Illegal Structure Removed Near Mumbai’s Historic Marian Church
By Michael Gonsalves
(UCA News) — Catholic opposition has forced authorities in India’s financial capital, Mumbai (formerly Bombay), to remove an illegal structure that had come up near the pathway to the historic Mount Mary Church in the Bandra suburb.
Godfrey Pimenta, a lawyer and trustee of the city-based Watchdog Foundation, said the unauthorized construction was carried out in the past week.
“An embankment wall and aligned construction had sprung up near the steps leading up to the Mount Mary Church,” he told UCA News on Jan. 21. The illegal structure encroached upon what was clearly designated as “an open/public space.”
“The area forms part of a historically sensitive precinct and falls within a heritage zone that must be protected from such violations,” said Pimenta, noting that the church is also part of the city’s heritage and urban identity.
“Allowing unchecked illegal construction here sets a dangerous precedent and undermines public faith in governance, heritage conservation, and the rule of law,” he said.
Pimenta suspected the construction was “an act of politically motivated vengeance against Catholics” in the Bandra area, who voted for the secular Congress party rather than the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party in last month’s civic elections.
The illegal activity started immediately after the results of the local municipal corporation elections were declared on Jan. 16, noted Melwyn Fernandes, secretary of the Mumbai-based Association of Concerned Christians.
Karen D’mello, the newly elected Congress party corporator, told UCA News that authorities ordered the contractor to remove the embankment and clear the bricks and other construction materials lying at the site.
“There will be no more encroachment on the pathway to the church,” she said.
Father Sunder Albuquerque, the church’s vice rector, thanked the vigilant Catholic groups for successfully stopping the illegal activity.
Pimenta said he wrote to both municipal and police authorities, demanding they register a case against the culprits under the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, which regulates construction activity in the city.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner Deepak Pallewad said there was a demand from a nearby slum area for a passageway, and a work order was issued accordingly.
“When our contractor began work at the site, he found that the land belonged to the church. When this was brought to my notice, we stopped the work,” he added.
The church houses a revered 16th-century statue of the Virgin Mary holding Baby Jesus. It is perched on a hilltop, offering panoramic views of the Arabian Sea.
The historic church annually attracts thousands of pilgrims, including people of other faiths, who offer candles, flowers, and money during the annual feast held on Sept. 8.
The feast also marks the start of the week-long Bandra Fair, a major cultural and religious event featuring novenas, special masses, food stalls, and devotional items, celebrating the birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
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