Thanchi parish is situated in a very remote and hard to reach area of Chittagong hill district. The area is the upazila headquarter under Bandarban district. It is a 145.8 km journey from Chittagong and 62 km from Bandarban, usually a seven hours drive from Chittagong to Bandarban and again from Bandarban to Thanchi. Development in the area is very much visible now a days being a tourist attraction of the country.
Thanchi is raised to the status of a parish in 2000 AD out of Bandarban parish. Presently it has a Catholic population of around 9,000. The faithful are scattered over a vast hard to reach areas in 62 paras (hilly villages). It is operating under the pastoral care of Holy Cross Priests and Salesian Missionary nuns.
Recently on 19-21 March 2018 the parish celebrated Year of Mission at the parish level
Participants of Thanchi Parish Pastoral Assembly 2018
reflecting on the Archdiocesan Pastoral Theme “Pilgrimage of faith in 500 years: Heritage- Celebration- Renewal”. The gathering namely parish assembly was chaired by the pastor Rev. Binoy Sebastian Gomes and assisted by Rev. Robert Mankhin who is the assistant pastor. Archdiocesan Pastoral Coordinator Mr. Manik Willver D’Costa and Secretary of Chittagong office Mr. Jude Flavian Bala travelled to the area to conduct the Parish Pastoral Assembly.
The assembly begins at the evening on 19th by village report presentation of para Karbaris (hilly village leaders) and prayer leaders. There was a meaningful Bible enthronement program on the following day which was immediately followed by an opening ceremony.
Opening dance by hostel girls during the Thanchi Parish Pastoral Assembly 2018
Bible enthronement by Rev. Binoy Gomes during the Thanchi Parish Pastoral Assembly 2018
Pastoral Coordinator of Chittagong Archdiocese Mr. Manik Willver D’Costa was the keynote
Mr. Manik Willver D’Costa is delivering keynote speech during the Thanchi Parish Pastoral Assembly 2018
speaker on the pastoral theme of the Archdiocese. Immediately after him Hill Tracts Pastoral Service Team Secretary Mr. Khunthairoy Francis Tripura discussed on the same topic in the context of Chittagong Hill Tracts and it was in Kabrung (mother tongue of Tripura tribes) language.
At the afternoon session parish catechist Mr. Brindachandra Tripura and a lay woman Ms. Kaberi Tripura shared their learning in the Archdiocesan Pastoral Assembly held on 18-20 January 2018 in Bandarban.
Thanchi parish organized a very creative session in the evening. They invited some senior parishioners to share their experience on evangelization and pastoral approach of early missionaries in the parish. They session came out very rich and resourceful to articulate a detail history of the parish which is a priority set by the Archdiocese in this year.
The three days assembly closed by a Eucharistic celebration on 21st March morning presided over by Rev. Binoy Gomes.
