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Basilica of Our Lady of Snows
Tuticorin

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1. Parish Name : Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Snows
2. Address : 42, Beach Road Tuticorin – 628 001
3. Patron Saint : Our Lady of Snows
4. Telephone No : 0461 – 2320854, 2324854, 8220947823

A Brief History
When the Parathavars became Christians, in 1538 the first Church in Tuticorin was built dedicated to St. Peter. This is the first Church in the pearl fishery coast. St. Francis Xavier came to Thoothukkudi in 1542 and strengthened the faith of the people. After that the Jesuit Missionaries established their headquarters at Punnaikayal. But in 1579 the headquarters was shifted to Thoothukkudi. It was dedicated to St. Paul and was called as “San Paul College”. Adjacent to this, a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy was built. Since this chapel was blessed on 5th August 1582, on the feast of Our Lady of Snows, people started calling the Church as Our Lady of Snows Church. On 9th June 1600 the graceful statue of Our Lady of Snows was brought from Port of Kali in Cylone, in a Thoani, and was placed in the chapel of Our Lady of Mercy.
In 1658 the Dutch captured the Jesuit headquarters and the chapel. Jesuits left the place and lived in the jungles. In 1695 the Jesuit structures were all destroyed, including the chapel. They converted that place into their cemetry called ‘Kracope’.

In 1969 the Dutch General came to Thoothukkudi. He wanted to earn the goodwill of the people. So he allowed the Jesuits to come and to do the ministry. He also allowed the Jesuits to build a thatched Church near to the Krecope cemetry.

Rev. Fr. Vigilius Mancy, the parish priest of Thoothukkudi, kept the statue of Our Lady of Snows in his room and protected it. On the 4th April 1704, a thunderbolt fell on the statue Our Lady of Snows. The statue and Rev. Fr. Vigilius Mancy, who was praying in front of the statue, were unhurt. To express his gratitude for this miraculous escape to Our Lady of Snows, Rev. Fr. Vigilius Mancy, with the permission of the Dutch General, put up a beautiful Church built with stones opposite to the Krecope cemetry. This is the origin of the Church of Our Lady of Snows Basilica. On 4th April 1712 the foundation stone was laid, and on the 5th August 1713, on the feast day of Our Lady of Snows, the Church was solemnly blessed by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Corera, the Jesuit Provincial.

When the Jesuits left Thoothukkudi in 1773, Our Lady of Snows Church was entrusted to the care of Goa Diocese. In 1836, when the Jesuits from Thulus Province in France were sent by the Congregation of Propagation of Faith to Thoothukkudi, Goa Mission priests refused to hand over the Church to the Jesuits. As a temporary arrangment in 1886 Pope Leo XIII attached Our Lady of Snows Church with Mylapore diocese which was looked after by Goa Mission priests. After the erection of the diocese of Thoothukkudi in 1923, Pope Pius XI, basing on a concordat that was made with Portugal on 29th June 1929, entrusted Our Lady of Snows Church to Bishop Tiburtius Roche, the first Bishop. Rev. Fr. Ambrose Missier was the first Thoothukkudi diocesan priest to be appointed as parish priest of Our Lady of Snows Church.

When 400th year of the Church of Our Lady of Snows was celebrated, on 30th July 1983 Pope John Paul II, through a papal bull, Pervenute ille Dei Beatissimae Genitiricis Effigies elevated Our Lady of Snows Church into a Basilica.

Mr. J.L.P. Roche and Mr. C.I. Remigius Machado were honoured by the Pope with the knighthood Chevalier.

Succession of parish priests:
1. Rev.Fr. Micheal Vaz
2. Rev.Fr. Pedro Fernandez
3. Rev.Fr. Francis Xavier
4. Rev.Fr. Antonio Criminali
5. Rev.Fr. Joseph D’Victoria
6. Rev.Fr. Herique Henriquez
7. Bl. Peter De Pastor
8. Rev.Fr. Vijilius Mansi
9. Rev.Fr. Thomas Maur - 1768 – 1780
10. Rev.Fr. Miguel Joes Salero
11. Rev.Fr. Mari De Almelda - 1789 – 1791
12. Rev.Fr. Pedro Nicholas Carcia - 1791
13. Rev.Fr. Jose M. Desa
14. Rev.Fr. L.C. Lobo
15. Rev.Fr. T. Gomez
16. Rev.Fr. C.V. Pinto
17. Rev.Fr. N. Noronha - 1859
18. Rev.Fr. Miguel Francesso De Souza - 1889 – 1891
19. Rev.Fr. Manuel De Rozario - 1891 – 1893
20. Rev.Fr. Arioste Xavier Coelho - 1893 – 1894
21. Rev.Fr. J.N. X. Misquite - 1894
22. Rev.Fr. George Rondo -
23. Rev.Fr. Marselin
24. Rev.Fr. J.B.B. D’Soyza - 1901 – 1905
25. Rev.Fr. M.J. Printo - 1905 – 1917
26. Rev.Fr. A. Moniz and Rev.Fr. R.L. Sanjeevi - 1917 – 1922
27. Rev.Fr. C.C. Barreto and Rev.Fr. S. Thomas Selvarayen 1922 – 1929
28. Rev.Fr. R. Joseph - 1929 – 1930

After the parish was attached to Tuticorin Diocese
1. Rev.Fr. Ambrose Missier - 1930 - 1932
2. Rev.Fr. A. Antony Fernando - 1932 – 1938
3. Rev.Fr. Ambrose Missier - 1938 - 1939
4. Rev.Fr. G. Micheal - 1939 – 1940
5. Rev.Fr. G.T. Micheal - 1940 – 1941
6. Rev.Fr. Paul Alangaram - 1942 – 1952
7. Rev.Fr. Joseph Fernando - 1952 – 1954
8. Rev.Fr. S.M. D’ Almaida - 1954 – 1970
9. Rev.Fr. S. Gabrial - 1970 – 1974
10. Rev.Fr. Job De Rose - 1974 – 1979
11. Rev.Fr. Lambert Mirando - 1979 – 1984
12. Rev.Fr. John Xavier - 1984 – 1987
13. Rev.Fr. Hermus I Moduthagam - 1987 - 1990
14. Rev.Fr. M.J. Irudayaraj - 1990 – 1995
15. Rev.Fr. Paul Robinston - 1995 – 2000
16. Rev.Fr. Joseph Rathinaraj - 2000 – 2004
17. Rev.Fr. Jerosin - 2004 - 2009
18. Rev.Fr. William Santhanam - 2009 – 2014
19. Rev.Fr. Lerin De Rose - 2014 - 2019
20. Rev.Fr. Kumar Raja, Joseph 2019 - 2024
21. Rev.Fr. Starwin 2024

Side Chapels
1. Holy Cross Chapel - South Empror Street, Tuticorin
2. St. Antony's Chapel - St. Antony's Street

Grottos in the parish:
1. Our Lady of Lourdes- Basilica of Our Lady of Snows, Tuticorin
2. Our Lady of Fatima - South Empror Street, Tuticorin
3. St. Paul's Kurusady - Kerecope Street

Catholic Population : 3500

No. of Catholic Families : 975

Sunday Mass – Timings & Language : 5.00 a.m.; 6.30 a.m.,
8.00 a.m. ; 9.30 a.m.; & 5.30 p.m. – Tamil
9.30 a.m. – English

Weekdays : 5.30 a.m; 6.30 a.m; 5.30 p.m

Participatory Structures
Anbiyams - 28
15 Pastoral Commissions
Parish Pastoral Council
Parish Finance Committee

Christian Life Societies (Pious Associations)
1. Amalorpava Matha Sodality for Men
2. Pompei Rosary Matha Sodality
3. Holy Family Sodality for Women
4. Legion of Mary (6 Presidiums)
5. Vincent de Paul Society
6. Altar Friends
7. Lourdu Matha Sodality for young women

Other Associations & Activities
1. Snows Youth
2. Snows Basilica Telecommunications

Institutions under the Parish
1. Kolping Typing & Computer Institute, Beach Road, Thoothukkudi – 628 001
2. Das Nevis Matha Primary School, Thoothukkudi – 628 001

Religious
1. Society of Jesus (SJ)
Jesuit House, Xaveriana, 27, Beach Road, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 Tel: 0461 – 2321060

2. Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Bon Secours (FBS)
Bon Secours Convent, Beach Road, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 Tel: 0461 2323446

3. Congregation of De La Salle Brothers (FSE)
De La Salle House, George Road, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 Tel: 0461 2326620

4. Congregation of the Immaculate Conception, Madurai (CIC)
CIC Convent, 79, South Emperor Street, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 Tel. 0461 - 2339227

Institutions under the Religious
1. Das Nevis Matha Hr. Sec. School, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 Tel: 0461 – 2323149 (FBS)
2. De La Salle Hr. Sec. School, George Road, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 Tel : 0461 2322093 (FSE)
3. Holy Angel Residential Hostel, Beach Road, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 (FBS)
4. De La Salle Boy’s Orphanage, George Road, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 (FSE)
5. Holy Angel Hostel, Beach Road, Thoothukkudi – 628 001 (FBS)

A Monthly Magazine called ‘Panimayam’ is published from the Basilica

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Existing info updated over the phone by : Rev.Fr. Kumar Raja Joseph
Previous file name :parish-ols-tuticorin0.htm
Updated on 13th April. 2023

Updated on 12 Jully, 2024



 


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