Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
Carmel Mary Church
கார்மல் அன்னை ஆலயம்
Side View of this church
12°00′37″N 78°23′33″E / 12.0104°N 78.3925°E / 12.0104; 78.3925
LocationThenkaraikottai, Dharmapuri Dt, Tamil Nadu
CountryIndia
DenominationCatholic
Religious instituteJesuit
History
StatusParish church
Founded1930
Founder(s)Fr. Charles Devin
DedicationOur Lady of Mount Carmel
Cult(s) presentCatholic devotions
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architectural typeChurch
Groundbreaking1991
Completed1992
Administration
ArchdiocesePondicherry and Cuddalore
DioceseDharmapuri
Episcopal areaTNBC
DeaneryHarur
ParishThenkaraikottai
Clergy
ArchbishopFrancis Kalist
Bishop(s)Lawrence Pius Dorairaj
Priest(s)Fr. A. Vinoth Louis

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Thenkaraikottai, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. It comes under the administration of Dharmapuri Diocise.[1]

History

Thenkaraikottai old church
The old Church which not in use

The area located on the northern side of River Jalagandeeswarar is known as Vadakarai, meaning North Bank, while the area on the southern side of the river is called Thenkarai, meaning South Bank. During the reign of Chennappa Nayakar, a ruler of Gatti Mudalis of Amalur, a fort was constructed in Thenkarai, and subsequently, the place came to be known as Thenkaraikottai. This church is situated in Fatima Nagar, adjacent to the main village.[2]

There are no official records or evidence regarding the origin of Catholics in Thenkaraikottai. However, according to a book written by Fr. M.S. Joseph in 1840, he mentioned this place. Fr. Mariyan Franc MEP, a priest from Kovilur parish, also made a mention of Catholic families residing in this area. In the 1920s, Fr. Sievek MEP, a priest from Kovilur, constructed a Priest House in Thenkaraikottai. In 1930, Thenkaraikottai became its substation of B.Pallipatti parish church, Fr. Charles Devin MEP, the parish priest of B. Pallipatti, built a church in Thenkaraikottai.[3]

On June 5, 1949, this church was established as a parish church, with Fr. Reval MEP serving as its first parish priest. During his tenure, the St. Joseph Elementary School was founded to provide education for the local children. In 1973, Fr. Jegaraj constructed the current Parish House.

Under the guidance of Parish Priest Fr. Arulsamy, the present church was built with the blessings of Salem Diocese Bishop Michael Bosco Duraisamy on January 21, 1992. Subsequently, during Fr. George's tenure in 2010, a bell tower was erected next to the church.

In 2004, St. Joseph Primary School was upgraded to a high school. Since 1965, the Gonzaga Sisters of Pondicherry have been serving as servers in this Parish Church.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ https://dharmapuridiocese.org/parishes/lists.html
  2. ↑ "தென்கரைக்கோட்டையில் 16-ம் நூற்றாண்டில் கட்டப்பட்ட கோட்டையை சீரமைத்து சுற்றுலாத் தலமாக்க கோரிக்கை". Tourism (in Tamil). The Hindu Tamil. August 22, 2022. Retrieved June 23, 2023.
  3. ↑ Fr. A. Susairaj. "History of Dharampuri Diocese Churches". News Letter Dharamapuri Doicese (in Tamil).
  4. ↑ https://fsagpdy.org/#
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