Sacred Hearts' Cathedral

Tuticorin

1. Parish Name              :   Sacred Hearts Cathedral
2. Address                     :   Cathedral, Catholic Bishop’s House, Tuticorin - 628 001
3. Patron Saints            :   Sacred Heart of Jesus & Sacred Heart of Mary       
4. Telephone No           :  0461 - 4000407   

A Brief History :

On the 8th of July 1836, Pope Gregory XVI made Madurai an Apostolic Province. Pearl fishery coast which emerged as a new province was entrusted to the Jesuit Missionaries of Thulus Province in France. Since 1838 parish priests have been appointed in this parish. Those days Our Lady of Snows church was taken care of by the priests of Mylapore diocese which belonged to the Portuguese Mission. Thus the Jesuit Missionaries felt that they need a separate church to function from.

Rev. Fr. Kasthanier, who was the Superior of the Jesuit region of Palayamkottai,  which came the pearl fishery coast, wanted to build a new church at Thoothukkudi. He bought the Land where the present church stands, for a cheap price from Mr. Manuel Viyagula Motha and put up a thatched church.

In 1849 Rev. Fr. Kanos became the Superior of the Jesuit Region of Palayamkottai. He wanted to build a larger church at Thoothukkudi. Thus Rev. Fr. Cori who was ministering at Thoothukkudi laid the foundation stone for the new church. Rev. Fr. Cori was succeeded by Rev. Fr. Piccinelli, who continued the construction work.

Rev. Fr. Kanos, who by then had been consecrated as bishop of Madurai Apostolic Province (22nd May 1848), blessed the new church, built by the tireless effort of Fr. Piccinelli, on 5th January 1849. The new church was dedicated to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Pope Pius IX sent the relics of St. Fidelis as a gift to this new church. Bishop Kanos placed the relics of St. Fidelis in a separate altar, and declared St. Fidelis as the Patron of the town of Thoothukkudi.

Though the church had been blessed, the construction work still continued. Jesuit brother Lamoth who was an expert in construction laboured strenuously and completed the church in 1864. In 1909 Rev. Fr. Martin extended the side wings of the church.

In 1923 this massive beautiful church was elevated as the Cathedral of the diocese of Thoothukkudi. In 1948 Bishop Tiburtius Roche, erected the sky scraping towers. The Cathedral had gone renovations during the golden as well as the platinum jubilee of the diocese. The Eucharistic adoration chapel was blessed by Bishop Amalnather on 06th August 1997.

Further the Cathedral Church was renovated and blessed by His Excellecy the Most Rev. Dr. Yvon Ambroise on 10th November 2017. The adoration chapel was renovated and blessed by His Excellency the Most Rev. Dr. Stephen on 22nd November 2020.

Succession of parish priests:

1. Rev.Fr. Maria Soosainathar                -           1922 – 1925
2. Rev.Fr. Jeganathar                          -           1925 – 1927
3. Rev.Fr. Gnanasamy                          -           1927 – 1931
4. Rev.Fr. Marianathar                         -           1932 – 1933
5. Rev.Fr. Fernandhu                           -           1933 – 1939
6. Rev.Fr. Dalmeida                             -           1939 – 1954
7. Rev.Fr. Benedict  Fdo                       -           1955 – 1959
8. Rev.Fr. Augustine Fdo                      -           1959 – 1962
9. Rev.Fr. Alphonse Kagoo                    -           1962 – 1970
10. Rev. Lambert Miranda                       -           1970 – 1974
11. Rev.Fr. Stephen Dass                       -           1974 – 1975
12. Rev.Fr. Gabriel                                -           1975 – 1982
13. Rev.Fr. Iruddaya Raj                        -           1982 – 1984
14. Rev.Fr. Job De Rose                         -           1984 – 1988
15. Rev.Fr. Joseph Xavier                       -           1988 – 1991
16. Rev.Fr. Lambert Miranda                   -           1991 – 1995
17. Rev.Fr. Antonysamy                         -           1995 –
18. Rev.Fr. Andrew De Rose                    -           1996 – 2001
19. Rev.Fr. Kirupakaran                           -           2001 – 2006
20. Rev.Fr. Amaladas Ignatius                  -           2006 – 2008
21. Rev.Fr. Alphonse D.S                         -           2008 - 2013
22. Rev. Fr. Rayappan                             -           2013 - 2018
23. Rev.Fr. Joseph Rollington                    -           2018 - 2023

Grottos in the parish:
Our Lady or Lourdes                          -           Cathedral
St. Francis Xavier                             -           Cathedral       
St. Theresa                                     -           Cathedral
St. Joseph                                      -           Cathedral
Sacred Heart Of Jesus                       -           Cathedral                     

                                   
Catholic Population                        : 8275

No. of Catholic Families                 : 1319

Sunday Mass – Timings                  : 5:00 a.m., 6:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m. & 5:00 p.m.

Fridays                                           : 5:30, 6:30 a.m 11:30 before Noon and 6:00 p.m.

Eucharistic Chapel Timings             : 5.00 a.m. to 12.00 noon & 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Weekdays                                     : 5:30 a.m; 6:30 a.m; and 6.00 p.m

Feasts:                                           : Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary - Friday and Saturday after the feast the Body and Blood of Christ.
                                                        St. Fidelis First Sunday in September
                                                        Velankanni Matha Feast : September 8th
                                                        Grottos:
                                                        a. St. Theresa of Child Jesus - October 1st
                                                        b. St. Francis Xavier : December 3rd
                                                        c. St. Joseph's : March 19th
                                                        d. St. Lourdes : February 11th
                                                       Chapels:
                                                       a. St. George: April 23rd
                                                        b. St. Peter and Paul : June 29
                                                        c. St. James : July 25
                                                       d. St. Mary of Doloures : September, 15th

Chapels where mass is celebrated periodically
St. George Church – Puthu Theru - Monday
St. James Church – Vadakku Theru - First Tuesday and all Thursdays
St. Peter and Paul Church – Vadakku Theru -Wednesday
Our Lady of Sorrows – Nambikkai Roche Vilai - Saturday

                                               
Participatory Structures      
Mandalams - 5
Anbiyams - 36
Parish Liturgy Commission
Parish Pastoral Council
Parish Finance Committee
Choir Group
Altar Servers
Clean Chinnakovil & Cleaning Groups 6
Catechism Teachers Group

                       
Christian Life Societies (Pious Associations)
Amalorpava Matha Sodality (Young Girls)
Holy Family Sodality (Married Women)
St. Joseph Sodality (Married Men)
St. Francis of Assisi Sodality
Legion of Mary (5 Presidiums)
Vincent de Paul Society
Pombai Matha Sodality

Other Associations & Activities
Hearts Youth
Krithavar Vazhvurimai Iyyakkam

Charismatic Groups
Holy Mary
Divine Mercy
Small Sheep of Jesus

                                   
Schools under the Parish           
St. Xavier’s Central Primary School, Thoothukkudi – 628 001
St. Theresa’s Primary School, Vadakoor, Thoothukkudi – 628 001
St. George Primary School, Vadakoor, Thoothukkudi – 628 001

           
Religious Congregation of the Mother of Sorrows, Servants of Mary (OSM)
Servite Convent, Cathedral Campus, Thoothukkudi – 628 001
Tel: 0461 – 2323197         

                         
Religious Institutions
Fr. Augustin Perira Community College, Thoothukkudi 628 001
Tel: 0461 – 2330675 (CIC)
St. Francis Xavier’s Hr. Sec. School, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 Tel: 0461 – 2321505 (SJ)
St. Aloysius Hr. Sec. School, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 Tel: 0461 2320504 (OSM)
St. Aloysius Primary School, Thoothukkudi – 628 001
St. Joseph’s girls Orphanage, Cathedral Campus, Thoothukkudi – 628 001.(OSM)

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Corrections added to the existing content by : Rev.Fr. Joseph Rollington
Scanned pages: None. Previous file name : cathedral0.htm
Updated on 17th Oct. 2022. Final correction done on May 9th 2023