Sahaya Annai Church
Harbour Estate, Tuticorin

1. Parish Name : Sahaya Annai Church (Our Lady, Help of Christians)
2. Address : Harbour Estate, Tuticorin 628 004
3. Patron Saint : Sahaya Annai
4. Telephone No : 0461-2352341

A Brief History :
The New Harbour Area which was part of Our Lady of Snows parish, made into a New Parish on 14th June, 1981. The annual parish feast of Sahaya Annai is fixed by the parish community on the First Sunday of July every year, in order to celebrate and honour the flag-hoisting of Basilica feast in the town.

The historically important Muyal Theevu in the Harbour coast known for Tuticorin Pearl Fishery Coast people's staunch witness to Catholic faith, especially towards Our Lady of Snows, having a grotto for Christ the King was erected in 1967 by the late Chevalier C.I.R. Machado along with the statues of Mother Mary and St. Joseph in memory of their generations' faith struggle in the 17 century A.D. So, the Feast of Christ the King Grotto is being celebrated by the whole people of Tuticorin and the Pearl Fishery Coast pilgrims on a grand scale on the First Day of May every year in commemoration of their faith journey.

Rev. Fr. Rajareegam was the first parish priest. Before that, when Fr. Pancras Fernando was priest - in charge of this area, the foundation stone for the Church was laid on 26.05.1974 and it was completed under the care of Fr. S. Francis and Msgr. Sebastian Fernando. It was blessed by Most. Rev. Bishop M. Ambrose on 23.12.1976. When the construction work of the Church was going on, the presbytery was also raised simultaneously. A parish hall was built in the year 1987 by Fr. Stephen Gomez. During the period of Fr. Barnabas, a concrete Flag-pillar, a Bell-tower, a Welcome Hall for Stella Maris and a Jubilee Animation Centre were built. Later on, some renewal works in the parish Church and the side-chapels of Christ the King in Camp-II, Our Lady of Veilankanni in Camp-I, the grotto of Christ the King in Muyal Theevu, and Our Lady of Fatima grotto were done.

It is good to note that the Harbour Parish is structured in a way - as the Parish Church is located in the very prime place of New Harbour area so closer to the Harbour Beach yet, it is little distant from the parishioners' settlements where they are residing separately in five different places in the Harbour Estate: they are i. Bharathy Nagar, ii. Labour Colony, iii. Analmin Nagar, iv. Tsunami Nagar and v. Thermal Nagar. So, it is a paradox that the church is so prominent in the Harbour landscape and yet, it is distant to the people.

Succession of parish priest:
1. Rev.Fr. Rajaregam - 1981 – 1982
2. Rev.Fr. Augustin Fdo - 1982 – 1984
3. Rev.Fr. Amaladas - 1984 – 1986
4. Rev.Fr. Methodius - 1986 – 1987
5. Rev.Fr. Stephen Gomez - 1987 – 1988
6. Rev.Fr. S. Ambroise - 1988 – 1993
7. Rev.Fr. Stephen Gomez - 1993 – 1995
8. Rev.Fr. Irudayaraj V. - 1995 – 2000
9. Rev.Fr. Barnabas - 2000 – 2005
10. Rev.Fr. Jebanathan - 2005 – 2008
11. Rev.Fr. Thomas - 2008 – 2011
12. Rev.Fr. S.M. Amaladas - 2011 – 2016
13. Rev.Fr. Stan K. Fernando 2016 - 2021
14. Rev.Fr. Loyola De Rose A. 2021 -

Grottos in the parish:
1. Christ, the King - Muyal Theevu
2. Our Lady, Help of Christians - Harbour Estate
3. Bell-Tower Grotto with Infant Jesus, St. Anthony of Padhua, St. Joseph, Our Lady of Good Health - Harbour Estate
4. Our Lady of Fatima - Harbour Estate

Catholic Population : 500

No. of Catholic Families : 125

Sunday Mass – Timings & Language : 6.30a.m;8.30 a.m.
Weekdays : 6.15 p.m

Sub – Stations
1. Thermalnagar Camp I – Velankanni Matha
2. Analmin Nagar Camp II – Christ, the King
3. Tsunami Colony - St.Antony of Padhua
4. Muyal Theevu - Christ the King
5. Labour Colony - St. Joseph
6. Bharathy Nagar - Infant Jesus

Participatory Structures
1. Anbiyams (Basic Christian Communities)
2. Liturgical Group
3. Choir Group
4. Altar Servers' Group
5. Six Pastoral Teams
6. Three Pastoral zones
7. Parish Pastoral Council
4. Parish Finance Committee

Christian Life Societies (Pious Associations)
1. Legion of Mary
2. St. Vincent de Paul Society
3. Amalorpava Matha Sodality for Young Girls
4. Sahaya Annai Holy Family Sodality
5. Holy Childhood

Other Associations & Activities
1. Stella Maris – Seafarers’ Welfare Centre
2. Friends of Jesus (Youth Group)
3. Mahalir Mantrangal

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New Info provided by : Rev.Fr. Loyola De Rose
Pages Scanned : 2
Previous file name : parish-harbour-estate0.htm
Updated on 23rd March, 2023. Final correction done on May 20th 2023