St. Lawrence’s Church, Karachi
| St. Lawrence’s Church | |
|---|---|
| Location | Cincinnatus Town, Karachi |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 1912 |
| Consecrated | 10 August 1931 |
| Events | Life-size statue of the patron saint ordered from Rome in 1930. |
| Associated people |
Architect: Fr. Heras S.J. |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural type | Constructed with elements of Mughal architecture |
| Groundbreaking | 1903 |
| Completed | 1929 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St. Lawrence’s Parish |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Karachi |
| Clergy | |
| Priest in charge | Fr. Norbert Mendonca |
Architect: Fr. Heras S.J.
St. Lawrence’s Church, Karachi is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi. It became a parish in 1912.
It was the architects of Cincinnatus Town that first “gave priority to the building of a church which they dedicated to St. Lawrence”. A fund for the construction of St. Lawrence’s Chapel was started by residents of the area in 1907. In a 1925 meeting of the contributors, an amount of Rs. 14,500 had been collected for purchasing suitable land in Cincinnatus Town.
The Church was constructed with elements of Mughal architecture in it. The church has been heritage-listed.
The exterior of the building has a dome and a minaret, with crosses atop each. The sanctuary is directly under the dome. Adjacent to the sanctuary is the vestry or sacristy. The main entrance faces west, and just above it is the choir loft. Two galleries run along the sides of the Church to accommodate the overflow of the faithful. High above each side of the sanctuary, are three stained glass windows, with the Star of David in the centre window.
Lawrence Cajetan Duarte donated the life-size statue of the patron saint which was ordered from Rome in 1930. The church was built by parishioners through personal contributions (1903–1929) and formally opened on August 10, 1931. The first High Mass was offered in 1929 without roof and doors and people brought their own stools and chairs. Twenty-nine men and sixteen women having dedicated their lives in the service of the Church, including one Cardinal, two archbishops and three bishops.
The boundaries of St . Lawrence’s Parish stretch from the Lyari River to the Teen Hutti bridge on Manghopir Road. From Teen Hutti the border continued to Bunder Road and extend to the Karachi Central Jail. On the south, the border ran along Bunder Road Extension past Cosmopolitan Colony and Catholic Colony No. 1 to the K.G.A Gymkhana. On the west the boundaries were Sindhi Muslim Colony, Vallabhai Patel Park, Soldier Bazaar, Punjab Colony and Gandhi Gardens. The borders of the Parish have changed several times as the city developed with parts being ceded to Christ the King Parish and St. Jude’s Parish.
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Wikipedia