History
Seminary Hills is associated with the Dominicans for a long time. Historically it had been part of St. Francis de Sales Cathedral parish. Seeing the need of the people in and around the Seminary Hills, the parish was created in 1965 with Fr. Stephen Moniz as the first parish priest. St. Charles seminary was the center of all the parish activities and the grotto was the shrine visited by all. With the ordination of the first Indian Dominican in 1971, the responsibility of taking care of the parish was handed over to the Dominicans. St. Dominic's Ashram was made the center for parish activities and the community church was also used as the parish church. The prior of St. Dominic's Ashram is the parish priest, who was assisted by a parochial vicar. Fr. Pius Mc Grath, OP was the first Parish Priest, who was assisted by Fr. C.J. Sebastian, OP as the first parochial vicar. Over the years, the parish has grown and with the coming of the Mary Queen of the Apostles Church at Anantnagar, the parish was bifurcated. The Pallottine Fathers have been entrusted with the responsibility of taking care of the new parish and parish at Seminary Hills continued to be taken care of by the Dominicans.
At Present Fr. Amirtha Raj, OP is the Parish Priest and he is assisted by the community of priests. One of the major thrusts within the parish is to organize and to administer the Rosary Parish for the purpose of being a well organized and administered parish and for instructing and educating the seminarians how a parish has to be organized in the present situation. The parish functions with the involvement of all the parishioners. It is a “Participative” and a “Collaborative” church, where all the members in different areas of the parish are encouraged to build small Christian communities leading to building communities of communities and communities of humanity. There are many important programmes are planned and in the process of carrying them out:
1. Formation of the Parish Council: Representatives from the Religious houses; representatives from the SCC; representatives from the organizations; representatives from all the committees; and nominated members. Every month the parish council members come together and discuss, deliberate, plan and organize the entire programme where maximum people participate in all the diocesan and parish programmes and activities.
2. Formation of vibrant and functioning Small Christian Communities: Bringing all the families together around the Word of God in a particular area and helping them to read, reflect, pray, assimilate and put into practice in one's life, which eventually would lead to transformation and a deep sense of belonging to the community and to the parish.
3. Formation of a new and restructuring and reconstituting the old Parish organizations: Over and above the participation in the liturgical services, being a member of an organization makes the parishioners to be more actively involved in the life and ministry of the parish.
4. Formation of different committees for effectiveness, efficiency, involvement and responsibility: The entire parish council is grouped into different committees, where the committee members accept and carry out the responsibility entrusted to them.
5. Planning for the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes: The Shrine is the Pilgrim Center of Central India, where we plan to develop in a big way for the good of the church, for the good of the diocese and for the good of the devotees.
6. Regular pastoral visits to the Families: The best way to build a parish is to have regular organized pastoral visits to all the families of the parish. The Parish Priest is expected to visit at least three times a year all the families of the parish.
7. Three times a year area wise mass in all the areas of the parish: Part of building up and enlivening the parish we have area wise mass during lent, advent and also during the feast of the patron of the area. The three occasions bring the entire people together.
8. Regular training and faith formation programmes: During the year we organize a number of programmes where maximum people could participate in them. Most of these programmes are faith formation, study of Bible and any other relevant courses needed and available for the parishioners.
9. Catechism classes for children and for adults: This is organized for all the children and the teachers and the students are regular and are committed to it.
10. Social and developmental programme in the parish: We have also many developmental and participative activities within the parish through the Vincent de Paul Society and Women's Group and so on. Through these groups, the medical needs of the sick and need and the educational needs of the poor children as well as to support in a regular way the basic needs of the parishioners.