BRIEF HISTORY

            The Salvatorian Missionaries, arrived in Shillong in 1890, began the first contacts with the villages in Nongthymmai area. With the arrival of Salesians in 1922 visits by the priests and the clerics became more often and baptisms began to be recorded. The small group of Catholics in and around Nongthymmai continued to be part of the Parish of Laitumkhrah. In 1971, Fr. Ephisius Usai, who was the Assistant Parish priest of Laitumkhrah, rented a plot of land in Nongshiliang and constructed a small school with two class rooms. Initially the rent of the land was paid by the Parish Priest of Laitumkhrah, Fr. George Vani.

            Later, Fr. Usai succeeded in procuring another plot of land in the locality for the church purpose. A parish house was built within a year and from 1974 Fr. Usai came to reside at Nongthymmai. In the year 1975 Fr. Ignatius Rubio started the construction of the new Parish church with the hall under it. Since Fr. Usai, the pioneer of the Parish was unable to tour the villages and run the Parish due to diabetics, Fr. Laarhius Herman came to help from Raliang in the year 1976.

            Fr. Herman tried to consolidate the works of his predecessors by bringing all the schools of the distant villages directly under the Parish supervision. In 1976, H. Elias memorial School was granted departmental permission by the Government of Meghalaya. In 1979, a new plot of land contiguous to H. Elias School was procured by the Province in view of further extension of the school. In 1982, a two-storey building was constructed both for the M.E. and High School sections of the school. In 1985, the High School was officially opened and Fr. Thomas Mattam was appointed as its first Headmaster.

            The appointment of Fr. Herman as the Parish Priest of Nongthymmai came in the year 1977. In 1978, the new church and hall were completed and it was blessed by Archbishop Hubert D’Rosario. In 1990, Fr. John Mathew Mundaplackal succeeded Fr. Herman as the Parish Priest and served till 1996. In the following years, Fr. Roy Anthony Parackal (1996-1998) and Fr. Francis Kottekarotte (1999-2004) served as Parish Priests and Rectors. Fr. Cyriac Kochupurackal rendered ministry in the Parish from 1994 till his death on 17^th June 2006. The Prayer group initiated by         Fr. Cyriac continues to nurture the spiritual life of the faithful. Fr. Herman Laarhuis, after his many years of service to the parish community, went to his eternal reward on 06^th June 2008.

In 1992, the Salesian presence at Nongthymmai was canonically recognized as a Salesian community

NONGTHYMMAI in the Photo Gallery