Holy Valanar Temple – Upper Panaikulam

Contact Details:

St. Joseph’s Church (St. Susaiappar Church)
Mela Panaikulam
Mela Panaikulam, Asirvathaputuram Post, 628613, Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu.
Parish Priest – Rev. Fr. Remigius S. Leon.
Church Established – 1978.

Brief History:

St. Joseph’s Church (St. Susaiappar Church), Mela Panaikulam, developed from a humble thatched chapel that served the local Catholic community for many years. The original chapel was dedicated to St. Vallanaar before parishioners resolved to construct a permanent place of worship. The foundation stone for the stone church was laid in 1976, and the completed building was blessed in 1978 by Bishop Ambrose, marking the formal establishment of the church. After the structure sustained damage from a lightning strike in 2007, a new church was constructed on the northern side of the original site. The rebuilt church was solemnly blessed in 2013, providing improved facilities for worship and parish activities. Today, the church serves approximately 35 Catholic families, with Holy Mass celebrated on the first and third Sundays of every month. The annual feast in honour of St. Joseph is observed over ten days during the Tamil month of Avani, beginning with the traditional flag hoisting on the first Friday of the festival.

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