In the year 1915, the late Joseph Oram, a native of Jharkhand, who was a Roman Catholic by birth, came to work as a tea labourer in Jayantika Tea Garden. During this time, a British Manager advised him to purchase some land. Considering it a good suggestion, while still working in the tea garden, he purchased land in Kharubhanga and settled there. Thus, he became the first Catholic resident of Kharubhanga.

After some years, Thomas Panna and Dawt Panna, along with their families, came as tea workers and also bought land in Kharubhanga, settling there as Catholic families. At that time, Joseph Oram was the first catechist of the village, and it was he who sowed the first seed of faith in this place. He became a true blessing for the village.

Their faith was so strong that they went in search of a church, and during that search, they found Gayaganga Parish, which belonged to the Diocese of Darjeeling. Under the leadership of Joseph Oram, a small Christian community was formed. Whether in sun or rain, they walked long distances on foot to attend special occasions such as Christmas, Easter, and the First Friday devotions of every month. Gradually, their faith grew stronger and deeper.

Since Gayaganga Parish was far away, it became difficult for everyone to participate regularly in Holy Mass. To solve this problem, under the leadership of the village catechist, a small house made of straw and clay was built near the Kharubhanga Government School, where Sunday prayers were conducted.

As the number of believers increased, Mass began to be celebrated under a jackfruit tree on special occasions. Fathers from Bhimbhar Parish used to come once a month to celebrate Mass. However, since the shade of a tree was not safe in all seasons, the villagers began to feel the need for a permanent church.

In 1962, Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Bhimbhar Parish was built, and Fr. Anthony Milaz was its first parish priest. Kharubhanga was attached to Bhimbhar Parish at that time. When Fr. Morris D’Souza became the parish priest of Bhimbhar, seeing the difficulties of the faithful, he proposed that Kharubhanga should have its own church. This proposal filled the people with joy and enthusiasm, and they began to discuss and plan for its construction.

Seeing this need, Anna Panna and Mariam Panna, daughters of Thomas Panna, expressed their deep faith and devotion to God by voluntarily donating their land for the construction of the church. Their generous act strengthened the faith of the people and laid the foundation for future generations. All the faithful of Kharubhanga expressed heartfelt gratitude.

Hearing this, Fr. Morris D’Souza was very happy. With the permission of Bishop Erik Benjamin, on 14th September 1985, the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the foundation stone of the church was laid. Hence, the church was named Holy Cross Church. The faithful actively participated in the construction work, contributing their labour and faith.

At that time, the village catechist was the late Mukutmani Panna. Under his supervision, the church was completed in 1987, along with two rooms for the priests.

In 1989, the church was blessed by Fr. Thomas D’Souza, V.G. Meanwhile, to strengthen the faith of the people, Sr. Eshabela Ekka of the St. Joseph of Cluny congregation, the Missionaries of Charity (MC) Sisters, and various Fathers visited the village regularly for catechism, family visits, and women’s faith formation. Fr. Edward Kerketta also frequently visited, occasionally conducting charismatic prayer meetings, through which the faith of the people was further deepened.

Seeing the educational difficulties of the children, Fr. Morris D’Souza started a small school on 13 June 1989 under a jackfruit tree in Kharubhanga Depaline. Today, that school is located outside the village and is known as St. Anthony’s Primary School.

He also looked for land for medical services for the people. By God’s grace, he found two acres of land near the village, which was registered in the name of Fr. Gabriel Minj in 1993. This land remained vacant for 23 years, and now, a new church has been built there — the very place where we are gathered today.

Seeing the growing number of faithful and their strong devotion, Bishop Vincent Aind elevated Kharubhanga substation to the status of a Quasi-Parish in 2017, appointing Fr. Clement Tirkey, who was then the assistant parish priest of Bhimbhar, to lead and develop the Holy Cross Church, Quasi-Parish.

This Quasi-Parish comprises 11 villages, namely: Kharubhanga, Kharubhanga Deppa Line, Matidhar Bell Line, Godam Line, Bara Line, Center Line, Mantidhar Farsa Line, Lamba Line, Nyulba Line, and Dakkuch.

In some of these villages, Catholic families were few among many non-Catholics, yet they faithfully sowed the seed of faith in their communities. Some other families had migrated from Jharkhand, already being Roman Catholics, and they too planted the seed of faith in their new villages.

From birth, Bishop Vincent Aind’s Christian faith had been nurtured by the PIME Missionaries, and his deep connection with the PIME congregation inspired him to invite them to Kharubhanga. After meeting the PIME General, he officially extended an invitation. The PIME General joyfully accepted it and requested Fr. Xavier Babu Ambati, who was then serving in Africa, to come to Kharubhanga.

As a result, on 2 February 2020, Bishop Vincent Aind officially declared Holy Cross Church, Kharubhanga, as a Parish, appointing Fr. Xavier Babu Ambati as the first parish priest and Fr. Prashant Kumar Gunja as the PIME Vocation Animator.

On 16 July 2023, the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate (MSI) congregation were invited to assist the Fathers in pastoral ministry and school work. Currently, Sr. Nirmala Beck and Sr. Carmela Ekka are serving here, along with Fr. Bala Showri Yaruva as the assistant parish priest.

Coincidentally, in October 2023, Fr. Ferruccio Brambillasca, the PIME Superior General, visited the Diocese of Jalpaiguri (Nagracutta) for the Centenary Celebration of PIME presence in India. Taking this opportunity, the faithful sought his blessing, and on 22 October 2023, the foundation stone for the new church was laid by him. Today, we are all gathered here for the inauguration and blessing ceremony of this new church.

Looking deeply into the history of Kharubhanga Parish, we realize that at every step, the power of the Holy Spirit has guided and inspired the faithful. We firmly believe that even in the days to come, the blessings and grace of the Holy Spirit will continue to remain with us.