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Holy Ghost Church
Vembar
Parish Name : Holy Ghost Church
Address : Vembar, 628 906, Tuticorin Dt.
Patron Saint : Holy Ghost
Telephone No : 04638 - 262426
A Brief History :
Vembar, known as ‘Vembaru’ and also called ‘Nimbai Nagar’, boasts of a rich heritage and past, mainly because her sea-coast was rich with pearls.
Subsequent to the conversion of the Bharatha community during 1535-37 AD and after the coming of Saint Francis Xavier in 1542 AD, the Bharathavars constructed the first Catholic Church in Vembar and consecrated it to the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit).
History records the fact, that St. Francis Xavier visited Vembar in 1542 and his letters to his Superiors mention that he visited Vembar several times. History also records the miracle, that St.Francis Xavier performed in Vembar - that of giving life to a little girl, who had drowned in the village pond. It is also known, that this miracle was one of the testimonies given for the canonisation of Francis Xavier to Sainthood.
From then on, the Catholic Parish of Vembar grew in Faith with several Portuguese Jesuits being the Parish Priests. In 1571, the thatched roof Church of Vembar was built into a stone Church, giving the unique status of being the first stone-built Catholic Church of the Pearl Coast.
In his 1644 letter, the then Parish Priest of Holy Ghost Church, Rev.Fr.Andrew Lopez wrote that the Vembar Church was dedicated to the Holy Ghost and that 1300 Catholics lived in Vembar.
When the Dutch invaded the Pearl Coast in 1658, they persecuted the Catholics of the region including the Faithful in Vembar, because the Dutch were Calvinist Protestants. Despite persecution, the Bharathas of the region, who were Catholics including those in Vembar, did not give up their Faith in Catholicism. During the course of those years, however owing to poor maintenance of the Holy Ghost Church, it became dilapidated and had to be removed. The reason for the poor maintenance of the Holy Ghost Church was that the region was ravaged by a deadly plague, in which many lives including that of the then Parish Priest Rev.Fr.Manuel Garmiero, were lost. At the same time, the local Chieftain Sethupathy Vijayan invaded Vembar and consequently there was famine in the village. The pestilence of plague and famine made the Bharathas of Vembar to submit themselves to the protection of St.Sebastian and took him as the Patron Saint of Vembar.
Some of the Parish Priests of the Holy Ghost Parish of Vembar include great names like Rev.Fr.Robert de Nobili and Rev.Fr.John de Britto (Arulanandhar). It is also known that the Tamil Scholar Rev.Fr.Joseph Constantine Beschi, who is known as Veeramamunivar had come to Vembar to learn Tamil. Around the year 1876, the Vembar Holy Ghost Parish had 60 sub-stations and was popularly known as the “VEMBAR MISSION”. By the year 1914, it is recorded in Jesuit history, there were 4744 Catholics in Vembar.
The foundation for the present Church in Vembar was laid in 1903 and was consecrated in 1915 by Most.Rev. Augustin Besanthiyar and was dedicated to the Holy Ghost. The present Bishop of Mannar Diocese in Sri Lanka, Most.Rev.Emmanuel Fernando has his parental roots in Vembar. The Holy Ghost Parish has given to the Catholic Church 20 Priests and not less than 40 Nuns. Now, there are 150 Catholic families in the Holy Ghost Parish of Vembar.
This small piece of information tells of the devotion the Parishioners of Vembar, mainly the fisherfolk have had for our Blessed Mother, who is particularly known as “SENGOLE MADHA”. It is known that the fisherfolk of Vembar were always taking the statue of ‘Sengole Madha’ with them, when they went fishing even upto Mannar in Sri Lanka and were kept safe from the perils of the sea. Owing to this, the beautifully decorated statue of ‘Sengole Madha’ can be found placed atop in the main altar of Holy Ghost Church, Vembar.
Succession of parish priest:
St. Francis Xavier
1. Fr. Henry Hendricks
2. Fr. Franciaco Durao (1574)
3. Fr. Bernard De Almeida (1604)
4. Fr. Gaspar de Abrew (1607)
5. Fr. Fernand Gomez (1608)
6. Fr. Nicolas Paludanus (1608)
7. Fr. Louis Mathew Pelingotti (1608)
8. Fr. Andrew Lopez (1623)
9. Fr. Antoine Velosc (1626)
10. Fr. Balthazar de Costa (1636)
11. Fr. Manuel Carneire (Vembar & Vaipar) (1708)
12. Fr. Alexander Joseph calini (1709)
13. Fr. Manuel Dos Reys (Vembar, Vaipar,Mookoor) (1733)
14. Fr. Salvador de Costa (1738)
15. Fr. Francis Xavier Stocker (1742)
Fr. Joseph Constantine Beschi (1742)
16. Fr. Joseph Khrening (1743)
17. Fr. Anthony Maria Carisola (1743)
18. Fr. Charles Fortini (1745) 19. Fr. Matthew Lopez (1752--)
20. Fr. Xavier Bangarou (1875)
Fr. Constant Dayirias (Ass. PP) 21. Fr. Michael (1876)
Fr. Pouget (Ass. PP) (1878)
22. Fr. Pouget (1879)
Frs. Berthiew, Giuge (Ass. PP)
23. Fr. P. X. Rayapar (1882)
24. Fr. Regis Calien (1887)
Fr. Dayiriam (Ass PP)
25. Fr. Adaikalanathar (1889)
Frs. Rayapar, Causanal, Cortes (As PP)
26. Fr. Adrian Boyisset (1894)
Frs. Berthiew, Visuvasam, Rayapar, Talon (Ass PP)
27. Fr. Paranchothi (1897)
Fr. Saminather (Ass PP)
28. Fr. Saminather (1901)
Frs. Gnsnasamy, Mariadas (Ass PP) (1903)
Fr. Soosai Manikam (Ass PP) (1904)
Fr. Gnanapragasam (Ass PP) (1906)
Fr. Siluvai Michael (Ass PP) (1907)
Fr. Lourdes (Ass PP) (1911)
29. Fr. Mariadas (1919) P. J.
30. Fr. S. Mariadas (1923)
31. Fr. Religius Missier (1928)
32. Fr. G. Michael (1933)
33. Fr. Edward Christian Fernandez (1938)
34. Fr. A. Michael (1946)
35. Fr. Rosary Corera (1947)
36. Fr. Periyanayagam (1950 six months)
37. Fr. X. Fernando (1950)
38. Fr. Venantius Fernando (1951)
39. Fr. Maria Viyagulam (1955 six months)
40. Fr. Anthony Arakal (1955)
41. Fr. T. Paul Alangaram (1957)
42. Fr. G. Soosainather (1960)
43. Fr. Liguori Fernando (1971)
44. Fr. Rubert Arulvalan (1972)
45. Fr. Benzigar - 1973 - 1976
46. Fr. Paul Alangaram - 1976 - 1977
47. Fr. Viagula Marian - 1977 – 1979
48. Fr. Vladmir Rayan - 1979 – 1982
49. Fr. Deva Sahayam - 1982 – 1984
50. Fr. Louis - 1984 – 1985
51. Fr. Xavier Ignatius Amirtham - 1985 – 1988
52. Fr. Jesu Arulappan - 1988 – 1991
53. Fr. Arul Mani - 1991 – 1993
54. Fr. Alexander - 1993 – 1998
55. Fr. Job De Rose - 1998 – 2003
56. Fr. Venantius Fernando - 2003 – 2004
57. Fr. Ranjith Kumar - 2004 – 2009
58. Fr. Jesu Nazarene - 2009 – 2010
59. Fr. Joseph Rathinaraj - 2010 –
60. Fr. Antony Jegathesan - 2010 – 2012
61. Fr. Benson - 2012 - 2015
62. Fr. Sahayaraj Valdharis D. 2015 - 2017
63. Fr. Prathiban Liphonse 2017 - 2018
64. Fr. Raja Rodrigo 2018 - 2021
65. Fr. Antony Titus Roshan 2021 -
Parish Feast : Pentecoste Feast day of Each Year
Side Chapel St. Sebastian Feast : January 20th
Side Chapel St. Antony Feast : Second Tuesday of September
Grottos in the parish:
1. Our Lady of Fatima - Vembar, Holy Ghost
2. St Sebastian - Vembar, Holy Ghost
3. St. Antony - Vembar, Holy Ghost
Catholic Population : 900
No. of Catholic Families : 147
Sunday Mass – Timings : 7:00 a.m. Benediction : 5:00 p.m.
Daily Mass : 6:15 a.m.
Participatory Structures
1. Anbiyams 6
2. 15 Pastoral Commissions
Christian Life Societies (Pious Associations)
1. Holy Childhood
2. Eucharistic Crusaders
3. Amalorpava Matha Sodality
4. Holy Family Sodality
5. Vincent de Paul Society
6. Legion of Mary
7. Holy Family Sodality
8. "Uthaya Tharagai" Youth Association
Institutions under the Parish
St. Sebasthiar Middle School, Vembar – 628 906
Religious
Congregation of the Mother of Sorrows, Servants of Mary (OSM)
Servite Convent, Holy Ghost Church, Vembar – 628 906 Tel: 04638 – 262364
Institutions under the Religious
St. Joseph’s Home for Children, Vembar – 628 906 (OSM)
Institutions under the Parish
St. Sebasthiar Middle School, Vembar – 628 906
Religious
Congregation of the Mother of Sorrows, Servants of Mary (OSM)
Servite Convent, Holy Ghost Church, Vembar – 628 906 Tel: 04638 – 262364
Institutions under the Religious
St. Joseph’s Home for Children, Vembar – 628 906 (OSM)
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New Info provided by : Rev.Fr. Antony Titus Roshan
Scanned pages 1 - 5, Previous file name : parish-vembar-holy-ghost0.htm
File before English Translation:
parish-vembar-holy-ghost1.htm
Updated on 15th Jan. 2023, Final correction done on May 18, 2023
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