St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad

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St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Hyderabad, Pakistan is the cathedral church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hyderabad, 1040 kilometers south of the capital, Islamabad.[1]

Clergy and notable events

Father Francis Kotwani, the first Sindhi to be ordained a Catholic priest, served as assistant parish priest of the cathedral parish. He completed 50 years as a priest in 1994.[2]

Bishop Max John Rodrigues of Hyderabad appealed for people to pray for the country at the conclusion of a special Mass at the cathedral, offered following a declaration of a state of emergency and a rash of arrests in the country in November 2007.[3]

In September 2012, during global protests over the film Innocence of Muslims,[4] during which Christian institutions and buildings were targeted, the cathedral was targeted by protesters. Fr. Samson Shukardin OFM, Vicar General of the Diocese, reported that a crowd went by St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, throwing stones and breaking windows. From the upper floors of some nearby houses, shots were also fired at the cathedral door.[5]

In August 2020, Bishop Samson Shukardin OFM ordained to the priesthood Fr Sunil Ashraf and Father Perkho Sono OFM, in the cathedral.[6]

References

  1. 1."Church Offers New Year's Prayers for Country's Stability". Union of Catholic Asian News. 7 January 2008.
  2. 2."Pakistan's First and Only Sindhi Priest Dies at 80". Union of Catholic Asian News. 5 April 1995.
  3. 3."Christians Pray For Peace Amid State Of Emergency". Union of Catholic Asian News. 7 November 2007. Archived from the original on January 8, 2009.
  4. 4.Taylor, Alan. "Muslim Protests Spread Around the Globe - The Atlantic". www.theatlantic.com. Retrieved 2025-11-21.
  5. 5."Film on Mohammed: firing at the Cathedral, a Christian injured in Hyderabad". Agenzia Fides. 18 September 2012. Retrieved 2016-01-21.
  6. 6.Herald Malaysia September 3, 2020