Rosary Church
Rosary church is located in the heart of Madurai city near Periyar bus stand. It has history of about 400 years. This is the first church established in Madurai. This church is visited not only by the Christians but also by people of other faith. This church is very significant as great men like Robert de Nobili and Veeramamunivar had served in this church. In 1592 during the reign of Veerappa Nayakkar, priests from the congregation of Society of Jesus started Madurai Mission. They obtained permission from the king and established this church in the western side of Meenatchi temple. This Church was dedicated to our Lady. The efforts of Fr.Fernandes went in vein as the people considered the Christians as outcast as they ate meat. Followed by him Fr. Robert de Nobili learnt the language and culture of the place. His way of preaching and his life style spoke the language of the natives. It is he who tasted success in bringing Jesus to Madurai people. He was appointed as the parish priest in the year 1627 by the bishop of Kiranganur. In the footsteps of De Nobili, Fr.Joseph Beschi also known as Veeramamunivar continued the mission. His contribution to Tamil literature and culture is unforgettable. This church was the center of his mission. People from various religious backgrounds came to this church to listen to his preaching. It is in the year 1763 when Yusuf khan ordered the church to be built to cater the needs of 400 catholic soldiers who worked in his army, the church was built first. Until before it had been serving as a centre for missionaries. The church was built by Portuguese Engineers in Portuguese model and was named after our Lady of Rosary with 153 beads. Priests from the Society of Jesus worked in this church until 1773. In 1773 the Society of Jesus was suppressed by the church and Paduravado priests took over. In 1939 Fr.Yuvanet started a school to educate the people. The church had been renovated and rebuilt many times. In 1969(to be verified) Fr. De Cruz built the existing new church. This church was built based on the recommendations of the 2nd Vatican council. It was blessed in 1970 by Nuncio Knox. When the church was built one month retreat was given to the parish people by the Redemptorist priests. Holy Rosary Church is known in the city mainly for its Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. It is crowded on Saturday evenings because of the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. The Novena was started in 1967 and celebrated its 1000thweek on 14 June 1986 in a grand manner. The area around the church was illegally occupied by many petty shopkeepers who refused to quit. With the great efforts of Fr. Joseph Xavier the area was cleared and he built the rosary complex in its place. It is he who built the new presbytery. Fr. Arul Valan (1982-85) opened the Rosary Book Centre, built the presbytery in Palanganatham to pave the way for it to become a parish. Fr. Xavier Raj succeeded Fr. Arul Valan in 1985. In the same year Palanganatham became a new Parish. In Solaiazhagupuram in 29 June 1988, a new church was built by the efforts of Fr. Xavier Raj. Within the parish campus there are a primary school and a middle school run by our Diocese. CIC sisters render their invaluable service in these schools. These schools celebrated their golden Jubilee in January 1989.
To commomorate 40th year of novena, the church was renovated and was given a face lift by building a new compound wall, pavers, and new altar, interior and rewiring, and extended by the then parish priest Fr. Benedict Barnabas. It is he who built two new buildings for both the schools. He renovated the grotto as well. He converted the underground sacristy into an adoration chappel for deeper communion with God. The parish house was extended with a millennium hall and a room to accommodate the guest priests. There was a house in Glasskara street which was under dispute in the court. It came to a settlement through arbitration where we have a new complex in the name of our lady. At Perungudi a new beautiful church was built and was dedicated to our Lady of Immaculate conception purely by the donation of the people. The present parish priest Fr. Angel built the church in Simmakkal with the sole contribution of the diocese. He renovated the church in solaialagupuram in two phases. He is concentrating on building the faith of the people through basic Christian communities. The parishes of Railway Colony, New Ellis Nagar, Gnanaolivupuram, Palanganaththam, and Thirunagar were bifurcated from this parish. Solaialagupuram is one of the important substations of this parish. Efforts are being taken to establish a parish there. The cemetery near the Periyar bus-stand belongs to this parish. It was originally an agricultural farm owned by our diocese. Later it was converted into a cemetery. Now it is under the dispute because of the erroneous belief that it was given by the government as a burial ground for Christians.
This parish enjoys the services of the religious sisters of CIC and St. Anne of Chennai. And this parish is being nourished by the activities of Vincent de Paul Society, Legion of Mary, Dialogue commission, Christian Life commission, Choir, Youth, Altar boys society, Sunday Catechism, SIPPO Gents Self-Help group, SIPPO Ladies Self-Helpgrouping, Kolping group.
The following are the substations of this parish: Our Lady of Mercy, Solaialagupuram; Immaculate Conception Church, Perungudi; St. Antony’s Church, St. Antony’s Street; St. Sebastian’s Church, Simmakkal.
Succession of Parish Priests
Fr. Sengole, Fr. Arul Joseph V. (1982-85), Fr. Xavier Raj A. (1985-92), Fr. David Kulandai, sj (1992-93), Fr. Lawrence Xavier (1993-97), Fr. Jeganivasagar (1997-2004), Fr. Benedict Barnabas (2004-09), Fr. S. Angel Raj (2009- ).
Rosary church is located in the heart of Madurai city near Periyar bus stand. It has history of about 400 years. This is the first church established in Madurai. This church is visited not only by the Christians but also by people of other faith. This church is very significant as great men like Robert de Nobili and Veeramamunivar had served in this church. In 1592 during the reign of Veerappa Nayakkar, priests from the congregation of Society of Jesus started Madurai Mission. They obtained permission from the king and established this church in the western side of Meenatchi temple. This Church was dedicated to our Lady. The efforts of Fr.Fernandes went in vein as the people considered the Christians as outcast as they ate meat. Followed by him Fr. Robert de Nobili learnt the language and culture of the place. His way of preaching and his life style spoke the language of the natives. It is he who tasted success in bringing Jesus to Madurai people. He was appointed as the parish priest in the year 1627 by the bishop of Kiranganur. In the footsteps of De Nobili, Fr.Joseph Beschi also known as Veeramamunivar continued the mission. His contribution to Tamil literature and culture is unforgettable. This church was the center of his mission. People from various religious backgrounds came to this church to listen to his preaching. It is in the year 1763 when Yusuf khan ordered the church to be built to cater the needs of 400 catholic soldiers who worked in his army, the church was built first. Until before it had been serving as a centre for missionaries. The church was built by Portuguese Engineers in Portuguese model and was named after our Lady of Rosary with 153 beads. Priests from the Society of Jesus worked in this church until 1773. In 1773 the Society of Jesus was suppressed by the church and Paduravado priests took over. In 1939 Fr.Yuvanet started a school to educate the people. The church had been renovated and rebuilt many times. In 1969(to be verified) Fr. De Cruz built the existing new church. This church was built based on the recommendations of the 2nd Vatican council. It was blessed in 1970 by Nuncio Knox. When the church was built one month retreat was given to the parish people by the Redemptorist priests. Holy Rosary Church is known in the city mainly for its Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. It is crowded on Saturday evenings because of the Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Succour. The Novena was started in 1967 and celebrated its 1000thweek on 14 June 1986 in a grand manner. The area around the church was illegally occupied by many petty shopkeepers who refused to quit. With the great efforts of Fr. Joseph Xavier the area was cleared and he built the rosary complex in its place. It is he who built the new presbytery. Fr. Arul Valan (1982-85) opened the Rosary Book Centre, built the presbytery in Palanganatham to pave the way for it to become a parish. Fr. Xavier Raj succeeded Fr. Arul Valan in 1985. In the same year Palanganatham became a new Parish. In Solaiazhagupuram in 29 June 1988, a new church was built by the efforts of Fr. Xavier Raj. Within the parish campus there are a primary school and a middle school run by our Diocese. CIC sisters render their invaluable service in these schools. These schools celebrated their golden Jubilee in January 1989.
To commomorate 40th year of novena, the church was renovated and was given a face lift by building a new compound wall, pavers, and new altar, interior and rewiring, and extended by the then parish priest Fr. Benedict Barnabas. It is he who built two new buildings for both the schools. He renovated the grotto as well. He converted the underground sacristy into an adoration chappel for deeper communion with God. The parish house was extended with a millennium hall and a room to accommodate the guest priests. There was a house in Glasskara street which was under dispute in the court. It came to a settlement through arbitration where we have a new complex in the name of our lady. At Perungudi a new beautiful church was built and was dedicated to our Lady of Immaculate conception purely by the donation of the people. The present parish priest Fr. Angel built the church in Simmakkal with the sole contribution of the diocese. He renovated the church in solaialagupuram in two phases. He is concentrating on building the faith of the people through basic Christian communities. The parishes of Railway Colony, New Ellis Nagar, Gnanaolivupuram, Palanganaththam, and Thirunagar were bifurcated from this parish. Solaialagupuram is one of the important substations of this parish. Efforts are being taken to establish a parish there. The cemetery near the Periyar bus-stand belongs to this parish. It was originally an agricultural farm owned by our diocese. Later it was converted into a cemetery. Now it is under the dispute because of the erroneous belief that it was given by the government as a burial ground for Christians.
This parish enjoys the services of the religious sisters of CIC and St. Anne of Chennai. And this parish is being nourished by the activities of Vincent de Paul Society, Legion of Mary, Dialogue commission, Christian Life commission, Choir, Youth, Altar boys society, Sunday Catechism, SIPPO Gents Self-Help group, SIPPO Ladies Self-Helpgrouping, Kolping group.
The following are the substations of this parish: Our Lady of Mercy, Solaialagupuram; Immaculate Conception Church, Perungudi; St. Antony’s Church, St. Antony’s Street; St. Sebastian’s Church, Simmakkal.
Succession of Parish Priests
Fr. Sengole, Fr. Arul Joseph V. (1982-85), Fr. Xavier Raj A. (1985-92), Fr. David Kulandai, sj (1992-93), Fr. Lawrence Xavier (1993-97), Fr. Jeganivasagar (1997-2004), Fr. Benedict Barnabas (2004-09), Fr. S. Angel Raj (2009- ).