Pynthorumkhrah

Pynthorumkhrah is a census town in East Khasi Hills district in the Indian state of Meghalaya.

Demographics

As of 2001^[update] India census,^[1] Pynthorumkhrah had a population of 22,108. Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Pynthorumkhrah has an average literacy rate of 71%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 75%, and female literacy is 67%. In Pynthorumkhrah, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

A. Institutions in Pynthorumkrah
1. Saints Peter and Paul Parish, Pynthorumkhrah
A. Definition: A parish, with its pastor and the faithful, forms truly a spiritual family united in the bond of Christian charity. It is a part of a larger society which we call the Diocese ruled by a Bishop and forming a part of a greater society called the Church, the mystical body of Christ. The living parish is an active cell of Christ's mystical body and should be a center of the manifestation of the Catholic life. As such it should play a vital role in the regeneration of the Modern Society through the message of christian charity which expresses itself in a variety of ways. One aspect of external charity is the charitable welfare activities now designated as social work. A parish therefore, is a determined geographical part of a diocese, whose pastoral duties have been assigned to a priest by a Bishop. That is to say that a parish is only a part of the diocese and as such never achieves full independence for it is always subordinated to a Bishop. This concept is by no means a creation of our modern times, it comes from the primitive times.
B. Purpose of the Parish: The purpose of the parish is the purpose of the Church, that is the salvation and sanctification of souls through Jesus Christ, the saviour of mankind. There is therefore a certain uniformity in all parishes. We cannot consider the parish as a mere social unit, like a municipality.It must be kept in mind that it is a territorial unit in the Church of God and that all its functions are directed to the salvation and sanctification of its members. This aspect of the parish can be regarded as constant and unchangeable.
C. Approaches: There are several possible approaches to the living reality which is the parish. As a spiritual organism the parish partakes of the nature of the Church, which is the instrument chosen by God to continue the redemptive mission of the Saviour through whom divine life is communicated to the world. the official head and spiritual leader of the parish is the pastor who is appointed to his office by the bishop and who exercises legally specified authority as the representative of the Bishop.The Duty of the pastor is formally defined as "the care of souls". The position of the parish as a unit of ecclesiastical organization is best understood in terms of a social unit. Sociologically parish life discloses the variety and complexity of relations which result when the formal institutional patterns of parish organization are established in a community. The members are human persons with varied origins, backgrounds interests and problems. The living parish is a great blessing for all including civil society. But the center of parish life is not the sports field, the parish theatre, even the school if there is one all very useful and necessary institutions.The center is the parish church and in it the tabernacle and the confessional. Sports and decorous recreations in their different forms have within certain limits, their respective place in parish life; but all things must lead us back to the center of the parish; life of souls that is Christ. The living members of the parish are not primarily by their participation in processions public demonstrations of faith; not even by their presence at Sunday mass but their presence at the Lord's Table, in Holy Communion.
D. Social Aspect of the Parish: Though the main purpose of the parish is religious and spiritual, there has been among the catholic leaders a growing awareness of the close relation ship between spiritual and social. The parish was not merely a religious group within the social system but often an economic, legal and social community.
E. Parish Organizations: A living parish must necessarily have organisations corresponding to the purpose for which a parish is intended-that is to sanctify themselves. This is the true mission of the parish. They should have as their great and final objective the sanctification of souls and the increase of public worship whatever their intermediate purpose or activities may be. Keeping this main objective in mind parish organizations may serve a variety of purposes. There are groups like confraternities for apostleship of prayer, nocturnal adoration intended primarily for prayer and personal development of spiritual life. There are other associations the purpose of which is apostolate as is the Catholic Action and catholic Youth Movement. The sodalities, The Legion of Mary, St. Vincent De Paul Society, have as their main objective sanctification of its members through different works of mercy.
F. Parish is erected. Sts. Peter and Paul parish, Pynthorumkhrah was formally erected as a parish on April 1st 1997, and appointed Fr. Peter Schiavon as the first parish priest of the newly erected parish.The parish consists of the following villages Mawpdang, Siejiong, Mawiong,Rongksaw, Tynring, Diengpasoh, nonghali, Mynriang, Lumdiengsai, Diengiong, Mawkasiang, Mawdiangdiang, Mawkynring, lumkseh, Saisieh, Mawlong, umsawli, Mawpat, pynthorbah, Mawpun, Lumsohkynphor, Pynthorrit, Pershyiap, lumshyiap, shanmari, langkyrding, A, Langkyrding B, Lumdiengngan, Wahmyntait, Lumrit, mawthumthum, Ummir, Jaroit, Wahsurein, nongmynsong. Pope John Paul II, during his tour of India, chose Shillong as one of the places he would celebrate the Holy Eucharist. It was on February 4, 1986 that the holy Father came to Shillong, golf links just adjacent Hill where the present Parish Church is situated. To commemorate the 25th anniversary of this event a new parish was born from Pynthorumkhrah, called Nongmynsong dedicated to the sacred Heart of Jesus.
G. Institutions in the Parish area. The parish of Pynthorumkhrah has the Novitiate of Salesian Sisters called the bellefonte, which was established in 1975. The Salesian sisters are fully involved in the parish. They take care of the ordinary running of St. Joseph's Secondary School. Another important institution in the parish is the diocesan Pastoral centre called Rympei ki Paidbah. The Franciscan brothers came in 1980 at Mawkasiang and established a school and boarding to take care of the poor village children. The Nirmali sistes set up their multipurpose centre adjacent to it. In 2005 the Claretian missionaries set up an English Medium school at Nongmynsong.
H. A Short History of the Parish: In 1902 the Salvatorian Fathers baptized a family at Pynthorbah. After that we do not have much knowledge about the growth of the church till 1938, when the brothers and fathers from Sacred Heart Theological College, Mawlai, used to visit the village and conduct Sunday oratory. It was in 1982, under the dynamic missionary leadership of Rev. Bro. Joseph Anikuzhikatil that the village began to have regular Sunday Eucharist celebrated in the little chapel. In the beginning we had about 40 families of Catholics who were faithful. At the end of that year the number of families increased to 140. During 1983 we increased another 120 families. By the time 1986 before the papal visit the number of catholic families had risen to 480. From that time the need for setting up a parish was felt. The regularity of the faithful, the unfailing organizational credibility of various associations in the village, the frequency of the faithful for the sacrament of reconciliation, the missionary spirit of various lay associations and the regular communicants receiving Holy communion was a sure sign that a parish is a must in this place. It was Archbishop Tarcisius Resto SDB, who recognized the signs of the times and decided to set up the parish in 1997. Pynthorumkhrah is what it is today because of the Catholic Church and its presence. The lush grass fields of Golf links definitely gives sufficient food for the eyes of the visitors. Still the magnificent Church on the Hill facing the Great golf Links is the crown of this part of the city.

References