THE BOMBAY SEMINARY: The Long Road to Goregaon
The opening portals of the Archdiocesan Seminary, Goregaon ushers us into a whole new world. Here the hustling and bustling of the ever constellating city gradually comes to a stand-still. Trudging up the ancient hillock leaves one breathless. As we reach the flattened peak, there before us it stands – warm and welcoming, the neat and complete Seminary of the Archdiocese of Bombay.
The road to this final destination was long and arduous. The paths converged and diverged until the arrival of Archbishop Joaquim Lima in 1928. Aware of the earnest yearnings, the Archbishop left no stone unturned to begin a Seminary in this beloved Archdiocese.
“The Seminary was erected by a decree of May 2, 1936; and started at Parel by the late Archbishop Lima, SJ on June 12, 1936….In his speech at the Inauguration…His Grace has said: ‘In inaugurating the Seminary of Bombay, I may state for your information that this is the fifth time in the history of the Archdiocese that a Seminary in Bombay has been established. I hope and pray that it will not be necessary to close the Seminary once again.’” – Valerian Cardinal Gracias
Sources state that the Parel Seminary was the third (not fifth) attempt at ‘reopening’ the Bombay Seminary. However research recounts that the Seminary moved at least twelve times in the Pre-Parel period
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What compelled these tedious travels of the budding Seminary?
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How long was the journey to the ‘Promised Land’?
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Who laboured, with or without love, the task of laying its bricks?
Fr. Warner D'Souza is a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Bombay. He has served in the parishes of St Michael's (Mahim), St Paul's (Dadar East), Our Lady of Mount Carmel, (Bandra), a ten year stint as priest-in-charge at St Jude Church (Malad East) and at present is the Parish Priest at St Stephen's Church (Cumballa Hill). He is also the Director of the Archdiocesan Heritage Museum and is the co-ordinator of the Committee for the Promotion and Preservation of the Artistic and Historic Patrimony of the Church.
Just a guess, may be 20 Seminarians
Just a guess, may be 20 Seminarians
Approximately 150 seminarians must have been there in 1936.
9 seminarians were on the roll.
Sent my answer yesterday as to ‘9 seminarians were on the roll’ when the Parel seminary started in 1936. Received two mails requesting to confirm. Unable to comply to your confirm request as it is not reachable stating that the site is not secure. Any other way to confirm.
The answer is six