MARIAM NAGAR (1991) C-2007
Queen of Peace Patroness
Agartala Diocese
(Attached presence : Mandwi)
Catholic Church
Mariamnagar – 799 008
Agartala, West Tripura
(0381) 2326413
94361 30603 Fr. Ronald Venadt
98624 17340 Fr. Jeevan Lakra
jeevanlkr@yahoo.com Fr. Jeevan Lakra
Members
Fr. Lakra Kishore Jeevan Rector
Cl. Lyngdoh Radhon PT II
Fr. Venadt Ronald PP, Cs
PRE-NOVICES
Savio Bhavan
Azimganj P.O.
Murshidabad Dist.
West Bengal – 742122
94743 – 16981 Rector
ptmathew@gmail.com Rector
History
Mariam Nagar, close to Agartala, is historically important in the annals of the Church in Northeast India. It boasted of a well-established catholic population and centre as far as back as 1683, with a colony of Portuguese soldiers at the service of the Debbarma king. There were also a few local Christians. In spite of the fact that they had no resident priest, they kept alive the live for centuries. After the erection of the diocese of Silchar to which it belonged, Mariamnagar was looked after by the Holy Cross Fathers. It has had a troubled history. Till 1980, Mariamnagar was a centre of activities with a school, hostel and a convent. In that year, in the context of the tribal–non tribal conflict, a group of miscreants had set fire to the mission complex, completely gutting down a guest house and the presbytery. The parish was the closed down, and the Bethany Sisters who were there since 1969 abandoned the place. Immediately previous to the entry of the Salesians into Tripura, the mission was being looked after by Fr. Hormis SCS. The Salesian presence at Mariamnagar is from 31st January 1991, the feast of our founder. The main Catholic population is Bengalee. There is a plan to bifurcate the parish, the new area specifically meant for the tribals of the region, and the centre for this new centre is Mandai.