CHURCH OF ST ROQUE is situated at a distance of 35 kms to the north of Mangalore and 6 kms from Niddodi, and is surrounded by Ferar, Niddodi, Sampige and Kateel parishes.
Bishop Victor Fernandes established this as an independent chaplaincy and named it Neerude and Fr James Sequeira, acting parish priest of Ferar, put up a building to serve as a chapel, which was inaugurated on January 20, 1945. The place to build the chapel was donated by the grandfather of Fr Ignatius D’Costa. It also served as a presbytery and school. Fr Joseph M. Lobo was the first parish priest. The new church building, the foundation for which was laid in 1953 by Bishop Basil Peres, was constructed by Fr Lawrence V.M. Fernandes (1955-1968). The church dedicated to St Roque was blessed on April 19, 1960 by Bishop Raymond D’Mello. Neerude status was raised to the station of a parish on January 9, 1961. Fr Lawrence Fernandes bought two new bells from Germany and built the belfry, which was inaugurated on September 19, 1962. Fr Lawrence Martis constructed the presbytery and also built the Golden Jubilee memorial open air state in 1995.