Parish Information
Contact Details:
Holy Cross Shrine
Manapad
Manapad, Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu.
Parish Priest – Rev. Dr. Lerin Dross.
Church Established – 1581.
Brief History:
In 1540, a Portuguese merchant vessel encountered a severe storm near this cape. The ship’s captain, a devotee of the Holy Cross, prayed for divine protection and vowed to erect a shrine using salvaged timber. After reaching harbor safely, he established this sanctuary. Saint Francis Xavier visited in 1542 and ministered at the site, advancing Christian education among local fishing communities. The present stone structure was constructed in 1581 with community support. The shrine houses a relic of the True Cross sent from Rome in 1583, and a miraculous freshwater well exists despite the surrounding saltwater. A hilltop Calvary pathway serves pilgrims visiting this historic site. The shrine is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations in the Diocese of Tuticorin.
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