Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel
Established: 1900
Catholics 160
Catholic Church
Chanpatia – 845 449
West Champaran District, Bihar
Tel: (06254) 266336
Mass Centre: Lauriya
History:
In the late 1800’s and the early 1900’s Chanpatia was considered a business centre. The mission there was started so that Christians from Bettiah who worked there for several months each year could attend Mass. This was celebrated by a priest from Chuhari. As time went on a few Christian families settled there permanently. It was also a stopping off place for the priest who had to come and go from Rampur to Bettiah.
It remained only a Mass centre for many years. Fr. Aloysius Pettit, S.J. lived there for a few years until in 1948 he went to Chakhni. After this, priests from Khrist Raja, Bettiah went to Chanpatia for Sunday Mass. In 1961 a hostel for boys was opened in Chanpatia and Fr. William Goudreau, S.J. began living there. In the following year Fr. Farrell, S.J. went to Chanpatia where he built the present church. After Fr. Farrell returned to Chuhari in 1977, Chanpatia was looked after by Jesuits, Diocesan priests, Capuchins and Claretians.
In 2009 a new residence for the parish priest was built so that he could conduct his work more efficiently and also give a proper accommodation for visiting priests and brothers.
On July 2, 1987 the Canossian Daughters of Charity came to work in Lauryia, 16 kilometers north of Chanpatia. In the beginning they stayed in rented quarters, one room in the house of Mr. Cyril Fidelis, who worked in the sugar factory. Several months later they moved from there to the present convent. Their main work has been health care in the dispensary, non-formal education and empowerment work among women, including their training in tailoring and computer.
The Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS) Jharsuguda Province of Odisha are taking care of St. John Paul II English Medium School in collaboration with the diocesan priest from 2012.
Religious Congregations
Canossian Daughters of Charity (FDCC)
Shanti Bhawan, Lauriya 845453
West Champaran District, Bihar
Tel: (06253) 251220
Missionary Sisters Servants of the Holy Spirit (SSpS)
Chanpatia 845449
West Champaran District, Bihar