LEELA - ST. MARY’S CHURCH
Patron/ness Our Lady of Snow
Annual Feast Day 5 August
Established 1966
Catholics 3519
Mass Centers -
Clergy Rev Fr. James Valanarasan (PP)
Rev Fr. Denis Dinesh Soren (APP)

Address St. Mary’s Church, P.O Mandro, (Mirzachowki)–813208, Dist. Sahibganj, Jharkhand
Religious Houses Maria Sadan (SMI)
Institutions St. Joseph’s Middle School
St. Joseph’s High School
St. Joseph’s Health Centre

In by gone days a Mass Center of Gokhala, Leela was embossed to a Parish in 1966 and Rev. Fr. Stanislaus Murmu TOR was the first Parish Priest. The Parish Church was constructed in 1971 at the time of Rev. Fr. Michael TOR. Rev. Fr. Dionis Kiro TOR, Rev. Fr. Boniface Bonk TOR, Late Rev. Fr. Augustine Peedikamala TOR were the Franciscans who took care of the Parish in the early years. Rev. Fr. Mathew Athikulam was the first Diocesan Parish Priest in Leela. In his tenure, SMI Sisters willingly accepted to render their service in Leela. Bishop Kurien was the Parish Priest in Leela on two terms. It was in his time a High School was started in Leela. He, with the SMI Sisters, had worked hard in this parish and had very rich harvest. Bp. Kurien started a School in Basaha, a 45 minutes’ walk from Leela with intention to initiate a Parish. He started boarding both in Leela and Basaha. The girls who were unable to pay the fee were allowed to go for transplantation to earn money. Insufficient land causes hindrance to the developmental activities in Leela. With the support of Caritas India, BSSS and his own personal savings, Bp. Kurien set up a commodious boarding for promoting girls education. There are 1010 Catholic families in the Parish.