Verghese V Joseph & Ivan S Costa –
Hemmakki: On a bright Thursday morning on 21 May 2026, the tiny village of Hemmakki located in Mudigere taluk of Chikmagalur district in the southern Indian state of Karnataka will gather to celebrate a milestone: the Pearl Jubilee and formal inauguration of the newly renovated Infant Jesus Church.
The ceremony, beginning at 9:30 a.m., will be presided over by His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Thomasappa Anthony Swamy, Bishop of Chikmagalur, and is expected to draw more than a thousand faithful, scores of priests and religious sisters, and well-wishers from across the region.
Perched amid the rolling hills of western Karnataka, Hemmakki is a hamlet of some 1,700 residents where village life intersects with deep devotional practice. For three decades the modest red-roofed church has been the spiritual heart of the local Catholic community; its renewal therefore carries both symbolic and practical significance for parishioners who once struggled with leaking roofs, cracked walls and ant-ravaged woodwork.
“The renovation is the fruit of prayer, perseverance and communal sacrifice,” said Very Rev. Fr. David Prakash, the parish priest who led the project. “This church served our grandparents and will now serve future generations in dignity.”
A long pursuit for a sacred home
The story of the Hemmakki chapel stretches back to the early 1980s, when Very Rev. Fr. George D’Souza — then parish priest of nearby Hirebile — first sought a permanent worship site for Catholics who otherwise had to travel nearly eight kilometres over poor roads for Mass. Local accounts recall funerals where villagers carried the deceased on their shoulders because transport and access were so limited.
Fr. George and social worker C.T. Colaco petitioned the government for land, and after years of effort one acre was sanctioned and recorded in 1992–93. Construction began soon after, and by May 1995 the simple church building stood completed. Leadership changes delayed formal inauguration, but the chapel was ultimately dedicated by Rt. Rev. Msgr. Marcel J. Pinto. Over the years successive priests shepherded the community; during the Decennial Jubilee, then-Bishop Bernard Moras gifted a statue of the Infant Jesus from Prague, which remains a focus of devotion.
From decay to a renewed house of prayer
By the early 2020s, three decades of monsoon weather and wear had taken their toll. Roofing leaks, structural cracks and termite damage prompted urgent action. Fr. David convened a 14-member renovation committee and sought external assistance. The Christian Development Corporation and the government provided ₹50 lakh; parishioners and benefactors from Bangalore, Mumbai, Mangalore and even Israel raised another ₹25 lakh. The collective effort completed the work within seven months.
Architect John Peter Mascarenhas reimagined the sanctuary, while artisans led by Simon T. L. of St. Mary’s Studio, Bengaluru, executed the sanctuary and altar work. The altar echoes Gothic sensibilities; the altar table carries an image of the Last Supper and the sanctuary wall narrates the Birth, Death and Resurrection of Christ. Careful placement of the ambo and tabernacle, life-size statues of saints and newly installed Stations of the Cross give the interior a contemplative atmosphere.
The refurbished church measures roughly 65 feet by 20 feet with seating for about 100 people; the Catholic population in the immediate area comprises 17 families, around 70 members in all. Outside, the structure rises nearly 35 feet crowned by a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with open arms and a smaller statue of the Infant Jesus. Features added for accessibility include a 22-metre ramp from the road to the main gate to assist the elderly and specially abled. A teak main door, a sacristy, priests’ rest room, drinking water and washroom facilities, plus a stage and dining hall for community functions complete the upgrades. A renovated grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, sponsored earlier by Simon Rego, now offers seating and interlock flooring.
A community celebration
Thursday’s liturgy will be attended by diocesan dignitaries including Msgr. Elias Sequeira (Vicar General), Very Rev. Fr. Charles Pereira (Chancellor), Very Rev. Fr. Paul D’Souza (Dean of Balehonnur) and more than 50 priests. Around 25 religious sisters and a cross‑section of villagers — irrespective of caste or creed — are expected to join the Eucharistic celebration and later felicitate donors, workers and volunteers who made the renovation possible.
For Hemmakki residents, the occasion is more than brick and mortar. “This church is our identity,” said Cyril Miranda, a member of the construction committee. “It holds our baptisms, our funerals, our joys and sorrows. To see it renewed is to feel our community renewed.”
As the parish prepares to ring bells and break bread together, the faithful entrust the next chapter of Hemmakki’s spiritual life to the Infant Jesus. The renovated church, they hope, will remain a place of prayer, solace and community service for decades to come.