The City Built Around the Church: A Reflection with Rev. Fr. Clifford Fernandez | Global TV
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In a quiet, contemplative corner of Mangalore city, the heart nestled within the sacred precincts of Kulshekar Church, I had the proud privilege of conversing with Rev. Fr Clifford Fernandes; Parish Priest, scholar, and thinker whose words carry the weight of lived experience and spiritual wisdom.
What began as a casual recollection soon unfolded into a profound reflection on the unseen, yet deeply transformative, influence of the Church on the landscape of communities and cities. The story he shared was deceptively simple. It took place during his tenure as Asst. Parish Priest at the historic Mother of Sorrows Church in Udupi, a vibrant parish situated in the heart of the city.
One afternoon, a Tahsildar; a Hindu by faith, came visiting. The two exchanged pleasantries, and as they conversed, the priest pointed out on to the surrounding noise, characteristic of a busy urban center. “I told him the church is in the middle of the city,” Rev. Fr Clifford Fernandes recounted. “Immediately, he corrected me. ‘No, Father,’ he said. ‘What are you saying? The church is not in the middle of the city. The city is built around the church.’”
That reply struck like a chord resounding with forgotten truths. The Tahsildar’s statement was not just a poetic comment; it was a profound sociological observation. He went on to explain how the presence of the church had triggered a ripple of growth around it. “When a church comes up,” he said, “it brings along a small tailoring school, a dispensary. Because Christians are a community that worships together, people gather. One vendor comes to sell vegetables.
Next day onions, garlic, then pork, cheese. Slowly, a tea stall appears. Then someone starts making Goli Bajje and Ambade. And so, the city grows; not just with buildings, but with life, community, commerce, and care.”
The Tahsildar’s insight reframed not just urban geography, but our understanding of how civilization itself sprouts; around spaces of faith, of congregation, of shared hope. More Than a Building: The Church as a Living Root
Rev. Fr Clifford Fernandes reflected deeply on the Tahsildar’s words. “That day I understood something important,” he said. “We often underestimate the impact of the Church. But when the Church takes root, everything around it begins to change. There is a transformation of the entire environment.”
This is not merely about bricks and mortar. The Church, he explained, acts like a living root system. Silent and hidden beneath the surface, its presence nourishes, connects, and ultimately reshapes everything above ground.
Indeed, history has shown us that towns and cities across the world have grown around places of worship; be it temples, mosques, synagogues, or churches. But in the Christian context, especially in the Konkan region of Karnataka, churches often came not only with spiritual intent but also with a mission of education, healthcare, skill-building, and community development.
Rev. Fr Clifford Fernandes illustrated this further. “Even in remote places,” he noted, “when a congregation purchases a small piece of land to build a chapel, the land value shoots up. Local people know: soon a school might come, a clinic, maybe a small charity kitchen. Development follows the chapel.”
This organic development is not driven by profit, but by presence; the presence of people who live by service, prayer, and social responsibility.
The Invisible Infrastructure
What is striking in Rev. Fr Clifford Fernandes’ story is the recognition of an invisible infrastructure; moral, emotional and spiritual architecture that underpins physical development. In today’s discourse on urban planning and sustainable growth, this dimension is often overlooked.
Churches, especially in India’s coastal regions, have long functioned as anchors of stability. They become meeting points, cultural hubs, educational centers, and places where the elderly and the poor find dignity. While governments invest in schemes and institutions, churches quietly invest in human beings.
“The quality of the Church,” Rev. Fr Clifford mused, “is not just in how many benches it has, or how big the building is. It is in the lives it touches. The service it renders. The value it silently adds.” There’s a sacred ease to this transformation: not through slogans or mega projects, but through small, consistent acts of love.
A woman receives free medicine at a dispensary. A child learns at a school. A young boy is mentored by the parish priest. A lonely widow finds community during Sunday Mass. This, too, is infrastructure. This, too, is nation building.
A Lesson for Today
The world increasingly fragmented by consumerism and urban isolation. The Church offers a counter-model; a community centric ecosystem that thrives not on accumulation, but on communion. Rev. Fr. Clifford’s encounter with the Tahsildar reveals how those outside the Church often see its value more clearly than those within. “Sometimes we don’t realize the worth of the service we are doing,” he said. “But others do. We should look around to see them.”
There is a quiet challenge in those words: to rediscover the value of the Church, not only as a spiritual home, but as a catalyst for wholeness in society. The story invites not just Catholics, but citizens of all faiths to reconsider the true markers of progress. In the eyes of one humble government officer, the church was not merely a building in the middle of a busy city. It was the heart around which the city found its rhythm. What a monologue to celebrate the vibrance!
Epilogue: The Ripple Effect of Faith
Rev. Fr. Clifford’s anecdote may be a singular memory, but it speaks a universal truth. The presence of faith; authentic, grounded, and community-minded, creates ripples that change the world. Cities may grow skyward, but their soul still rises from humble places, like a pious church on a noisy street, where service, faith, and silent transformation take root. The city is not the center. The Church is.
Rev. Fr. Clifford Fernandes, hailing from Kelarai, was ordained a priest on April 21, 2005. He began his priestly ministry as Assistant Parish Priest at Mother of Sorrows Church in Udupi (2005–2007). Prior to ordination, he completed his priestly formation at St. Joseph’s Interdiocesan Seminary, Jeppu, where he studied philosophy and theology as part of the formal academic and spiritual preparation for the priesthood.
Following his initial pastoral assignment, he pursued his post-graduate theological studies at Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram, Bangalore (2007–2009), further deepening his understanding of Catholic theology and pastoral ministry.
He then served as Spiritual Director at Jeppu Seminary (2009–2018), nurturing seminarians’ spiritual growth. Subsequently, he became Parish Priest at Jeppu (2018–2021), and since 2021, he has been serving as Parish Priest at Holy Cross Church, Cordel, Kulshekar. A serene nature where you are illuminated inside.
Fr. Clifford is renowned for his compelling homilies and active engagement in diocesan events. Notably, he delivered an inspiring sermon during the Relic Feast of St. Anthony of Padua at Milagres Shrine, emphasizing the importance of proclaiming God’s glory through our gifts. His leadership and spiritual guidance continue to enrich the faith community in Mangalore.
