History

St.Teresa’s Church originated as a chapel attached to the first Bishop’s house in Madras. The chapel which met the needs of the faithful of Nungambakkam and Mackays garden, grew into a parish Church in 1912. The earliest data entries as recorded are as follows: –

• Baptism Register — From August 1911
• Marriage Register — From October 1912
• Funeral and Burial Register – From 1912

To trace the history of this church it is necessary to note the growth of the city of then called Madras, at present called Chennai. The City of Madras was first evangelized by the Portuguese who came for the purpose of trading in spices and brought with them the early missionaries who built an early Church on Portuguese Church street ( which still stands as a testimony today) in the Black Town.

Black Town was a township that grew and flourished north of Fort St. George where the natives, the dubashes and trading merchants notably the Armenian merchants lived. The Portuguese subsequently left Black Town due to the growing influence of the East India Company. Black Town was renamed as George Town to commemorate the coronation of George V as the Emperor.

Religious influence continued to flourish under the Jesuits who had a chapel in Fort St. George and who later moved to a more spacious accommodation in Nungambakkam. The Parishes that existed at that times were managed ( governed) by religious orders notably the Congregation of St. Joseph Mill Hill, St.Mary’s Cathedral in Armenian Street was the cathedral of the Catholic Bishop of Madras. The sons of the Congregation of St. Joseph Mill Hill better known as the Mill Hill Fathers took charge of parishes in and around George Town notably Vepery and Nungambakkam. The excellence of their work is borne out in a memorial plaque enshrined in the base of the tower at St. Mary’s Church Armenian Street. St.Teresa’s Church, Nungambakkam was one such Parish that came under the influence of this Congregation of St.Joseph Mill Hill. The following were the Parish Priests right from the inception of the Parish.

• Rev.Fr.AMerkes 1911
• Rev.Fr.S.G.Hood 1912
• Rev.Fr.J V D Riet 1913
• Rev Fr. J. Beukers 1918
• Rev Fr.A Merkes & Fr. P. Thomas 1922
• Rev. Fr. J. Beukers 1923
• Rev. Fr. J. Aelen 1924
• Rev. Fr. P. Justin Bion 1926
• Rev. Fr. J. Aelen and C.Ruygrok 1927
• Rev. Fr. N. Prior 1929
• Rev. Fr. X. V. Baretto 1930-1938
• Rev. Fr. M. Joseph 1938-1939
• Rev. Fr. R. Cordeiro 1939-1942
• Rev. Fr. S. R. Santos 1942-1948
• Rev. Fr. R. Arulappa 1948-1953
• Rev. Fr. Bernardinus 1953-1959
• Rev. Fr. Thomas Charath 1959-1975
• Rev. Fr. P. Michael 1975-1978
• Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Kottaram 1978-1985
• Rev. Fr. S. Kripakaran 1985-1986
• Rev. Fr. Henry Louis 1986-1992
• Rev. Fr. L. Balasamy 1992-1999
• Rev. Fr. S. P. A. Suresh 1999-2000
• Rev. Fr. K. S. Lawrence 2000-2007
• Rev. Fr. P. J. Lawrence Raj 2007-

The Mill Hill Fathers ceased to control this parish as it was passed over to Padroado in 1930. The Portuguese who moved south to Mylapore built churches which still stand today notably San Thome Cathedral which became the Cathedral of the Bishop of Mylapore under the patronage of the Institution of the Royal Family of Portugal called Patronotus or Padroado. Under this arrangement the Royal Family of Portugal began sending Missionaries wherever colonization took place, this was extended to St. Teresa’s at Mackays Garden which fell under the Parish of St. Teresa’s Church, in Nungambakkam. Catechists were kept at a little chapel to instruct the faithful in prayers and prepare them for the sacraments.

Subsequently by an order of the Holy Seer the diocese of Madras and Mylapore were merged into one diocese known as the Archdiocese of Madras – Mylapore when Arch Bishop Louis Mathias SDB was appointed as the first Arch Bishop in the year 1950.

The Parish has evolved all through these years under the able guidance and stewardship of all the Parish Priests who have served in this Parish. The Parish today not only serves the Parish members but today is a source of spiritual nourishment for the religious and faithful from all over Chennai city who flock to our parish for the Sunday services as well as the services on special occasions like Christmas, Easter, New Year etc.

We are very blessed to have Rev. Fr. Lawrence Raj presently as our Parish Priest who has been doing yeomen service to our Parish. Our parish now has a Co-Patron Saint St. Jude Thaddeus and the parish community and the other visiting members have the blessings of this wonderful saint who is known as the “Hope for the Hopeless”.

Patron Saint St.Teresa Of Avila:

Born in Avila, Spain, on March 28, 1515, St. Teresa was the daughter of a Toledo merchant. She led a fairly ordinary life, but of mischievous personality, she was convinced that she was a horrible sinner. As a teenager, she cared only about boys and clothes and flirting and rebelling like other teenagers throughout the ages. When she was 16, her father decided she was out of control and sent her to a convent. At first she hated it but eventually she began to enjoy it partly because of her growing love for God, and partly because the convent was a lot less strict than her father.

Virgin, Doctor of the Church (1515 – 1582)

Teresa Cepeda De Ahumada was born in Avila, Old Catlille, some 50 miles N.W. of Madrid (Spain). At 20, after reading the letters of St.Jerome, she entered the Carmelite convent, regarding it as the safest way to salvation, albeit without her father’s consent. “Prayer is the doorway to great graces; if this door is closed, I do not see how God can bestow any graces! During a time of ill health she began to practicing her to give herself unreservedly to God. For in many religious houses of that day discipline had become rather relaxed, what with frequent visitors providing worldly distractions. “Prayer and self – indulgence do not go together!” she was wont to say.

She now began to be overwhelmed with intellectual visions, ecstasies, levitations and other extraordinary graces. Our Lord himself repeatedly spoke to her, a seraph pierced her heart and she experienced the spiritual espousal. For Teresa this resulted in years of ridicule and misunderstanding, as her early confessors considered her visions diabolical deceptions. An extrovert by nature and affectionate of disposition, Teresa had the ability to adapt herself quite easily to all kinds of people, places and circumstances. Through 20 years of spiritual struggle, Teresa slowly learnt detachment from all creatures, abnegation and perfection in following Christ. “The prayer that pleases God most, is the one which brings about improvement, and which shows itself in good works, rather than the pleasure of one’s own satisfaction”.

Finally, St.Peter of Alcantara, her spiritual director, and St. Francis Borgia were able to discern the workings of God’s power in her, and in the year 1561 our Lord commanded her to reform the Carmelite Order. Then 46 years of age, during the remaining 21 years of her life she was able, despite violent opposition, to found 17 convents of discalced Carmelite nuns and 15 monasteries for friars under severe, unmitigated rule of Order. “Let nothing trouble or frighten you! All things pass away. Only God never changes. Patience obtains everything! God alone suffices!’.

Under due obedience to her superiors Teresa wrote her life story “The way of Perfection”, “The Interior Castle” and “Conception of the Love of God”. Teresa of Avila died on 4th October 1582 and was buried at Alba de Tomes. Canonized in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV she was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope Paul VI in 1970.

Co Patron Saint St.Jude Thaddeus:

St.Jude was the brother of St. James the Less and thus a cousin of our Lord. He is the author of the last canonical epistle of which Origen stated that it “contains strong doctrine in a few lines.” It was to Jude’s question during the Last Supper that our Lord replied that he manifests only to those who are faithful in keeping his commandments (ref.Jn 14:23 -24) faith mainly in Palestine, but later went to Persia and Armenia, and suffered martyrdom there. The Emperor Domitian once had St.Jude’s grandsons brought from Galilee to Rome, but released them when he realized that they were not political rivals. Owing to the similarity of his name to that of Judas Iscariot, Jude Thaddeus was rarely invoked in prayer, which makes it seem likely that seeking his intercession was seen as a final resort when all else failed. It is thus that his popularity as the patron saint of lost causes has greatly increased in recent times.

The lives of the Apostles, Sts Simon and Jude, are shrouded in obscurity and uncertainty. Yet their very closeness to the Lord Jesus as shares in the great work of redemption is a reminder to us that holiness, from which stems happiness, comes from following closely in the footsteps of Jesus Christ rather than in being known.

Mass Timings:
Sundays

06.00 a.m. – Holy Mass (Tamil)
07.15 a.m. – Holy Mass (Mackays Garden)
07.30 a.m. – Holy Mass (Tamil)
08.30 a.m. – Catechism Class (Tamil / English)
09.00 a.m. – Holy Mass (English)
12.00 noon – Holy Mass (English)
06.30 p.m. – Holy Mass (English)

Weekdays

06.30 a.m. – Holy Mass (Tamil)
01.10 p.m. – Holy Mass (Tamil)
06.30 p.m. – Holy Mass (English)

Thursday And Friday

06.00 a.m. – Holy Mass (Tamil)
06.30 p.m. – Holy Mass (English)

Baptism

10.30 a.m. – 2nd Sunday

Confession

05.00 p.m. – Saturday

Communion For Sick

08.00 a.m. – 1st Friday

Contact:
St.Teresa’s Church,
No 4. Nungambakkam High Road,
Nungambakkam,
Chennai – 600034
Phone: +91 – 44 – 2821 2632, 2827 8788.

For more information please visit: http://stteresaschurch.in

Our Lady of Fatima Church located on Velachery Road in East Tambaram, Chennai 600059, in the District of Kancheepuram, Tamil Nadu, South India. The Church is under the Diocese of Chengelpet headed by His Excellency Rt. Rev. Dr. Neethinathan Bishop of Chengelpet.

Our Parish had a very humble begining, initally under the Archidiocese of Madras-Mylapore, we started as a substation of St. Francis Xavier’s Church Pallavaram. The then Parish Priest of Pallavaram Rev. Fr. Joseph Nazarene Rodriquez built a small Church in Tambaram in 1936 and it was blessed and opened by His Excellency Rt. Rev. Querreiro the Bishop of Mylapore in 1937.

Since 1939 Rev. Fr. Nazarene began his ministry at Tambaram and on 31st May 1942, Tambaram was made a separate Parish. Rev. Fr. Nazarene was made the first Parish Priest. The beautiful statue of Our Lady of Fatima which still adorns the Church was brought from Portugal.

Rev. Fr. C.J. Mani started the elementary school in 1960. Fr. Joseph Thyparambil was one of the pioneers to start in this Parish the Small Christian Communities (S.C.C), which is called as Anpiams (B.C.C.) today. Then in 1987 Rev. Fr. K.J. Francis was made the Parish Priest, He is one among the Parish Priests who won the hearts of most of the Parishners, he also built the present church and the presbytery.

Then after the bifurcation of the Diocese of chengelpet in 2002. Rev. Fr. E. Arulappa was appointed as the Parish Priest. Before coming to the parish, Rev. Fr. E. Arulappa went on a pilgrilmage to Fatima, Portugal and came with a vision to renovate the old grotto. He also started the novena devotion to our Lady of Fatima on the 13th of every month in the Parish Church. With the upgrading of the School as Higher Secondary, he made the required plans for the extension of the School and built the first floor of the Parish hall. He also built the beautiful Adoration Chapel. The last major work that Rev. Fr. E. Arulappa undertook was the renovation of the church’s floor with marbles, especially the Alter.

In the year 2008 Rev. Fr. A. Arulraj succeeded as Parish Priest, as soon as He took charge Rev. Fr. A. Arulraj made a lot of significant changes in the Church premises, completed the extension work of St. Joseph School and continuing the works started by his predecessors. In a view of making the campus eco-friendly, he started expanding the gardens in the Church and started a greenary bank to make the parishners actively participate towards the devolepment of the eco-system. To bring about the practice of reading the Bible, he also started a Bible bank to help people follow the Scriptures in the Holy Mass and other services.

History of the Holy Rosary

There are differing views on the history of the rosary. The traditional story of the rosary was that Mary herself appeared to Saint Dominic in the twelfth century. At that time, tradition says she gave him the rosary and promised Dominic that if he spread devotion to the rosary, his religious order would flourish. It is quite true that Dominic was quite devoted to the Blessed Mother, but no one knows for sure if Our Lady herself gave Dominic the rosary. If she did, it is quite certain that she did not give him a rosary that looks like the one we have today.

Originally the rosary had 150 beads, the same number of psalms in the Bible. In the twelfth century, religious orders recited together the 150 Psalms as a way to mark the hours of the day and the days of the week. Those people who didn’t know how to read wanted to share in this practice, so praying on a string of 150 beads or knots began as a parallel to praying the psalms. It was a way that the illiterate could remember the Lord and his mother throughout the day. The “Divine Office”; the official prayer of the church; is the recitation of the psalms over a four week period, and is still prayed today. This first rosary was prayed as we do today, a person would pass their fingers over each bead and say a prayer, usually the “Our Father”. The “Hail Mary” as we know it wasn’t even around at that time.

The Hail Mary owes its origin to the rosary. When people said the rosary in the twelfth century, Gabrielle’s greeting “Hail Mary, full or grace, the Lord is with thee” was often said along with the Our Father. Later, Elizabeth’s greeting ”blessed are you among women” was added. It was not until the sixteenth century that the words “Holy Mary., Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death” were added.

Various people have added other things to the rosary over the centuries. In the fifteenth century, a Carthusian monk divided the rosary into fifteen brackets (or decades) and a Dominican assigned mysteries to each of the decades. These mysteries were events in the life of Jesus as written in the gospels. By meditating on these events even the illiterate could know the stories in the Bible. These decades were the same as ours except for the last two Glorious mysteries. In those two, the Coronation and the Assumption together made up the fourteenth decade and the fifteenth decade was the Last Judgment.

On October 16, 2002, Pope John Paul II, declared that the following year would be the “Year of the Rosary”. For the first time in centuries a change was made in the rosary. The Pope added and defined 5 new mysteries that concerned events in the public life of Jesus. These new mysteries were called the “Luminous Mysteries” or “Mysteries of Light” Today’s complete rosary is now made up of twenty decades of the Hail Mary, separated by an Our Father and a Glory Be and sometimes the Fatima prayer. Evidence again that the rosary is a living prayer that grows with the church. We usually break the rosary into four sets. The four sets are The Joyful Mysteries, The Sorrowful Mysteries, The Glorious Mysteries, and the Luminous Mysteries. One set is prayed on a rosary that has five decades. Each set is prayed on designated days of the week. There are variations however, and in some countries the rosary may even have different mysteries.

Despite all the additions and changes, the important core of the rosary has always remained the same. It is a way for God’s people to make holy the day, and to remember the life of Jesus and his mother. May these humble origins always be with us each time we pray the rosary.

Holy Mass & other worship Timings

In the Parish Church:
Monday to Friday:
Morning: 06:15am Holy Mass in Tamil
Evening: 06:15pm Holy Mass in Tamil

Wednesday:
Morning: 06:15am Holy Mass in English

Adoration:
1st Thursday: 06:30pm Followed by Holy Mass in Tamil

Saturday:
Morning: 06:15am Holy Mass in Tamil
Evening: 05:30pm to 06:30pm Confession will be heard
06:30pm Holy Mass in Tamil

Sunday:
Morning:
06:30am Holy Mass in English
08:00am Holy Mass in Tamil
08:45am Holy Mass for Cathechism Children in Tamil
10:00am Holy Mass in Tamil

Evening:
06:15pm Holy Mass in Tamil

1st & 3rd Sundays of every month:
Baptism: after 10:30am Holy Mass

2nd Saturday of every month:
Morning 06:30am Holy Mass in the Cemetery, Prayed for the departed souls

13th of every month: Parish Novena day
06:15pm Our Lady’s Car procession, Rosary, novena followed by Holy Mass in Tamil.
In Substations:
St. Antony’s Chapel, Malaiadivaram:

1st Tusday of every month:
06:45pm St. Antony’s Car procession followed by Holy Mass & Benidiction in Tamil.

Tuesday:
06:45pm Holy Mass in Tamil

Sunday:
06:45am Holy Mass in Tamil

Sacred Heart Chapel, Railway Colony:

1st Friday of every month:
06:30pm Holy Mass in Tamil

Saturdays:
06:30pm Holy Mass in Tamil

Annai Velankanni Chapel, Vinobanagar:

2nd & 4th Friday of every month:
06:30pm Holy Mass in Tamil

St. Sebastian’s Chapel, Sebastiarpuram:

Last Saturday of every month:
07:15am Holy Mass in Tamil

Contact Us:
Our Lady of Fatima Church (Estd 1940),
Velachery Road,
East Tambaram,
Chennai – 600 059
Tel : 044 – 223 90 722

For more information please visit:
http://www.fatimachurchchengai.in/

http://www.chengaidiocese.org/parishes/view/78

Follow Us:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OurLadyOfFatimaChurchTambaram

Pallikaranai 1991 Rev. Fr. Vijay Kiran the Parish Priest of Velacherry purchased 36 cents of land on the Velacherry Road at Pallikaranai the sub station of Velacherry. By the streneous efforts of the faithful of Pallikarani, a thatched shed was constructed with Infant Jesus as its Patron. Rev. Fr. Thomas Selvaraj the then parish priest of Velacherry constructed the present church and it was blessed by Rt. Rev. Dr. Lawrence Pius the Auxiliary bishop of Madras-Mylapore on 4th June 2000. Since the inception of the diocese of Chingleput, Pallikarani was attached to the parish of Medavakkam as its sub station. Through the painstaking efforts of Rev. Fr. Alexis Manohar the then parish priest of Medavakkam,on 31st May 2009, Pallikarani was erected as independent parish with Rev. Fr. Christu Raj as the first parish priest.

Infant Jesus Church (Estd. 2009),
Velacherry Road, Pallikaranai,
Chennai – 600 100
Tel: 044 – 224 63 899

The Risen Christ Church (Estd.2002) in Nemilicherry was bifurcated from the Parish of Chromepet. Risen Christ Church was blessed and laid by Rt. Rev. Dr. Neethinathan, Bishop of Chingleput on 3rd August 2004. The new church work was completed by Fr. C. Francis, the then Parish Priest and was blessed on 27th August 2006.

Risen Christ Church,
No. 3, Mettu Street, Nemilicherry,
Chromepet, Chennai – 600 044,
Tamilnadu, INDIA.
Ph: 044 – 226 50 829

For more information please visit: http://www.chengaidiocese.org/parishes/view/50

On the western end of the Parish of Tambaram, a land with the building was bought by the efforts of Rev. Fr. Joseph Thyparampill, then Parish Priest of Tambaram. The first Parish Priest Rev. Fr. Devasia M.J converted the building which was used for a soap factory into a Church. The present existing Church was built by Rev. Fr. Cyriac Illimootil in the year 1997

Sub Stations with Chapel: Vengai Vasal, Arokia Annai Alayam, 6 kms. (Estd. 2007)

Catholic presence in other villages:
Santhosapuram (4 kms), Chittalapakkam (3 kms), Kamarajapuram (1km)

St. Joseph’s Church,
Mahalakshmi Nagar,
17, Church Cross Street,
Selaiyur, Chennai,
Tamilnadu, INDIA.
Pin : 600 073
Ph : 044 – 222 75 449

The church, built for the Infant Jesus at Manali New Town, city of Chennai, is a well- known landmark to all. The church was built on 25th of December,1980. Innumerable miracles are said to have taken place in the past 28 years. The church was initiated by the efforts of Rev. Msgr. John Kottaram.

The functioning of the church activities for the past 16years is praiseworthy, (thus bringing it immeasurable fame). Today, thousands of devotees are seen flocking to this Shrine. Various Miracles and wonders are said to occur here, in particular the gift of the child is said to have been bosomed on many childless couple. Moreover devotees who pray fervently for various intentions such as Employment, Marriage, Jobs Abroad, Success in Exams, Good Health and so on have experienced the miraculous powers of Infant Jesus. The first Thursday of every month is celebrated in a very special way. People throng the church from dawn to disk to participate in the special prayers and the procession and thus return peaceful and content. On first Thursdays 7 masses with processions take place.

Prayer to the Infant Jesus, Manali New Town
(Say this prayer on Every day)

O Holy Infant Jesus, who shed your blessings on whoever invokes your name, look kindly on us who kneel humble before your image, and hear our prayers. We commend to your mercy the many poor and needy people who trust in your Divine Heart. Lay your all powerful hand upon them and help them in their needs. Lay your hand upon the sick, to cure them and sanctify their suffering; upon those in distresses, to console them; upon sinners, to draw them into the light of your divine grace; upon all those who, stricken with grief and suffering, turn trustingly to you for loving help. Lay your hand also upon all of us and give us your blessing. O little King, grant the treasures of your divine mercy to the entire world, and keep us now and always in the grace of your love! Amen…

INFANT JESUS SHRINE,
Manali New Town, Chennai -600103,
Tamilnadu, INDIA.
Tel: +91-044-25931387,
URL: www.infantjesusshrine.in

For more information please visit: www.infantjesusshrine.in

This St. Stephen’s Church, Nanmangalam, Chennai built through the efforts of Rev. Fr. Joseph Mangatt was blessed by the Rt. Rev. Dr. A. Neethinathan bishop of Chingleput on 25-03-2003.

Rev. Fr. Joseph Mangatt, Parish Priest,
Out lady of Lourdes Church, Madipakkam, Chennai.

St. Stephen’s Church,
Nanmangalam, Chennai – 600117.
Tamilnadu, INDIA.

For more information please visit: http://lourdes11madipakkam.org/

HISTORY

On the 8th December 1942, the Japanese entered the Second World War. In no time they occupied Burma and even penetrated into the province of Assam. In 1943 the Japanese Fleet sailed not far from Madras on its way to Trincomallee where it inflicted heavy damage on the British Navy. That was how the idea of a vow, and a Shrine in fulfillment of it, came to be conceived. We shall relate the story briefly in the Archbishop’s own words. “Madras was in the grip of a scare. Schools with their boarders were evacuated into the interior. The exodus of people was such that Madras looked for a while like a depopulated city.”

“It was during a special service held in St.Mary’s Cathedral on Sunday 5th September 1942, after consecrating the whole Archdiocese to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, that I made, before the Faithful who filled the Cathedral to capacity, the Solemn promise to erect, soon after the war, in the city of Madras, preferably in that locality of Kilpauk or Chetpet, – a church in honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as a Votive Church, asking in return, for the duration of the war and after, the protection of our Heavenly Mother and Queen over the Archdiocese and Mission.”

“A campaign for offering towards this Votive Shrine was started in the New Leader. Rev.Fr.Michael Murray, S.D.B., went round collecting funds, but the response was meager. He was then sent to the U.S.A. for the specific purpose of collecting funds at our disposal. The intention was to put up the Shrine in that property and convert the large building already existing into the Archbishop’s House which would e shifted there from Armenian Street.” “Surprise after surprise took place soon after the acquisition of Kingsford. The first was that Mr.N.T.Patel, the contractor of the Catholic Centre, approached by Rev.Fr.J.P.D’Souza, promised to undertake to build the Shrine without any profit on his part or that of his firm. He was pleased to help us in a work for God’s glory.

The second was that Mr.J.R.Davis, the architect of the Catholic Centre and of the Shrine of Perambur, accepted to draw up the plans free of charge and see that the Shrine be erected without any delay. With the help of his partner, Mr.Peterson they prepared a beautiful plan of the Shrine, blending marvelously well Indian architecture with the Ecclesiastical architecture necessary for a Catholic Church. The third surprise and this was the greatest and most consoling – was the real sign that Our Lady had accepted my vow and was sanctioning it in a most miraculous manner.” “It was on Wednesday, 2nd of May 1951, that Mr.Prudhomme, a French gentleman who had been in Madras since 1901, called for me urgently

Miss. Amy de Rozario tried to get me first on the phone, but as I was absent, she called for Mr.A.P.C.Albuquerque, asking him to bring me immediately, if it were possible, as Mr. Prudhomme was anxious to see me. At 1.30p.m., I went with Mr.Albuquerque to see Mr.Prudhomme at his residence “Fontenoy” at Kilpauk. Mr.Prudhomme, who was subject to very high blood pressure had a week earlier, a stroke of paralysis which paralysed his left side. As soon as I arrived, he expressed a wish to donate his property known as “Fontenoy”, in order to erect in the compound the Shrine in honour of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, of which he had heard.”

“He then gave me a cheque for Rs.1,50,000 for its erection, He gave me also the adjoining property known as ‘Albuba’ to be used as the priests’ quarters, expressing the desire that ‘Fontenoy’, be turned into a charitable institution for the poor and destitute. The funds for the construction of the Shrine having been provided by Our Lady in a most unexpressed way, work was started immediately. The foundation stone was laid on the 20th April, 1952; the building was completed and the church solemnly blessed on the 6th December 1953. The high altar and two side altars were consecrated. The donor was present at the ceremony. A year later, at the close of the Marian Year, the statue of Our Lady of Fatima above the main altar was solemnly crowned by His Grace on the 11th December 1954.

Parish:

Votive Shrine Of The Immaculate Heart Of Mary is situated in Chennai. It is 10 KM from Parrys. This is one of the first shrines of the Archdiocese of Madras – Mylapore. The Present Parish Priest Rev. Fr.J.Maria Amala Raj is appointed in 2004 and Rev Fr.L.Amal Raj Assistant Parish Priest in year 2008.

Catholic population: 15,000~

Sub-Station with chapels

• St.Antony’s Chapel, Chetpet – 2 Kms
• St Antony’s Chapel, T.P.Chathiram – 2 Kms
• Annai Velankanni, Gajalakshmi colony – 2 Kms

Participatory Structures

• Parish Pastoral Council
• Anbiyam

Associations

• Alter servers
• St Vincent de Paul
• Charismatic prayer group
• Legion of Mary
• Youth Group –Tamil
• YCWA ( Young Catholic Workers Association )
• KPWA ( Kilpauk Parish Welfare Association )

Other Activities

• Liturgy committees – English & Tamil

Institutions Under the parish

• Mary Immaculate Middle School
• Votive Shrine Institute Commerce
• Tailoring Institute
  • Mercy Home (Home for the Aged) Mathias Social service Center
  • Day care center

Contact Us
Votive Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
No.63, Halls Road, Kilpauk, Chennai – 600 010.
Tamilnadu, INDIA.
Tel: +91 44 26471510

For more information please visit: http://www.votiveshrine.com