St.Therese of Infant Jesus Church, Kandanvilai

St. Therese of Infant Jesus Church, Kandanvilai
Location
Country	India
Information
Rite	Roman Rite
Established	7 April 1924
Language	Tamil
Current leadership
Pope	Francis
Website
http://www.thereseofkandanvilai.info

Template:Infobox kandanvilai

The Kandanvilai Church is the first Church which is dedicated to St.Therese after her Beatification and blessed on April 7, 1924. It is located at Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu; it merged under Kuzhithurai Diocese, India on 22 December 2014. Kandanvilai Church has three substations; Eraniel, Chithanthopue and Pandaravilai.

History

There was a time before 75 years when the kandanvilai village was attached to the Karankadu parish under the Diocese of Quilon. During this time, more lands were donated to Diocese in the head of Mr. Packianathan and requested the Bishop that a church may be built in Kandanvilai. The Bishop of Quilon Diocese, Most Rev Fr. Aloysius Maria Benzigar OCD consented and together with the parish priest of Karankadu came down to Kandanvilai to select a site for the Church.

The suitable place was selected after visiting so many sites. The bishop found a miraculous consistency as the place he dreamt of and place selected were one and the same. Bishop, Priest and the people were overjoyed and confirmed the site for the Church construction; that is called, "Kandanvilai".

In the year 1923, Bishop partook the Beatification ceremony of St. Therese and requested to Pope Pious XI, to set upright a Church for the mediation of St. Therese. In the year of 1925 on May 17, partaking the Mass of St. Therese on promulgating her as Saint, proclaimed that the first Church set upright for the blessings of St.Therese would be at Kandanvilai.

Bells

As this was the first church in tribute of St. Therese after the declaration of her as Saint, the Sisters of St. Therese donated two bells to the church and people from the birthplace of St. Therese, Lisieux also contributed bell. The following words are inscribed on the bells:

Michiels A.Tournai 1931 My name is Therese of the Infant Jesus and I will call all Indians to Kandanvilai to honour the little flower.

Michiels A.Tournai Fondeur. My name is John of the Cross and I will ring in honour of my sister in heaven saint Therese of the Infant Jesus.

It is located at the left side in the belfry, The bells ring and echo the message that the “ St. Therese invites all the Indians to Kandanvilai and to make them aware of the holy virgin life of St. Therese of Infant Jesus ”.

References

http://www.kottardiocese.org/History.aspx
http://www.thereseofkandanvilai.info