Lourdes Shrine
K. Pudur, Madurai-625 007.
Kosakulam Pudur known as K.Pudur at present, which was in the territory of St. Mary’s Parish, had twenty catholic families, who were all the repatriots from Burma, who settled here in beginning of the twentieth centaury. So to cater the spiritual needs of these people Fr. Endaline S.J. bought a piece of land in K. Pudur, on the very site where the present church stands, and built a small church of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1920. In 1931, Fr. Gabriel Gomez, sj enlarged the church and brought the CIC Sisters to start a primary school.
When in 1938 Madurai diocese was born and the Bishop’s house was built in K. Pudur, this church of Our Lady of Lourdes became important. The city expanded; transport facilities increased; more catholic families came to settle down in K. Pudur. Most of them were the settlers from sivagangai area. They were mainly teachers and middle class government employees. Fr. Pudumai who was in the Bishop’s House regularly went to cater to the spiritual needs of K. Pudur Catholics.
In 1951 K. Pudur was canonically erected as a new parish with Fr. M.T. Amalraj, SJ as its first parish priest. The then parish priest was interested in settling the catholics around the parish church, bought the land and distributed it to the people. The rapid growth of the Catholic population necessitated the expansion of the church which Fr. M.T. Amalraj undertook and finished in 1958. Christmas Eve of 1960 was especially a joyous night for this church as it was announced to be the Cathedral of the Archdiocese, and Fr. Silverius, SJ was the parish priest, and Msgr. Diraviam took canonical possession of the Archdiocese in this church on 29 June 1967. Fr. S. Irudayam, the V.G. was then the parish priest. But this privilege of being the Cathedral was short-lived. In 1970 St. Mary’s Church became the Cathedral and Fr. T.A. Michael took charge of the parish of K. Pudur, in 1972.
A new flavour was added to the apostolate of the Archdiocese when on 24 September 1975 the Salesians of Don Bosco took charge of the Pudur Parish. Fr. Vincent Durai Raj, SDB was the first Salesian Parish Priest. He had the privilege of celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the Parish and of starting Don Bosco Youth Centre and building the first floor of the parish house. During the time of Fr. Jaswanth, SDB in 1977, the building of the Don Bosco Youth Centre came up and a place for cemetery was acquired (vide G.O.D. 3/2/1980), Sarvodaya building for girls was built, R.C. Primary School at Kadachanendal was raised to be a Middle School and dispensaries at Yanamalai and Mangalapuram were entrusted to the care of Leuca Sisters. In 1977 the bonded labourers from Yanaimalai Quarry were redeemed by Rev Fr. Joseph Santhanam, SDB and the Don Bosco Primary School was started at the land given MMSSS for the education and development of the locality.
When in 1980 Fr. Jeganathan, SDB became parish priest, St. Antony’s church was blessed at Kadachanendal, the Community Hall was put up in Sandanamada Street. The Parish council was formed. Then came Fr. Christy, SDB in 1982, who was responsible for the women’s cottage industry at Lourdu Nagar. From 1985 Fr. A.T. James, SDB was the parish priest. Frs. Edward Xavier, SDB and Jeganathan, SDB were his assistants. During his period the church of Mary Help of Christians was built in Bibikulam, Don Bosco Non-formal Technical School was put up and started functioning. For the help of poor children tuition centres were begun in four villages. Occasionally Good News conventions have been conducted. In 1993 the then parish priest Rev. Fr. A. M. Chinnappa was elected bishop of Vellore and later he became the archbishop of Madras Mylapore. The Othakkadai was bifurcated from this parish in 1993. The Bibikulam area was bifurcated from K.Pudur and raised as a parish in 1997.
The anbiams were started in the parish by Rev. Fr. Antony Samy, sdb in 2003. Kadachanendal was raised as a separate parish in 2007. In 2009 Fr. George Arockiaraj, sdb became parish priest. In 2011 a new grotto and an adoration chapel was constructed in the church campus. Relic of Don Bosco arrived in the parish to commemorate the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco.
From the sharing of the present parish clergy we could know the following: The parishners are faith oriented and express it through their pious practices. They are so cooperative and all are invited to involve in all activities in the parish. There quiet a many people are working in govern offices and teachers. While comparing to the past many of the middle class have become the upper middle class but still a sizable number of people are poor. They still receive help from the parish for education and medical purposes. The church and the land belong to the archdiocese of Madurai. The shops in the south, south western side and in the eastern side of the church campus also belong to the diocese but the half of the first floor in the eastern side is given as per the agreement to the Salesians to run the Alaihal media shopping centre.
These parish activities are enriched by the pastoral, spiritual, social, educational, vocational, medical and developmental ministries of the Salesians, Schoenstatt fathers, sisters of CIC, St. Leuca Convent, and St. Anne’s of Trichy, St. Thomas sisters and by the diocesan institutions in the archbishop’s house campus.
The parish is well organised with the functioning of the parish council, finance council, anbiams, Legion of Mary, Vincent de Paul society, St. Joseph’s senior citizens’ movement, Yesuvin Kanmanigal, Maraikalvi mantram, altar boys association, youth movement, Salesian co-workers, Don Bosco career guidance centre and Charismatic Group.
Succession of Parish Priests
Fr. M.T. Amalraj, SJ (1951-66), Fr. S.K. Silvarius, SJ (1967-67), Fr. S. Irudayam (1967-72), Fr. T.A. Michael (1972-75), Fr. Vincent Durairaj sdb (1975-77), Fr. Jaswant Raj, sdb (1977-80), Fr. C. Jeganathan, sdb (1980-82), Fr. P. Christi, sdb (1982-85), Fr. A.T. James, sdb (1985-91), Fr. A.M. Chinnappa, sdb (1991-94), Fr. K.O. Louis, sdb (1994-2000), Fr. Camillus, sdb (2000-03), Fr. Antony Samy, sdb (2003-09), Fr. George Arockiaraj, sdb (2009-).
K. Pudur, Madurai-625 007.
Kosakulam Pudur known as K.Pudur at present, which was in the territory of St. Mary’s Parish, had twenty catholic families, who were all the repatriots from Burma, who settled here in beginning of the twentieth centaury. So to cater the spiritual needs of these people Fr. Endaline S.J. bought a piece of land in K. Pudur, on the very site where the present church stands, and built a small church of Our Lady of Lourdes in 1920. In 1931, Fr. Gabriel Gomez, sj enlarged the church and brought the CIC Sisters to start a primary school.
When in 1938 Madurai diocese was born and the Bishop’s house was built in K. Pudur, this church of Our Lady of Lourdes became important. The city expanded; transport facilities increased; more catholic families came to settle down in K. Pudur. Most of them were the settlers from sivagangai area. They were mainly teachers and middle class government employees. Fr. Pudumai who was in the Bishop’s House regularly went to cater to the spiritual needs of K. Pudur Catholics.
In 1951 K. Pudur was canonically erected as a new parish with Fr. M.T. Amalraj, SJ as its first parish priest. The then parish priest was interested in settling the catholics around the parish church, bought the land and distributed it to the people. The rapid growth of the Catholic population necessitated the expansion of the church which Fr. M.T. Amalraj undertook and finished in 1958. Christmas Eve of 1960 was especially a joyous night for this church as it was announced to be the Cathedral of the Archdiocese, and Fr. Silverius, SJ was the parish priest, and Msgr. Diraviam took canonical possession of the Archdiocese in this church on 29 June 1967. Fr. S. Irudayam, the V.G. was then the parish priest. But this privilege of being the Cathedral was short-lived. In 1970 St. Mary’s Church became the Cathedral and Fr. T.A. Michael took charge of the parish of K. Pudur, in 1972.
A new flavour was added to the apostolate of the Archdiocese when on 24 September 1975 the Salesians of Don Bosco took charge of the Pudur Parish. Fr. Vincent Durai Raj, SDB was the first Salesian Parish Priest. He had the privilege of celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the Parish and of starting Don Bosco Youth Centre and building the first floor of the parish house. During the time of Fr. Jaswanth, SDB in 1977, the building of the Don Bosco Youth Centre came up and a place for cemetery was acquired (vide G.O.D. 3/2/1980), Sarvodaya building for girls was built, R.C. Primary School at Kadachanendal was raised to be a Middle School and dispensaries at Yanamalai and Mangalapuram were entrusted to the care of Leuca Sisters. In 1977 the bonded labourers from Yanaimalai Quarry were redeemed by Rev Fr. Joseph Santhanam, SDB and the Don Bosco Primary School was started at the land given MMSSS for the education and development of the locality.
When in 1980 Fr. Jeganathan, SDB became parish priest, St. Antony’s church was blessed at Kadachanendal, the Community Hall was put up in Sandanamada Street. The Parish council was formed. Then came Fr. Christy, SDB in 1982, who was responsible for the women’s cottage industry at Lourdu Nagar. From 1985 Fr. A.T. James, SDB was the parish priest. Frs. Edward Xavier, SDB and Jeganathan, SDB were his assistants. During his period the church of Mary Help of Christians was built in Bibikulam, Don Bosco Non-formal Technical School was put up and started functioning. For the help of poor children tuition centres were begun in four villages. Occasionally Good News conventions have been conducted. In 1993 the then parish priest Rev. Fr. A. M. Chinnappa was elected bishop of Vellore and later he became the archbishop of Madras Mylapore. The Othakkadai was bifurcated from this parish in 1993. The Bibikulam area was bifurcated from K.Pudur and raised as a parish in 1997.
The anbiams were started in the parish by Rev. Fr. Antony Samy, sdb in 2003. Kadachanendal was raised as a separate parish in 2007. In 2009 Fr. George Arockiaraj, sdb became parish priest. In 2011 a new grotto and an adoration chapel was constructed in the church campus. Relic of Don Bosco arrived in the parish to commemorate the Bicentenary of the birth of Don Bosco.
From the sharing of the present parish clergy we could know the following: The parishners are faith oriented and express it through their pious practices. They are so cooperative and all are invited to involve in all activities in the parish. There quiet a many people are working in govern offices and teachers. While comparing to the past many of the middle class have become the upper middle class but still a sizable number of people are poor. They still receive help from the parish for education and medical purposes. The church and the land belong to the archdiocese of Madurai. The shops in the south, south western side and in the eastern side of the church campus also belong to the diocese but the half of the first floor in the eastern side is given as per the agreement to the Salesians to run the Alaihal media shopping centre.
These parish activities are enriched by the pastoral, spiritual, social, educational, vocational, medical and developmental ministries of the Salesians, Schoenstatt fathers, sisters of CIC, St. Leuca Convent, and St. Anne’s of Trichy, St. Thomas sisters and by the diocesan institutions in the archbishop’s house campus.
The parish is well organised with the functioning of the parish council, finance council, anbiams, Legion of Mary, Vincent de Paul society, St. Joseph’s senior citizens’ movement, Yesuvin Kanmanigal, Maraikalvi mantram, altar boys association, youth movement, Salesian co-workers, Don Bosco career guidance centre and Charismatic Group.
Succession of Parish Priests
Fr. M.T. Amalraj, SJ (1951-66), Fr. S.K. Silvarius, SJ (1967-67), Fr. S. Irudayam (1967-72), Fr. T.A. Michael (1972-75), Fr. Vincent Durairaj sdb (1975-77), Fr. Jaswant Raj, sdb (1977-80), Fr. C. Jeganathan, sdb (1980-82), Fr. P. Christi, sdb (1982-85), Fr. A.T. James, sdb (1985-91), Fr. A.M. Chinnappa, sdb (1991-94), Fr. K.O. Louis, sdb (1994-2000), Fr. Camillus, sdb (2000-03), Fr. Antony Samy, sdb (2003-09), Fr. George Arockiaraj, sdb (2009-).