MAWLAI PARISH (1940) C-1992
St Dominic Savio Patron
Shillong Archdiocese
St Dominic Savio Parish
Mawlai, Shillong – 793 008
Meghalaya
(0364) 2550541 / 2550475 Parish
98620 41485 Fr. Roland Kharkrang
94361 19131 Fr. Peter Schiavon
Members
Fr. Kharkrang Roland Rector & PP
Fr. Schiavon Peter
Fr. Varickasseril Jose VR, Prof., Asst. PP
Convents :
FMA – Sacred Heart Convent
(0364) 2550540
MSMHC – Mary Immaculate Mawroh
(0364) 2590537
MSMHC – Stephen Ferrando Mawroh
(0364) 2590413
History
Situated in the Mawlai township, St. Dominic Savio parish was opened in 1938 through the missionary zeal of Fr. Constantine Vendrame, the apostle of the Khasi Hills. Though he was told that he was entering a very difficult place, Fr. Vendrame, through a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, in whose honour he erected a beautiful shrine in the area, succeeded in winning over the people to the faith. It is not surprising therefore, that up to the time of its division in 1997, Mawlai was the biggest parish in the Shillong Archdiocese, having more than 24,000 faithful. At present it has a Catholic population of 18,000 in over 3,000 families and spread over 33 villages and centres. An extensive network of primary, middle and high schools provide much needed education to the children of the area. The parish can boast of having one of its faithful, the Most Rev. Dominic Jala, as the Archbishop of Shillong.
The first parish priest was Fr. Benedetto Fiori. At that time, the present Sacred Heart Shrine of SHTC was the parish church. Hence, the name Sacred Heart Parish was given to the parish. The parish priests and his assistants belonged to the Sacred Heart College community. In 1939, when Fr. Fiori returned to Italy due to illness, Fr. P. Tonello was appointed as the parish priest. The parish community came to the present site only during the time of Fr. A. Correngia, who also built the present church. After this, the church assumed the name of St. Dominic Savio. On 2nd June 1992, the Mawlai parish community was canonically erected as a Salesian community under the patronage of St. Dominic Savio.