St. Joseph’s Church in Kiriburu, part of Jamshedpur Diocese, has been under the pastoral care of the Capuchins since 2007. The friars have dedicated themselves to serving the local Catholic community ever.

          Kiriburu is a small township about 150 km from Jamshedpur, situated on a hilltop deep in the dense Saranda Forest. Its development began in 9 with the arrival of Catholic workers for iron ore processing operations, leading to a steady growth in the Catholic population over the years.

          To address the spiritual needs of this expanding community, a church was built and blessed in 1980. Diocesan priests initially handled pastoral care for the faithful in and around Kiriburu.

          At the request of the bishop for additional pastoral support in this mining area, the Capuchins of St. Fidelis Province, Lucknow, took on the mission in 2007. The founding team consisted of Br Anand Toppo as parish priest, Br. Leo Pais as assistant parish priest, and Br. Cyprian Tigga as a fraternity member.

          The Capuchins have ensured a continuous presence at St. Joseph’s Church since 2007, with friars living in the friary and offering spiritual ministry. Despite the modest facilities and remote forest setting, they remain readily available to meet the community’s spiritual needs.

          The friary is small, usually housing just two friars at a time. Even so, the Capuchins uphold a steadfast pastoral commitment to this mission parish.