Centenary celebrations of West Parish begin on a glittering note
Staff Reporter
Momentous occasion: The illuminated St. Mathews Church in Guntur.
GUNTUR: The three-day centenary celebrations of the St. Mathew’s Church, popularly known as West Parish, got off to a glittering start on Friday. A large gathering of church members, eminent persons of the city gathered in the hallow precincts of the magnificent chapel illuminated in the evening to celebrate the occasion. Andhra Evangelical Lutheran Church president Reverend D. Christopher joined the multitude in paying rich tributes to the late Mrs. Stork, who was behind the construction of the church in 1907 in the Gunn compound.
Built on a solid rock edifice with walls built from stones chiseled from the hills, this was the first permanent church building in Guntur. Built to accommodate the growing number of people, the church was dedicated to the people on October 8, 1907 with a cost of $13,000, a princely sum of about Rs.40,000 in those days.
The imposing structure built in the shape of a cross has for the past hundred years remained as the most visible remnants of the glorious legacy of the missionaries who had done pioneering work in the fields of education and health. . “West Parish has provided a new direction to the Christian Church in the district,” Guntur Central Synod president Rev. B. Elia said.
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