St. John Vianney's Church, Peshawar

St. John Vianney's Church is a Catholic church on City Circular Road, Peshawar, Pakistan. It is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi. It should not be confused with the Protestant St. John's Church, Peshawar in Peshawar Cantonment.[1]

On December 17, 1990, a group of Christian youth assembled to protest the desecration and attack on St. John Vianney's Church in Peshawar. Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif has directed all federal and provincial authorities to protect minorities and their places of worship. Armed police have been posted at the church since December 15, 1990.[2]

Church leaders protested the government's failure to arrest Muslim extremists responsible for desecrating St. John Vianney's Church in Peshawar, and the Catholic church in Bahawalpur. The Peshawar church was stoned and windows were broken in November 1990, and the church in Bahawalpur was burned down in 1985. The protesters also demanded that the Qisas (retaliation) and Diyat (blood money) Ordinance not be implemented for non-Muslims; that Christians being tried under Islamic laws be tried under civil laws; that the bill allowing intercaste marriages be canceled; and a minority commission headed by a Supreme Court judge be formed to formulate a Christian personal law. The strike will continue until the demands are met.[3]

In October 2001, St. John Vianney's Church locked its gates for the first time and five city policemen, armed with AK-47 assault rifles, moved into the church compound. On October 29, unknown gunmen sprayed a Sunday church service with automatic weapons fire, killing 16. The parish priest, Fr. Yaqub Shahzad said that life will never be the same for the 15,000 Christians in Peshawar, a city of 4 million. The church is now feeding more than 100 neighborhood people, including children from destitute families, with monthly supplies of staples such as flour, sugar and cooking oil.[4]

The Parish Priest in 2010 is Fr. James Shamaun.[5]

A seminarian Kamran Daniel, who has completed his formation from Christ the King Seminary, was appointed here on 20 July 2011, for pastoral experience before his ordination as deacon.

The City parish includes two Federally Administered Tribal Areas: Landi Kotal or Landikotal (Urdu: لنڈی کوتل) is a town of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. It is located at 34°6'4N 71°8'44E and lies in the Khyber Pass. At 1,072 metres above sea level it is the highest point in the Khyber Pass. There are about 75 Christian families, with about 50 families Catholic. Another area is Jamrud (Pashto: جمرود, Urdu: جمرود), a town located in the Khyber Agency. There are about 11 Catholic families. Another agency is Mohmand Agency, (Pashto: مومند ) a district created in 1951. The agency headquarters is at Ghalanai, where about 32 Catholic families reside. Fr. Shamaun and Seminarian Daniel visit these areas twice a month.

References

  1. ↑ International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania. Trudy Ring, et al. Taylor & Francis, 1996.
  2. ↑ "UCANews.com January 2, 1991".
  3. ↑ "UCANews.com December 20, 1990".
  4. ↑ "Washington Times October 30, 2001".
  5. ↑ "Pakistan Christian tv January 21, 2010".

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