Location 

Sonari is 75 kms south of Dibrugarh, in the civil district of Sivasagar. It is a small town and is the entry point to the Mon district of Nagaland. 

History 

In 1975, Bishop Robert Kerketta asked Fr. Joseph Mulen, the Assistant priest in Moranhat, to look for a plot of land at Sivasagar to open a Centre. A study of the place revealed that there were only a handful of Catholics around the place. Besides all the proposed sites were low-lying areas. Thus after hearing from Fr. Mulen, Bishop suggested him to look for a plot of land in Sonari. After several visits and contacts, he managed to get 10 bighas of high land, behind Tiok Rajabari TE. The cost of the land was quite high, but the Bishop encouraged him to buy the land. He said, “we can grow money, but we can’t grow land”. By middle of January 1976 we took possession of the land. Fr. Joseph Variathukala, the Vicar General, extended all the possible helps in the process. The landowner, Mr. K.P. Baruah, gave a labour quarter for Fr. Mulen to stay. Remaining there, he built a residence, 50’ x 20 and it was blessed on the 19th March 1976. In the meantime Fr. Mulen visited the Catholic Communities and administered sacraments to them.  A large crowd had gathered for the inauguration of the house. This was the first biggest gathering of the Catholics in the history of the parish. In the beginning Mass was celebrated on every Sunday under a mango tree, close to the residence till they built a temporary hall for Church service. Fr. Mathew Panackan joined the mission in 1978 as assistant priest. 

Though this was the beginning of Sonari mission, fathers were still on the look out for a proper plot of land for the establishment of the parish. A plot of land belonging to the Towkok TE at the back of the town was spotted and finally it was purchased. The people of Towkok offered free labour to clear up the land. Once the land was cleared, the Diocese started the construction of the presbytery. When the fathers shifted to the new presbytery, the Sacred Heart Sisters, who joined the parish work in 1982, used the first house as their residence. Providentially, we managed to get a house for the Convent, very close to the new site. In the meantime, Fr. Paul Pudussery joined the parish community and under his guidance St. Joseph’s School was started in 1981 in a temporary shed. Later a boarding for boys and the school buildings were built.

St. Joseph’s High School, Sonari is the leading School of the town. The campus is well planned with the presbytery, church, school buildings and the boarding, thanks to the untiring efforts of so many missionaries.  Around the Church there are several private boarding houses, where hundreds of students stay and study. The convent has a beautiful boarding for girls too.