CHURCH OF
OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY
DOCKYARD ROAD
Communities
st anthony's
ZONE 1
St Anthony's Community comprises of D’Lima Street from the Church to the end of D’Lima Street on P. D’Mello Road.
Every day we wake up to the aroma of freshly baked bread from WIBS bakery which is in our Zone. As a community we pray and conduct the Rosary at the Cross near Khodad Building, during the novena days of the Feast of the Cross in the month of May. We have the privilege of conducting the first day of the Novena to Our Lady of Rosary.
HOLY CROSS
ZONE 2 & 3
Holy Cross Community is in D'Lima Street, Hospital Lane and has 64 families and 6 clubs.
The unique factor about our community is that we have 4 crosses and they are in different lanes of our community. That’s why our Community is named as Holy Cross Community. Among the four crosses, one cross has been erected in 1926 by Mumbai Port Trust. They did this since they shifted Gloria Church to Byculla but decided to leave a monument in remembrance of the Church.
It is at this historic Cross that we celebrate the feast of this Cross every year on May 3 with Mass and Novena from 24th April which gets the Community together to pray and fellowship with one another.
Besides this we used to regularly have Gospel Sharing, Rosary, Parents Day celebration, Childrens’ Day, Annual Day, Picnic etc.
the light of unity
ZONE 4
The Light of Unity Community is situated on the eastern side of the Dockyard Road Station and it extends to the three sides of the Church building. It consists of around 85 families.
Within this area is located a defence PSU viz. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and various temples belonging to Jainism and Hinduism. But the most unique, is the Kuan Kung Temple which is the only Chinese temple in Mumbai. Opposite this temple there's a Cross where the community meets once a year to pray the rosary.
The community is actively involved in the liturgical celebrations and is happy to have four Catechists, four Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, a number of Lectors, Choral Singers, Keyboard players etc. We currently have ten Animators who work to build a vibrant community through regular home visits and reaching out in various forms.
AShirvad
ZONE 5
“Ashirvad” was formed in the year 1999. There are approximately 48 families in our zone. The areas covered are from Rosary Church right across to Belvedere Road comprising of Surya kunj, Sujata, Meenakshi, Yash Residency, Navanagar, Fatema Bldg., Jasmine Apts., Belvedere Road, St. Peter’s School Campus, Mazagaon TT and All Saints Home.
We are fortunate to have in our zone the All Saints Home which is a home for the aged and the needy. It gives us immense pleasure and satisfaction to reach out those living there, who look forward to our visits. We visit them regularly, celebrate the Eucharist and also give them small hampers now and then, especially during Christmas time. Our animators are always willing to extend a helping hand when they are unwell and at funerals etc.
We have formed clusters and each animator is responsible for 7-8 families. Our meetings are held in the animators’ homes and at times we’ve also met in the peaceful and cool atmosphere of the Joseph Baptista Garden which happens to be in our zone.
marian
ZONE 6
Zone 6 comprises of approximately 65 families. One of the most vibrant, fun loving and committed communities in our Parish. The Community boasts of its involvement and participation in all activities and associations of the parish, i.e., Choir, lectors, liturgical, lay ministries, youth affairs, sports, senior citizens’ association to name a few. The Zone is proud of its talented residents both the past and the ever growing youth who have excelled in Art, Music, Sports and Academics.
Zone 6 comprises of 7 clusters with each cluster having a specified animator responsible to meet the goals as set out in the SCCs of Mumbai –“It called for a tailor-made strategy specific to this metropolis that could, at once overcome the many constraints as also effectively address resistance, fear, indifference and passivity, in order to bring about the desired shift in people's mindset and disposition.”
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Activities of conducted by Zone 6:
Visiting the sick and elderly, homebound and attending to their physical, mental, spiritual, financial needs; Organizing the annual Thanks Giving Mass which is followed by a Social gathering with music, dance, fun and games. The Community gathers regularly at the Miranda House Cross to recite the Rosary.
There are quite a few important places in our zone:
a. Parsi Agiyari, Canteen Stores: (Presently run by the Ministry of Defense, holding stocks of various goods and consumables. It was at this location that Gunpowder was stored by the British Forces during the British Raj).
b. Rosary House: The property that once belonged to the Rosary Church was used to develop this very prominent structure.
c. Lion’s Den: An iconic building, built in 1892 and a famous landmark located at Matharpacady Road and Gunpowder Road leading to the famed Matharpacady Village.
st roque
ZONE 7 & 8
St. Roque community of Our lady of the Rosary, Dockyard bases itself at the Matharpacady Village, Mazgaon and also contains some of the areas that bounder this heritage site.
The Village consists of 70 odd bungalow structures that bear the stamp of a peculiar Indo-Portuguese architectural pattern. The majority of these cottage style bungalows are ground or ground plus one storey structures. The village roads/by lanes are paved with concrete. These roads are the joint venture of the local inhabitants and the Municipal Authorities, built around 60-70 years ago. One of the entry-exit points of the Village consists of huge steps as the village is situated on a slight elevation. The Holy Cross Oratory is a religious landmark, well over a century old, situated in the heart of Matharpacady Oart, popularly known as “THE VILLAGE”. Mrs. I Buthello donated the land for the Oratory and her son-in-law Mr. John Ambosta who carved the wooden cross and the doors of the Oratory. This historical monument was constructed thereon through the munificence of our ancestors, in deep gratitude to God the Almighty Father, who time and again had saved the families in the Village from the most deadly ravages of plague and pestilence. The Village also comprises of Goan and Mangalorian residential clubs.
The Matharpacady Village in itself is a heritage site. Our zone has a few spots of interest, the most famous being the Holy Cross Oratory which is 144 years old, another Cross (at the other end of the village) built by the Pereira family, the famous Matharpacady Club which was in its glory days a center for socialization and there’s also have a big well (a place for interaction to East- Indians in the past decades/centuries).
One of the annual and highlighted events is the solemn Novena Services every year that start in the third week of April. The Feast of the Holy Cross is celebrated on 1st May, commencing with the Eucharistic Sacrifice and followed by joyous festivities. In days gone by, there used to be a band from the village formally called the ‘BONVENTURES’ who tap the feet of people with their live performance. Since the past couple of years, Rosary is recited daily by a group of residents. We have an annual Christmas party for children of all faith residing in the village. There is Carol Singing in the zone during the season of advent.
our lady of lourdes
ZONE 9
Community of Our Lady of Lourdes lies on the periphery of our Parish. The Community comprises of 45 families living in Jindal Mansion and Husseini House (Chatriwalla compound), Batliwala Buildings, Naik Bhavan (Tank Square), Rear Helal Bldg., Helal Bldg., Ali Mohamed Cottage and Honeycomb Apts. Most of these building are along Dr. Mascarenhas Road.
A visit to our Zone will bring you to another world which is fascinating. There are solid old buildings and many trees along the way. Off the main road, you have Ali Mohamed Cottage which is a quaint and quiet place with plenty of greenery in front of each house. Then there is Rear Helal Bldg. As one climbs up the 33 steps to the first floor, the scene at the top will amaze you. What you see is its open terraces in front of the houses. As you reach the top, what greets you is a beautiful white Cross holding prime place on the terrace.
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Located within Zone 9 is the 131-year-old St. Isabel’s High School which is an inseparable part of local history. Many in Mazagon received an all-round education from this institution. The Baptista sisters, who were the founders of this school, belonged to the family of Barrister Joseph (Kaka) Baptista, (born in Matharpacady), a freedom fighter who coined the phrase "Swaraj is my birth right".
Not too far away from Honeycomb Apts, is Hasanabad Dargah, the resting place of Aga Khan 1. Hasanabad’s architectural style, it is commonly said, resembles the Taj Mahal because of is white dome and architecture.
Gene D’Silva from our community is the founder of a non-profit organisation called Jeevan Dhara. He and his wife Shobha work for the upliftment of underprivileged children in the field of education. They also have a rehabilitation centre for drug addicts in Lonavala in addition to other programmes.