Bhagalpur Diocese

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GOKHLA - ST. FRANCIS CHURCH
Patron/ness	St. Francis of Assisi
Annual Feast Day	4 October
Established	1941
Catholics	2365
Mass Centers
Clergy	Rev Fr. Marion Pulichamakil TOR Rev Fr. Shaiju Karuvelil TOR Rev Fr. Varghese TOR
Address	St. Francis Church, P.O Mirzachowki, Dist – Bhagalpur, 813 208, Bihar
Religious Houses	St. Michael’s Convent (CTC)
Institutions	St. Michael’s Girls’ School (CTC) St. Michael’s Girls’ High School+2 (CTC) St. Stanislaus Boy’s Middle School (TOR) St. Stanislaus Boy’s High School (TOR) Boarding Home for Boys and Girls Health Centre & T.B. Sanitorium St. Teresa’s School (EM, CTC)

Rev. Fr. Gibbons SJ had acquired land in Gokhla in 1930. In 1931, IBVM Sisters came to Gokhla and started St. Michael Girls’ School. There was a residential boys’ school in Bhagalpur around 1930 but during the earth quake the school was destroyed. In 1934, this boarding school was shifted to Gokhla and the priests took care of St. Stanislaus boys’ school. Rev. Fr. Creane SJ was the minister for the first baptism in Gokhla on 26th January, 1930. Gokhla was transferred to Franciscans in 1941. Gokhla is the Mother House of the TOR. It has a community cemetery of the TOR’s and the CTC’s. Rev. Fr. Gabriel Stephen TOR was the first Parish Priest. The CTC Sisters, who are involved in various apostolates, render their service in Gokhla until the present time. Franciscans in Gokhla had many Mass Centers. They offered Mass in Leela, Basaha, Baccha, Kusumba, Mangra and Dakaita at least once in every month. The church dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi was built at the time of Rev. Fr. Patrick Boland TOR in 1941 and renovated by Rev. Fr. Benvenute in 1975.