St. Peter's Church, Karachi
| St. Peter’s Church | |
|---|---|
| Location | Akhtar Colony, Karachi |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | |
| Dedicated | 9 November 2011 |
| Associated people | consecrated by Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Kausar Ali |
| Style | brown brick |
| Groundbreaking | 22 November 2009 |
| Construction cost | Rupees 5 million |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 5,000 |
| Height | 24 meters |
| Other dimensions | Area 1,858 square meters |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Karachi |
| Parish | St Paul’s Parish, Azam Basti |
| Clergy | |
| Priest in charge | Father Saleh Diego |
| Assistant priest(s) | Father Mario Rodrigues |
St. Peter’s Church is the largest Catholic church in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan.[1]
Construction
The church was built in 11 months, covers an area of 1,858 square meters and can seat 5,000 people. It stands over 24 meters in height. All the windows are of stained glass depicting different religious events. It cost $3.8 million USD to build.
Opening
The Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan Archbishop Edgar Pena Parra blessed the church at a Mass concelebrated by 37 priests from around the country. The Apostolic Nuncio read a message of Pope Benedict XVI to Pakistani Catholics. Later the Papal Nuncio also blessed the Perpetual Adoration Chapel, a room built of glass in a corner of the church open for prayer 24 hours of the day.[2]
Miscellaneous
The church will cater to the people of Akhtar Colony, Mahmudabad, Kashmir Colony and Manzoor Colony.[1]
Funding for the project came from the Pontifical Mission Societies, Missio, the Rothenberg diocese in Germany and the Italian Bishop’s Conference.[3]
The Church has had to employ security guards to protect it from terrorist threats.[4]
References
- ^ a b Country’s largest Catholic church opens in Karachi’s Akhtar Colony by Saima Saleem, The Express Tribune, 16 November 2011 Retrieved 5 April 2013
- ^ AsiaNews 12 November 2011
- ^ UCANews 11 November 2011
- ^ Huffington Post February 11, 2014