St. Luke's Church, Abbottabad facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Luke's Church |
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| 34°08′59″N 73°12′48″E / 34.1498°N 73.2134°E | |
| Location | Abbottabad, Pakistan |
| Country | Pakistan |
| Denomination | Protestant |
| History | |
| Founded | 1854 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Peshawar Diocese of the Church of Pakistan |
St Luke's Church in Abbottabad, Pakistan, is a special church named after Saint Luke. It's an Anglican church, which means it's part of a Christian group with roots in England. Today, it's looked after by the Peshawar Diocese of the Church of Pakistan. This church was first built in 1864, a long time ago when Pakistan was part of British India.
Building the Church
Work on St Luke's Church started in 1854 or 1855. There were some delays at first. It took a while to raise enough money. Also, there was a short stop in building because of the Indian Rebellion of 1857. Finally, the church was finished and officially opened by the Bishop of Calcutta in 1864.
Once it was built, St Luke's Church served a large area. This included most of the Hazara region. Places like Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra, and the Galyat hill areas were all part of its responsibility. The Old Christian Cemetery, Abbottabad was also connected to the church.
Before St Luke's was built, local Christians didn't have a regular priest or chaplain. Sometimes, chaplains from military groups would help. Other times, officials from Peshawar or Rawalpindi would visit. But from November 1864, Reverend P Kellner became the first regular Vicar and Chaplain. He served until April 1866. Other important Vicars and Chaplains who served here included Reverend Henry Fisher Corbyn and Reverend T Bomford.
After Pakistan's Independence
From June 1947 to April 1948, St Luke's Church was closed. This happened because of the independence of Pakistan in 1947. Services started again when Reverend Daniel Rashid, who was in Peshawar, also began visiting Abbottabad and Hazara.
Later, Reverend JH Hewitt took over in 1951. Then, a local priest named ZK Daniels became the Chaplain in 1965.
In 1970, a new church group was formed called the Church of Pakistan. It brought together different Christian groups. These included Anglicans, Scottish Presbyterians, United Methodists, and Lutherans. After this, St Luke's Church officially became part of the new Peshawar Diocese. Since then, full-time priests have regularly served the people who attend the church.
See Also
- James Abbott (Indian Army officer)
- Herbert Benjamin Edwardes
- 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles
- Christianity in India
- Christianity in Pakistan
