In the battle of November 5, 1817, the Peshwe’s Maratha empire ceased to exist. The East India Company took control of Pune city (the name was changed to Poona by them).
Before this war, a small platoon of British forces was at the Garpir, an open area full of cacti and wild bushes which were around the present Moledina Road near Methodist Church.
After the decisive victory, they moved their garrison to the city’s eastern part. The military battalions were stationed at Wanwadi and Ghorpadi whereas the administrative offices and the residences of top civilian officers were established in the present Camp-Cantonment area.
The Goans in Pune who were working with the Peshwe’s suddenly faced an axe of unemployment with the defeat of the Marathas. However gradually they could find jobs with the European officers residing in the Cantonment area.
The Goan Catholics could get menial jobs as domestic workers like cooks, butlers, and orderlies. Owing to the influence of the Portuguese in Goa, they were familiar with Western culture, particularly with eating and drinking habits and of course, the Christian faith was another point.
By the end of 1840, many British officers both Civil and Military built bungalows in the Camp area. These domestic workers were either residing in the outhouses of the bungalows or the present-day Solapur Bazar, New Modi Khana. (Modi Khana is the locality which provides petty services to the Garrison). Gradually, the strength of the Goan faithful in this area rose to over 500.
For these Goan Catholics, City Chapel at Nana Peth was quite a distance in the absence of any mode of conveyance; a small chapel in the name of St Anne’s was built in Solapur Bazarcirca 1846. The priest from City Church used to also serve in this filial Chapel of St Anne.
A noted Church historian, Fr Ernest Hull SJ, writes in his book, ‘The Bombay Mission History’; “Poona had a considerable number of Goa Christians among the troops of the Peshwa, who built a chapel for them with a resident priest and endowment dating from 1794. A filial chapel of St Anne was added about 1850 or earlier.” He further adds, “It (City Chapel) was enlarged or rebuilt in 1852, and about the same time there arose the filial chapel of St Anne’s in the Cantonment, which was used chiefly by the Goan servants of the officers, etc.”
Between this St Anne’s Chapel and the City Church, a new Church was established in 1862, named St Xavier’s Church. This Church was used exclusively by the Civilian Officers of the British Government. The Jesuit priests of St Xavier’s Church were under the Bombay Bishop of Propaganda’s jurisdiction, whereas the parishioners of City Church and St Anne’s Chapel were under the Padroado jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Goa. The Carmelite Tertiary priests from Goa were deputed for these Poona missions.
At St Anne’s, the presence of the Goans was so strong that a separate chapel of St Antony was built in nearby New Modikhana circa 1874 exclusively for the Tamil-speaking Catholics (referred to as Madrassis in those days). Around that period even St Anne’s Chapel was rebuilt.
In 1887, a diocese was established in Pune under Propaganda jurisdiction and St Patrick’s Church was made the Cathedral. The City Church and St Anne’s Chapel which were under the Archbishop of Goa were now assigned to this new diocese.
But immediately, a strong agitation and resentment arose among the Goan Catholics for retaining them under the Archbishop of Goa (Padroado). To pacify the angry protestors a ‘Brief’ was issued by which the City Church (Nosa Senhora Immaculado Conceicao) remained with the Archbishop of Goa. However, the filial chapel of St Anne was left with the Propaganda.
The Goan parishioners of St Anne’s Chapel were not happy with this decision and continued their resentment by locking the chapel and not allowing the Propaganda priest to enter. Only after 9 years, in 1896, this Chapel came under the Jesuit priests of Propaganda jurisdiction. During that time the plague epidemics played havoc in Pune and protesting Goan leaders dispersed from the scene.
The Jesuit priests from St Xavier’s Church started ministering at St Anne’s. Around that time, St Antony’s Chapel from Modikhana was closed and the Tamilian community was transferred to St Anne’s Chapel. At old St Antony’s Chapel, a Tamil primary school was established.
In 1891, a piece of land was granted by the Government at Mule Lines in New Modikhana to build St Vincent’s Poor Home.
Fr John Baptist Hass SJ, a German priest, served St Anne’s for over five decades. He mastered Tamil language and could write it fluently. With missionary zeal, he worked tirelessly for the betterment of the Tamil congregation. In 1980, the Jesuits handed over St Anne’s to the Diocese and Fr Walter Singarayan was the first Diocesan parish priest.
