Oct 5, 2012: St Antony Church, Naravi here will celebrate Founders Day with a grand ceremony on Tuesday October 9.

A life-size statue of Fr Faustine Corti, a native of Switzerland and founder of Naravi parish, will be brought in a solemn procession, installed and blessed in his memorial house by Bishop Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza of Mangalore.

Fr Faustine Corti

Parish priest Fr Louis Cutinha

Asst parish priest Fr Arun Lobo

The Corti family was Swiss by nationality, but Italian by blood. Fr Corti was born at Curio on November 5th 1856, the last of the nine children. In 1878 joined to Jesuits. In 1884 he left his country and came to mangalore. He stayed at Jeppu to learn Tulu and Konkani languages and then 2 years he taught at St Aloysius school. In 1891 he was ordained a priest. 10 years he taught as a professor at St Aloysius college but then his heart was attracted to poor people. Hence he bid goodbye to the youth in the college and came to Naravi in 1905.

Then Naravi was called as Narol and hence he worked among the Dalits and poor people and found in them christ’s presense. One of the 1st things Fr Corti did on his arrival at Naravi  was to plant a large wooden cross seven meters high, on a hill christened now “Kurusugudde” (Hill Cross). It was 100 meters from the church and stood near the present convent of the Sisters of Charity. The cross was symbolical , emblem of christ’s kingdom.

Fr Corti lived at Naravi for about 21 years. He worked strenuously for the poor and people called him “God,Priest of God”. Fr Corti used a horse named Kempi in his travelling. Umpteen number of times it had rescued Fr Corti from the anticipated troubles and dangers.

Fr Corti basing on Naravi worked arround the vicinity of Naravi. Moodbidri, Peradi, Shirthady, Alangar, Arva, Badyar, Venor, Madanthyar, Ujire, Nellikar in these places he had toiled and blessed.

Fr Corti was awarded with “Kaisar-I-Hind” by the then British Government in 1918. In 1920 he went back to Italy and collected money for the building of new church at Naravi.

Since he was very much involved in his ministry Fr Corti ill and died on Oct 9, 1926 and was cremated at Jeppu cemetery. A great and holy person’s mission was accomplished at Naravi.