“Crosses of the Parish”
Harold Mendes
Crosses big and small dot many of the roads and by lanes of Mumbai. Many of these were erected during the Bubonic plague (1896) and the various epidemics which affected the people in the days gone by; and were built as thanksgiving memorials or as personal memorials. No written records exist about the crosses of our parish. Some of the oldest existing crosses erected in the early years of the last century are the Bunderpakhadi Cross, the Miranda Cross on M.G.Road, Kandivli Village , the Mendes Cross, Meurin Street, Kandivli Village (renamed the Meurin Street Cross when the original wooden Cross was relocated to the compound of Marie Villa and a new concrete and marble cross was erected in its place in May 1999), the Assumption Village Cross and the cross on the New Link Road at the entrance to Bunderpakhadi. There are also a few other private family crosses
built later on.
The most magnificent of these was the immense concrete cross at the western end of the Church compound built on a rock with 16 steps. Old timers
will remember the glorious evenings spent sitting on the steps and watching the children run around and the adults playing cricket or football; and the recitation of the Angelus at the dot of 7 when the church bell tolled. The Rosary is still recited regularly at most of the crosses, especially during the month of May.
Crosses big and small dot many of the roads and by lanes of Mumbai. Many of these were erected during the Bubonic plague (1896) and the various epidemics which affected the people in the days gone by; and were built as thanksgiving memorials or as personal memorials. No written records exist about the crosses of our parish. Some of the oldest existing crosses erected in the early years of the last century are the Bunderpakhadi Cross, the Miranda Cross on M.G.Road, Kandivli Village , the Mendes Cross, Meurin Street, Kandivli Village (renamed the Meurin Street Cross when the original wooden Cross was relocated to the compound of Marie Villa and a new concrete and marble cross was erected in its place in May 1999), the Assumption Village Cross and the cross on the New Link Road at the entrance to Bunderpakhadi. There are also a few other private family crosses
built later on.
The most magnificent of these was the immense concrete cross at the western end of the Church compound built on a rock with 16 steps. Old timers
will remember the glorious evenings spent sitting on the steps and watching the children run around and the adults playing cricket or football; and the recitation of the Angelus at the dot of 7 when the church bell tolled. The Rosary is still recited regularly at most of the crosses, especially during the month of May.
Assumption Village Crosses
ASSUMPTION VILLAGE MAIN CROSS
FAMILY CROSS - 1, ASSUMPTION VILLAGE
FAMILY CROSS - 2 , ASSUMPTION VILLAGE
FAMILY CROSS - 3, ASSUMPTION VILLAGE
Bunderpakhadi Crosses
BUNDERPAKHADI CROSS
LINK ROAD CROSS, BUNDERPAKHADI
Kandivli Vilage Crosses
FAMILY CROSS, KANDIVLI VILLAGE
MARIE VILLA CROSS ( MEURIN STREET), KANDIVLI VILLAGE
MENDES CROSS ( MEURIN STREET), KANDIVLI VILLAGE
MIRANDA CROSS ( M G ROAD ) , KANDIVLI VILLAGE