Destination Borduria

The martyrdom of Frs. N. M. Krick and A. E. Boury of the Foreign Mission of Paris in Arunachal in 1854 sowed the seed of faith in Arunachal. But the entire Arunachal remained a mission dream till 02 August 1979, when 924 people from Borduria and other villages embraced Christianity in the presence of Fr. Thomas Menamparambil, then Rector of Don Bosco Shillong, Bp Robert Kerketta of Dibrugarh, (now Bp Emeritus of Tezpur), Bp Joseph Mittathany of Tezpur, (now Abp Emeritus of Imphal), late Fr. Mathai Kochuparambil sdb (later Bishop of Diphu), two Priests and two Nuns. On that day, a temporary Church was blessed at Borduria. In 1975, Fr. Thomas Menamparambil, met Mr. Wanglat Lowangcha, belonging to the Chief’s family, who had brought his brother to admit in the said school. The Rector promised he would admit his brother if he brought one more boy from his Nocte tribe. Thus, Wangdung, his brother and Tero Kakho joined the school, the first Noctes to be in any Catholic school. With Mr. Wanglat, Fr. Thomas made a bold trip into the Tirap district in August 1978 and later contacted other influential people. The trip was cut short due to a fatal jeep accident. But Fr. Thomas persuaded Mr. Wanglat and his family to be baptized on 18 August 1978 at their residence in Borduria. Since 1978 the diocese of Dibrugarh under the leadership of Bp Robert Kerketta, and the Salesian province of Guwahati under Fr. Mathai Kochuparambil sdb, showed keen interest in the Arunachal tribals. The latter appointed Fr. Job Kallarackal sdb for the job. He stayed in Naharkatia to contact the tribes of East Arunachal. On 05 July 1986, Bp Thomas Menamparambil blessed the presbytery and the first Catholic boarding school at Borduria. On 06 July, he blessed the site for the new Church in Arunachal. The missionaries of Charity opened their convent at Borduria on 20 December 1992. On 02August 1993, the first Church in the entire Arunachal Pradesh was blessed in the presence of Bl. Mother Teresa. The Arunachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill made conversion to Christianity a punishable offence. Missionaries were denied entry into Arunachal. Christians were discriminated against. But all these boosted spread of Christianity. Realizing the futility of restricting missionaries’ movements the authorities permitted missionaries to enter Arunachal. Gradually new centres were opened at Khonsa, Minthong, Kanubari, Deomali, Lazu, Nampong, Rajanagar, Roing, Tezu and other areas. On 02 August 1997, Bp Joseph Aind of Dibrugarh separated the above-mentioned centres from the Parish of Borduria and assigned to it 28 Nocte villages. On 03 July 1998 he inaugurated the Don Bosco School at Kheti for the students of Borduria. Primary schools were established at Longo, Dadam, Tissa, Moktowa and Kaimai villages. On 02 August 2004 the Catholic community of Borduria celebrated the Silver Jubilee of

the arrival of Catholic faith in East Arunachal in Jorhat and the other in Dibrugarh. We cater Pradesh. On 07 December 2006, Pope Benedict to the people’s spiritual needs through regular XVI erected the diocese of Miao, comprising the visits, Holy Masses, Confessions and Retreats. six districts of Arunachal Pradesh and appointed The centre at Borduria is dynamic and vibrant Fr. P. K. George sdb as its first Shepherd. On 20 but our present set up needs immediate solution October 2007 the Parishes of Longo and Tissa as the land in our present location is sinking at a were separated from the Parish of Borduria. At frightening speed. the time of division, Borduria Parish had 14,200 Ottongkhua Catholics in 28 villages. At present, it has 4500 The objective of people’s holistic welfare Catholics in 12 villages, including the four lower necessitated the opening of the school and Wancho villages. boarding at Borduria and later a primary school The Parish of Mary Help of Christians at Ottongkhua. Ottongkhua is a central place for at Borduria has a primary school and boarding. the lower Wanchos. In fact, the first baptisms took The boarding accomodates 100 students (70 boys place among the Wanchos and the first village and 30 girls) from remote villages of the district. to embrace Catholicism fully was the remote Currently we have 99 boarders, 36 girls and 63 Wancho village of Nokfan in Tirap district. The boys. There is a computer centre with a library converts there faced persecution for their faith: for the villagers. The development association their houses and chaples were destroyed, bibles (AIDA) of the province of Dimapur has been were burnt, Catholic leaders were deprived working in the villages of the parish from July of education and were imprisoned. Fr. Job 2006. The parish has two resident priests - Fr. Kallarackal sdb spread the faith in Tirap district Pradeep Soreng (Rector & Parish Priest) and Fr. from Naharkatia in Assam. He toured the villages Awungshi Ngasammi Joseph (Headmaster & in disguise and the Sisters in civil dress. Asst. Parish Priest). The Missionaries of Charity The lower Wancho villages were given to of Mother Teresa (MC) look after the health care Kanubari Parish by the diocese of Dibrugarh. of the people. Due to great distances some villages could not People love their faith and acknowledge be visited regularly from Kanubari particularly its positive impact on their lives. Of all the Nokfan and Ottongkhua, an offshoot of Nokfan. Nocte villages, Borduria was the first to embrace Therefore Bp George of Miao bifurcated four Catholicism. It has had the first resident Priest villages of the lower Wanchos from Kanubari and Sisters. Ever since they became Catholics, parish and entrusted them to the Salesian Parish Priests, Brothers and Sisters frequently visit of Borduria. A school was opened at Ottongkhua them particularly during Easter and Christmas. in 2010 in a thatch hut and the Disciple Sisters of Efforts at faith formation are intensified through Fr. Joe D’Souza sdb came to reside in the village sacraments, retreats, popular devotions, for faith formation and education of the people of catechetical instructions, vocation camps, health the entire area. camps, seminars and other The primary school at programmes. Religious Ottongkhua was completed under the vocations too are growing leadership of Fr. Joseph Thottappallil sdb in the parish. There are and was blessed on 05 March. Currently four Missionary Sisters we have we have a good school building and a Brother of Mother with about 170 students. There are two Teresa, one FMA and Sisters and six lady teachers looking after one MSMHC Sister from the school. We have begun the hostel Kaimai and Boroduria building for the girls and the Sisters’ village respectively, two convent. Disciple Sisters of Don - Fr. Pradeep Soreng sdb, Borduria, AP Bosco Secular Institute and two Aspirants, one 6 / Dimapur Links: July - August 2016