Our Lady of Good Help

Our Lady of Good Help

Address:

Ubahara Annai Church
Chettivilai
Tuticorin Dt
Pin : 628 705.
Ph.No : 04639-255347.

Brief History:

In the 16th century A.D., as the Catholic village of Kanakkankudiyiruppu (present day Manal Matha Kovil) began to sink into the sand, the inhabitants started moving towards villages such as Kadakulam, Athisayapuram, Sokkankudiyiruppu and Kettavilai. Some of them settled in the modern day Chettivilai. Having Sokkankudiyiruppu church as their mother church, they frequently went there. At this time as Manal Matha church began to appear out of sand, they redecorated that church and began visiting the same especially the statue of Our Lady of Good help. They built a thatched church at Chettivilai and established one of the statues of the Manal Matha Chruch in there for prayer services. When fire consumed this church, a stone church was built from stones and sand brought from Thoppuvilai. With the efforts taken by the parish priests of Periathalai namely Frs. Delver and Ignatius, this church work was completed. To accommodate the growing population, Fr. Lawrence Xavier laid foundation at the land behind the old church in 1947. As Fr. Ephraim completed constructing the church and the rectory in 1975, Bishop Ambrose blessed them on the 25th of October, 1975.

Fr. Perianayagam built a school in 1932 and the Servite sisters ministered there from 1949 to 1993. Bifurcated from Periathalai, Chettivilai became a parish on the 10th of September 1992, with Fr. Amaladas S. as the first parish priest. After the Servites left, the Holy Cross sisters have been ministering here since the 21st of January 1994. A convent was built for them and their novices have been trained here.

Parish Priests:

Fr. Amaladas S. 1994
Fr. Venice Kumar

Patron Saint : Our Lady of Good Help
Feast of the Patron Saint : 15th to the 25th of September

Substations:

St. Xavier Church
Church constructed in: 1896
Padukkapattu