Infant Jesus Church
St. John Maria Vianney Illam, Ugarthe Nagar,
Shenbaganur, Kodaidanal – 624104, Ph. 04542-242233
This area ‘Ugarthe Nagar’ is named after a Spanish Jesuit priest called Fr. Emile Ugarthe. As he was the Superior of Sacred Heart College and incharge of mission at this area, he, out of his pastoral zeal for the people, distributed the lands freely to the poor Christian labourers in order to build houses. In 1973 he formed ‘Shenbaganur People Welfare society’. 130 houses were constructed by Fr. Ugarthey. Each house costs at present 20 lakhs rupees.
Ugarthe Nagar Infant Jesus Church parish was bifurcated from Shenbaganur on 30 August 2009. It is the 8th parish in the Kodaikanal hills. This parish has three substations, namely, Utcot, Srinivasapuram, and Carmelpuram. This parish covers around 8 kms and its territories are Srinivasapuram, Anandagiri 7th street, Utcot, Ugarthe Nagar and Carmelpuram. There are around 4000 people in this area and among them 400 families are Catholics. 2000 is the Catholic population. Most of the people are cultivators and workers in restaurants and hotels as waiters and attendants.
Worship at this place began in 1975 with a small Arockia Annai Kurusadi. This place where the cursadi exists at present was a left over place when Fr. Ugarthey distrinbuted land for the people to construct houses. A private kurusadi was constructed which is in porompokku land upto now. Since the number of Catholics increased, again this kurusadi was renovated and rebuilt as a small church in 2003 by Fr. Xavier Raj, the then parish priest of Munjikkal. In order to protect the faithful from snow and rain, a shed was put up in front of the church in 2011 by Fr. Antony Samy with local contribution. The chapel of the Carmelite Cloistered Sisters is also used for pubic liturgy and worship for the convenience of the people at Carmelpuram. The new presbytery was built in 2009.
The present parish priest Fr. Ignasi Arpudaraj takes strenous efforts to construct a new parish church and a Community Hall. As the Jesuits were the founders of this colony, they were also so generous in the development of this area into a parish. Earlier, the Jesuits gave to the Archdiocese 5 cents to build a rectory; then they gave 50 cents of land for the parochial church and again another 3 cents of land for the same at the request of the Archbishop of Madurai.
There are six religious Congregations ministering in this parish. The Parish church is to be built yet.
Succession of Parish Priests: Fr. Antony Samy A. (2009), Fr. Ignaci Arputharaj (2011- )
Substations with chapels: St. Michael’s Church, Srinivasapuram; Arockia Annai Church, Utcot.
Associations: Legion of Mary, Altar boys and girls, Association for teachers and government employees, youth, Sunday Catechism, Catechism teacher’s association.
Religious in the Parish:
Ø Jesuits (Sacred Heart College), members: 10, Ph: 04542-241201, 243164.
Ø Servite sisters, members: 2, Ph: 04542-242641
Ø DMI sisters, members: 4, Ph: 04542-240857
Ø St. Louis convent, members: 2, Ph: 04542-242473
Ø Carmelite Monastery, members: 15. Ph: 04542-243425
Ø CIC, members: 3, Ph: 04542-241948.
St. John Maria Vianney Illam, Ugarthe Nagar,
Shenbaganur, Kodaidanal – 624104, Ph. 04542-242233
This area ‘Ugarthe Nagar’ is named after a Spanish Jesuit priest called Fr. Emile Ugarthe. As he was the Superior of Sacred Heart College and incharge of mission at this area, he, out of his pastoral zeal for the people, distributed the lands freely to the poor Christian labourers in order to build houses. In 1973 he formed ‘Shenbaganur People Welfare society’. 130 houses were constructed by Fr. Ugarthey. Each house costs at present 20 lakhs rupees.
Ugarthe Nagar Infant Jesus Church parish was bifurcated from Shenbaganur on 30 August 2009. It is the 8th parish in the Kodaikanal hills. This parish has three substations, namely, Utcot, Srinivasapuram, and Carmelpuram. This parish covers around 8 kms and its territories are Srinivasapuram, Anandagiri 7th street, Utcot, Ugarthe Nagar and Carmelpuram. There are around 4000 people in this area and among them 400 families are Catholics. 2000 is the Catholic population. Most of the people are cultivators and workers in restaurants and hotels as waiters and attendants.
Worship at this place began in 1975 with a small Arockia Annai Kurusadi. This place where the cursadi exists at present was a left over place when Fr. Ugarthey distrinbuted land for the people to construct houses. A private kurusadi was constructed which is in porompokku land upto now. Since the number of Catholics increased, again this kurusadi was renovated and rebuilt as a small church in 2003 by Fr. Xavier Raj, the then parish priest of Munjikkal. In order to protect the faithful from snow and rain, a shed was put up in front of the church in 2011 by Fr. Antony Samy with local contribution. The chapel of the Carmelite Cloistered Sisters is also used for pubic liturgy and worship for the convenience of the people at Carmelpuram. The new presbytery was built in 2009.
The present parish priest Fr. Ignasi Arpudaraj takes strenous efforts to construct a new parish church and a Community Hall. As the Jesuits were the founders of this colony, they were also so generous in the development of this area into a parish. Earlier, the Jesuits gave to the Archdiocese 5 cents to build a rectory; then they gave 50 cents of land for the parochial church and again another 3 cents of land for the same at the request of the Archbishop of Madurai.
There are six religious Congregations ministering in this parish. The Parish church is to be built yet.
Succession of Parish Priests: Fr. Antony Samy A. (2009), Fr. Ignaci Arputharaj (2011- )
Substations with chapels: St. Michael’s Church, Srinivasapuram; Arockia Annai Church, Utcot.
Associations: Legion of Mary, Altar boys and girls, Association for teachers and government employees, youth, Sunday Catechism, Catechism teacher’s association.
Religious in the Parish:
Ø Jesuits (Sacred Heart College), members: 10, Ph: 04542-241201, 243164.
Ø Servite sisters, members: 2, Ph: 04542-242641
Ø DMI sisters, members: 4, Ph: 04542-240857
Ø St. Louis convent, members: 2, Ph: 04542-242473
Ø Carmelite Monastery, members: 15. Ph: 04542-243425
Ø CIC, members: 3, Ph: 04542-241948.