011 Events destroyed 1969 | Denomination Roman Catholic Founded 1862 | |
Location Andrew Road, Keamari, Karachi Archdiocese Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi Similar St Lawrence's Church - K, Cathedral of the Holy Redeemer, Our Lady of Fatima Church - K, Holy Trinity Cathedral, Sacred Heart Cathedral | ||
Sacred Heart Church is a 150-year-old church in a parish of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi in Pakistan.
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On September 18, 2011, Archbishop Evarist Pinto and eight priests celebrated Mass for over a thousand people to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Church.
History
The present church building was built in 1922 with funds provided by the Karachi Port Trust. There were approximately 200 Christian families living in Keamari at the time. In 1923 the Sacred Heart school was constructed. The medium of instruction was originally the Marathi language. The church has been heritage-listed.
Ministries
The parish has two conferences of the Society of St Vincent de Paul, Pakistan. The parish is also home to the Sacred Heart Secondary School. The Apostleship of the Sea is based in this port parish.
Parish priests
Violence
In November 1990 fanatics attacked the Sacred Heart Church. The parish priest Fr. Bruno Sequeira was brutally beaten. The mob tried to throw him in a fire made from the pews.
In 2009 thieves broke into the church on January 6 and took property worth 80,000 rupees (US$1,000). The chalice, a brass cross, the sound system and emergency lights were among the stolen items.
In October 2010 a special mass was celebrated to consecrate the century-old church vessels recently recovered from the robbery.