Our Lady of Consolation Church – Vyasarpadi

our lady of Consolation

Address:

Our Lady of Consolation Church
Vyasarpadi
No.50, Sundaram Main Road,
Chennai – 600 039.
Tel 044 – 25 51 42 92 / 25 51 42 87
Fax 044 – 25 51 11 71
E-mail: jesudas_a@vsnl.net

Brief History:

This Parish was bifurcated from Perambur on 2nd February 1965 by Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore Dr Louis Mathias, SDB. Initially it was a sub-station of Perambur and the Priests officiating here, said masses in Vysarpadi. This area was mainly inhabited by poor people living in huts. Further, the Government utilised this area to rehabilitate the people, evicted from slums, and those dwelling on platforms. His Grace entrusted the work of locating the land for the Church and establishing a Parish to Fr O Mantovani, SDB. After surveying the locality the Rev. Father purchased the present site measuring 6 acres. His grace appointed Fr O Mantovani as the first Parish Priest and granted him permission to start a private Parish School to give Christian education to the children. On 25th June 1965, the good Salesian missionary Father, erected temporary sheds for housing for the lepers and abandoned sick people, who began to arrive at this parish. These sheds were blessed by Rev Fr John Gibas from U.S.A. on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. A Dispensary and small Hospital was also in this Church. After the sudden death of Fr Mantovani on 19th May 1967, Rev Fr F M Schlooz SDB, also a lover of the poor, took charge as the Parish Priest. He started the ‘Beatitudes’ and the ‘Social Welfare Centre’ and worked for 13 years among the lepers and the poor and ensured that the services will continue by his successors.