R.C. Diocese of Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu, South India

Shrines of Palayamkottai Diocese

St.Antony's Shrine, Puliyampatti	St.Antony's Church , Puliyampatti

Church of Our Lady of Assumption, KAMANAYAKKANPATTI

Kamanayakkanpatti played an important part in the former Madurai Mission and might be considered the center of evangelization of the Tirunelveli inland territory at the end of the 17th and 18th centuries.

Whilst Nobili and his companions worked only in the North of Madurai, the South, without being altogether neglected, received few visits from missionaries and the progress of Christianity was consequently slower in that region. Kayathar is first mentioned with a chapel dedicated to St. James, 1644 – 1646. In 166 Fr. Freyre visited twice the South and about the end of the same year Fr. M. Rodiriguez returned to the South, Celebrated

Christmas at Tenkasi and Visited Kuttapalayam, Pannikulam, Kamanayakkanpatti and Kayathar. It was the first time that K.N.P. was mentioned. The Christians of Kayathar went there for their confessions. There was the in 1666 a Christian community and a church at Kamanayakkanpatti. Fr. John de Britto (1684 – 1686) visited the South as far probably as Vadakkankulam. For the first time we read the title of the residence of K.N.P. in the annual letter of 1688. “K.N.P. is a small village not far from the Fishery Coast. One of its inhabitants, a Christian of long standing, built a house large enough and suitable enough to lodge the Fathers who would visit them from Madurai. The village seemed to Fr. John de Britto a fit place to administer the sacraments to the faithful and that is why he built there a new church in 1685.

Fr. Xavier Borghese left the village and church of Kayathar where he resided and settled at K.N.P. hoping that the Lord of the place cause of our holy religion.

Fr. Bernard de Saa, a companion of Fr. Borghese was posted at Vadakkankuam and from there he laid the foundation of the Church of Noman in Travancore. During a persecution he was exiled and sent to K.N.P. where Fr. Martin vilsited him in June 1700. While Fr. Borghese himself had been imprisoned for 40 days in Tirunelveli, Fr. Bouchet pleaded with queen Mangammal and managed to set him free and sent him to Vadakkankulam in 1700. In 1708 Fr. Bernard de Saa was still in K.N.P. whence he administered Uthamapalaym.

At the beginning of 1711 Fr. Louis Noel de Bourzes (a French man called by the Portuguses Louis Natal) took charge of K.N.P. and Vadakkankulam till September. Some time after resuming charge, he receive Fr. Constant Beschi who had arrived on the 8th May 1711 and put him in charge of Kurukkalpatti about 11 leagues (33 miles) West of K.N.P.

The annual letter of 1712 was written by Fr. Louis Natal – “This residence of K.N.P. entrusted to me, a field assuredly worth of a better labourer, counts seven churches. The difficulty consisted in a staying the time required in each village. The multifarious affairs of the Mission, the necessity of getting from the Coast all the necessary things obliged me to spend in K.N.P. several tedious months. The church is too big for the people who frequent it; it is a safe place but not very agreeable to the missionary and not very suitable for the Christians. It was formerly, more or less, the only church in the country; Christians flocked to it from the farthest villages. Now that churches have been multiplied, we could rightly exclaim “the Roads of Sion mourn because there are none that come to the appointed feasts,” (Lam I, 4.), which means that Christians heeding only to their convenience and not that of the Father becoming lazy owing to the proximity of other churches do not come to this one.” Another church, equal if not superior to this one is that of Kurukkalpatti to the west. It is much more suitable for the administration of Christian but not at all the safest.

In 1713 Vadakkankulam was detached from K.N.P. and again entrusted to Fr. Bernard de Saa. In December 1713 Fr.Louis Natal was recalled to the North and was replaced by Fr. Joseph Vieyra, a new comer into the Mission. Fr. Joseph Vieryre remained but a short time, went to Madurai in the month of August, 1714 and was replaced by Fr. Constant Beschi. On 28th October 1714 on the feast of SS. Simon and Jude, Fr. Beschi made his profession before Fr. Broglia Brrandolini, missionary at Vadakkankulam. Fr. Beschi went to Kurukkalpatti for the feast of Christmas and was made a prisoner by the Maduraian arymy and taken to their camp. There followed a persecution at Tenkasi and then Kayathar. During 1715 Fr. Beschi availing himself of the leisure caused by the persecution, undertook the study of Tamil poetry. In the beginning of 1716 we find at K.N.P. Fr. Broglia Brandolini who had left Vadakkankulam and replaced Fr. Beschi. In 1717 Fr. Brandolini restored the church of Sakkakadi built by Fr. Borghese.

There are no details for the following 10 years. Fr. Brendolini was sent to Europe as procurator of the Mission to deal in particular with the question of the Malabarrites; his successor is not known.

In 1727 Fr. Alexis Pinto was at K.N.P. and Fr. Prosper Giulilani wrote the annual letter 16 July 1728 from Kurukkalpatti. From May to October 1728, Fr. Prosper Giuliani was in charge of K.N.P., and from October Fr. John Baptist Bigaglia.

In 1728 the Church was several times visited by thieves. It was a time of famine, while thieves plundered the village and the church a Christian who was in the church on that night (a thief himself) was seizing the image of the Holy Virgin and was about to carry it away, when all on a sudden, he became blind; seized with right, he shouted in vain for help. Finally he managed to climb over a wall and vanish in the dark.

In 1730 Fr. Bigaglia zealously administered the residence of K.N.P. but most the year he spent in Kurukkalpatti. The church of K.N.P. so often plundered in the past, now that the thief (the rajah of Ettayapuram) was dead, recovered it anquillity, but the country having been deserted by most of its inhabitants, this place did not appear a good choice for the missionary’s residence.

The annual letter of 1731 written by Fr. Beschi tells us that the church had been rebuilt and was dedicated to Our Lady of Assumption.

Fr. Bigalia gave in 1732, 88 adult and 131 children babtisms.

In 1733, 90 and 285; in 1734, 129 and 341; in 1735, 131 and 236.

Though he did all this, residing at Kurukkalpatti, he had to hide to avid arrest as in 1935 there was a war between Minachi and a Lord of the country.

In 1736 Fr. Bigalia was appointed superior of the Madurai Mission and went to Kalpalayam north of Tiruchirappalli.

Fr. Thomas de Fonseca who took his place left the Mission in 1737 and was replaced by John Aloisius. He was succeeded by Fr. James Hartmann in 1740 and transferred to Madurai at the end of 1743.

In 1743, September, Fr. Leonard Jacques was at K.N.P. Though he had only a poor health, he remained till 1745. In his place, Fr. Salvador dos Reis, the Superior of the Mission took charge of the residence. In 1746 Fr. Joseph Khrening was in K.N.P; to judge the extent of the residence, it is enough to say that this Father built a Church at Seduguvai than near the Fishery Coast and another at Vaniampatti near Rajapalayam 80 miles to the to the Kamanayakkanpatti.

In 1748 the church of K.N.P. was completely burnt down by accident. Though ruined by war and famine, the Christians rebuilt it. Fr. Khrening falling sick went to the Fisherey Coast and was replaced by Fr. Manoel Ferraz.

Fr. Lwarence de Almeyda in charge of Mannargudi or Mannarcoil, falling sick on his way to the Coast, died at K.N.P. on the first of February 1748 after receiving the last sacraments. He was known as Rajendranaderswami, and his tomb can be seen at K.N.P.

In 1756 Fr. Felix Maria Orti was missionary at K.N.P. fro the casted people in the South. He baptized 143 adults and 244 children.

The missionary for the low castes was Fr. John Pilip Prati at Tirunelveli, Ninety seven adults and three hundred and thirty one children were baptized by him.

With this all the documentation concerning K.N.P. in the Old Mission ends.

St.Michael's Church - Tenkasi

St. Michael's Church - Tenkasi

Tenkasi is considered one of the most sacred places in South India. Christianity was already there in the 17th century. It is mentioned in the Annual letters of 1662 – 1665.

Fr. Antonym De Proenca in 1662 and Fr. Balthazar De Costa in 1663 preached there the Gospel. There was belief among the people about the angel’s apparition.

In the town of Palayam, the chief town of the southern province, an Adi-Dravida called Valente, equally valiant by name and faith, converted a yogi who at baptism took the name of Rayappan. Now here is what happened to Rayappan still a Catechumen in the town of Tenkasi.

In the town there was a Christian couple. They had two children. One died and the other was seriously ill. The parents had just been baptized. The grief at the loss of their children and the persecution from their relatives gradually began to shake their faith. At that moment, Rayappan came up and hearing of their sad plight consoled and comforted them. But the little child was stalking to his death. Without losing sight of his parents, Rayappan watched over the child, gave his sweets and stayed with them still midnight. He thought, he could take some rest before the death of the child and went to the house of another Christian called Chrysostom. There in the countryard of the house a pandal (shed) had been erected in which the fathers used to say mass when passing through the town. Rayappan went to sleep under the pandal. Scarcely did he shut his eyes when he woke up with a fright. He saw himself surrounded with a bright light and first thought that the house was on fire. He hastily got up and called for help, but as soon as he got up he noticed that this light was much brighter than fire. As he sought the reason for it, he caught sight under a tree of the courtyard of two young men of an extraordinary and heavenly beauty. The bodies seemed made like of the finest gold. One lad had in his hand a musical instrument like a Zither, and the other a banner. Both bent some steps southwards; then one of them bent down and traced out a cross on the ground. Finally both came near Rayappan. The latter asked them who they were. But they beckoning him to hold his tongue went to the door of the dying child called him by his name. Then he saw the child coming from inside smiling and joyful. The young men took him in their midst set two lighted candles in his hands and each one taking him by the arm the three of them rose up heavenwards in an extraordinary glitter. Rayappan followed them with his eyes with mixed feelings of joy and admiration. When he was recalled to this senses by the wails, coming from the child’s house. He ran up and told that the child had just breathed his last. Then Rayappan begged the parents to listen to him and in the presence of Chrysostom and the other Christians related the vision he had seen. Chrysostom wishing to see the spot where the angel had made a cross, recognized that it was the place where an innocent child, his own son had been buried. As these marvelous things were being told tears dried and wails turned into songs of thanks giving. The parents of the blessed child were confirmed in their faith. As for Rayappan, determined to become a herald of the Gospel, he was baptized and began to study in order to become a catechist. He served as a catechist there (extract from a letter of Antony paoenca 15th August 1666). The old altar (were cross was made by angels) is still there in the new church. As people of all religion come here this church was known by name ‘Sarveswaran Kovil’.

Before becoming a distinct parish, Tenkasi was the part of the huge south - west district visited in turn by the new mission areas. Later it was visited by a father residing at Kamanayakkanpatti. Then it belonged to Andipatty. Finally from 1878 to 1902 it was a part of the parish of sendamaram entrusted to Father. Ignacy who went all over its territory. From 1902 to 1906 Fr.Marie Louis administered both Veeravanallur and Tenkasi. It 1906 Fr. Caussanel was alone entrusted Tenkasi which in 1907 was again attached to Veeravanallur. Finally in 1908 Fr. Adaikalam a diocesan priest newly ordained was exclusively in charge of it.

People possessed by evil spirit, many other disorders get cured; here people of all religion come here for worship; Pope Pius X has announced me and that the special Grace will be poured on those who come here for worship continuously 40 days.

St.Paul's Church, Singamparai	St. Paul's Church PuliyampattiSingamparai