Parish Name:
Packiapuram, Kodaikanal – 624101,
Dindigul Dt., T.N, S. India
Packiapuram is located 120 kms. west of Madurai and 70 kms, from Palani in Kodaikanal hills. Originally it belonged to Munjikkal parish. It is one of the seven parishes in Kodaikanal hills.
It has a population of 415 Catholic families and 500 non Catholic families. All the Catholics in this parish are downtrodden and oppressed class. The Christians of this parish are engaged in works like cooking, gardening, driving and caretaking of bungalows and properties of local rich and influential people. Majority of the Christians in the parish are daily laborers. Many are working as domestic servants doing errand jobs in houses of rich people, hotels, restaurants and cottages.
For a long time the need had been felt for a separate parish at Packiapuram. Fr. A. Simo and Fr. D. Amalorpavam while looking after “Britto House†had been ministering to the needs of the Catholics in Pambarpuram, the Observatory, Naidupuram and Lourdupuram.
As the Catholic population of Munjikal parish was growing, an assistant was given to the parish priest of Munjikal in order to minister to the Catholics of Packiapuram. From June 1985 Fr. Vincent Raja was the assistant. From March 1986 he was made parish priest of Packiapuram.
This new parish has sub-stations in Pallanghi where a new chapel was built in May 1985 and Attuvampatty where there is a school and dispensary run by the Servites of Mary. From June 1988 Fr. P.V. Susai became the parish priest.
Early, this parish was a sub-station of the Sacred Heart Church, Munjikkal. The actual basement of the present church was constructed in 1980. At present it is the rectory of the parish priest. In the first floor, the present Church had been built and blessed by Most Rev. Arockiasamy, the Archbishop of the Madurai in 1985. It was also then announced as the third separate parish from the Sacred Heart Church. At the time of Fr. Maria Louis, it is refurnished in the year 2004 by the Archbishop Most Rev. Peter Fernando and totay it measures 30 x 80 feet and with RC roof.
a) Fr. Vincent Raja
b) Fr. P.V. Susai
c) Fr. Santiyago
d) Fr. Antonyraj
e) Fr. Edwin Sahayaraj
f) Fr. Arulsamy
g) Fr. Maria Louis
h) Fr. Valantine Joseph
i) Fr. J. Paul Ignatius
j) Fr. Jeganathan
k) Fr. Jerome Patrick
L) Fr. Maria Arul Selvam
Nil
Parish Council
Basic Christian Community
Youth Organization
Choir
Catechism
Nil
Union of the sisters of the presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Nil
Nil
St. Xavier’s Primary School: staff: 15 (9), students: 347 (122)
PCK Matriculation School: staff: 15 (4), students: 156 (89)
St. Xavier’s Girls Hr. Sec. School: staff: 16 (15), students: 609 (150)
IDW : staff: 4(3), students: 55 (8)
St. Antony of Hermit Kurusadi (Festival…January) Kurusadimedu,
Kodaikanal.
a) A.P. Packiadass, Asst. Librarian, Kodaikanal International
School, Kodaikanal, Ph: 9942442043
b) Mrs. Jecintha A., Social Worker, Packiapuram, Kodaikanal,
Ph: 9842635106