OFM
Order of Friars Minor
Province of St. Thomas the Apostle, India
Joy is Being Franciscan
Joy is Being Franciscan
| Diocese | MANGALORE |
| Year of Foundation | 1999 |
| Juridical Status | Residence |
| Specific Mission | Pastoral ministry |
St. Anthony's Church, Bannur, was a part of Mai De Deus Parish, Puttur. ln 1999 it was carved out of Puttur Parish and given to the Franciscan Fathers belonging to the Province of St. Thornas the Apostle in lndia.
At the time of bifurcation Bannur Parish was given 4 acres of land by Puttur Parish but we could not build a Church there due to legal problems. Secondly, this land is in a very interior place and the parishioners were not Enterested in building a Church there. Therefore, the Franciscan Fathers bought 1.71 acres of land for Rs. 17,00,000/- and built a church and a multipurpose hall in Bannur. The Churrch was built with the contribution of the parishioners and donors. ln 2014 the Presbytery was built by the Franciscans with their own money.
Bannur is situated in between Puttur and Uppinangady. Bannur Parish was erected on 17.12.1999 and the new Church was inaugurated on 07.12.2002. The sacristy and the presbytery was built when Fr. Nicholas D'souza was the parish priest. Before the inauguration of the new church, Eucharist was celebrated in a shed given by Mr. Gilbert D'souza of Puttur.
Bannur Parish has 210 families with a sub- statlon at Perne. Fr. Balthazar Pinto is the present Parish Priest of St. Anthont's Church, Bannur.
The following priests have worked as Parish Priests at Bannur:
Fr. Alphonse Moras, OFM (1999-2004),
Fr. Valerian Quadros, OFM (2004-2007),
Fr. Arokiaswamy, OFM (2007-2009,)
Fr. Augustine Finto, OFM (2009-2010)
Fr. Nicholas D'souza, OFM (2010-2017)
Fr. Prashanth Fernandes, OFM (2017 -2023)
Fr. Balthazar Pinto, OFM (2023 - ).
This parish was given to the Franciscams for 25 years. The contract was renewed on 17.12.2024 for another 25 years. The 4 acres of land which was given earlier, is not included in the new contract because the parishioners did not make use of the offer given to them by the diocese.
ln 2019 a new Chapel was built in the cernetery with the aid that we got from the government. The compound walltoo was completed.
The silver jubilee of this parish was celebrated on 29th April 2O25. On this joyful occasion the Church was renovated. The portico was extended, granite was fixed for the floor and the entire church was painted.
The Silver Jubilee of St. Francis of Assisi Chapel, Perne, was celebrated on 20.10.2025. On this occasion the chapel was repaired and a small shed was built to have community functions.
