Parish Name:

Church of Our Mother of Perpetual Help

Address:

Redemptorists, Arulaham, 5/1-6A, First Street, Anjal Nagar, Madurai 625018.

Patron Saint:

Our Mother of Perpetual help

Telephone No:

0452-2661232
History:

In the year 1968, the then Archbishop, Most Rev. Dr. P. Justin Diraviam invited the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (the Redemptorists) to the Archdiocese of Madurai. Initially the Redemptorists took up residence at Thirunagar, with Fr. A. J. Francis as the first Rector. The Redemptorists accepted the plans of the Archbishop to develop a parish on the Palamedu Road and purchased the property and established their Residence, named Arulaham, at Anjal Nagar in 1971.
A quasi parish began to function from 1972, using the Fatima College Chapel. Later a thatched shed was put up; and on 19th January 1975, the new parish under the title of Our Mother of Perpetual Help was erected and entrusted to the care of the Redemptorists. Fr. Kenneth Britto, CSSR was the first parish priest. The construction of the parish church began in February 1976. The perpetual novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help was inaugurated on 13 March 1976. The new church was blessed and opened on 26 January 1978.
The parish had, from its inception, the presence and the services of the Religious sisters of St. Joseph of Lyons and the sisters of Mary Immaculate. The Holy Cross sisters the Bon Secours and Sisters of Charity came into the parish later. The population of the parish increased steadily, necessitating the birth of a new parish, in the form of Christ the King Church at Sengol Nagar in May 1994.
The Silver Jubilee of the parish church was celebrated in the year 2003. At Present there are twenty seven “Anbiyams” actively participating and involving in the growth of the parish. The parish has nearly five hundred and fifty families. This parish is entrusted to the pastoral care of the Redemptorists as per the contract entered by them with the Archdiocese of Madurai.

 

Succession of parish priests:
  • Fr. Kenneth Britto, C.Ss.R –   1975
  • Fr. S. Santiago, C.Ss.R –   1975
  • Fr. Arul Lucas, C.Ss.R –   1978
  • Fr. A. Joseph, C.Ss.R –   1981
  • Fr. Joseph Gnanam, C.Ss.R –   1984
  • Fr. C.S. Lucas, C.Ss.R –   1988
  • Fr. M. S. Antony, C.Ss.R –   1990
  • Fr. Cyril Stanislaus, C.Ss.R –   1996
  • Fr. Paul Jayakumar, C.Ss.R –   1999
  • Fr. T. Robert, C.Ss.R –   2002
  • Fr. C. S. Lucas, C.Ss.R –   2005
  • Fr. S. Santiago, C.Ss.R –   2008
Substations with chapels:

Nil

Participatory structures in the parish:
  • Parish council
  • Parish Finance Committee
Associations:
  • Age 4-8 yrs – Baalar sabai
  • Age 9-13 yrs – Siruvar Iyakkam
  • Age 14-17 yrs – YCS
  • Age 18-25 yrs – Knights for Christ (Youth Groups)
  • Maraikalvi Manram
  • Legion of Mary
  • Vincent De Paul Conference
  • Parish News Magazine: Sahaya Anjal, Editiorial Board
  • 27 Anbiyams – BCC Groups.
Participatory structure / associations in the parish:

Anbiyam : 24 Anbiams.

Religious in the Parish:
  • The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer-CSSR(Redemptorists)
    no. of members : 9 priests
    Redemptorist Community, Arulaham, 5/1-6A, First street,
    Anjal Nagar, Madurai – 625018. Ph: 0452-2660297.
  • The Franciscan sisters of Our Lady of Bon secours
    No. of members : 17 sisters
    Address : Bon Secours Convent, Koodalnagar, Madurai – 625018. Ph: 0452-2661554
    Sagaya Annai Hospital (Bon secours), No. of members : 5 sisters
    Bon secours sisters, Sahaya Annai Hospital, Koodalnagar,
    Opposite All India Radio Station, Madurai – 625018.
    Ph: 0452-2660956, 2660957.
  • Sisters of Mary Immaculate
    no. of members : 13 sisters
    Sisters of Mary Immaculate Convent, Appathurai Nagar,
    Madurai – 625018. Ph: 0452-2660724.
  • Sisters of Mercy of Holy Cross (Ingenbohl / Switzerland)
    no. of members : 5 sisters
    Holy Cross Convent, Ultrika Bhavan, Koodalnagar,
    Madurai – 625018. Ph: 0452-2661803.
  • Sisters of St. Joseph of Lyons
    Fatima College community, no. of members : 14 sisters
    Fatima college Convent, Mary Land, Madurai – 625018,Ph: 0452-2668217
    Shanthi Nilaya Community, no. of members : 3 sisters
    Maria Bhavan, no. of members : 5 sisters
    Medaille Sadan, no. of members : 13 sisters.
Secular Institute:

Nil

Institutions under the Parish Priest:

Nil

 

Institutions under the Religious:
  • Run by the Redemptorists:
    St. Clement Community College & Majella Academy
  • Run by the Bon secours sisters:
    St. Antony’s Girls Hr. Sec. School, no. of students: 1145,
    no. of staff: 28
    St. Joseph’s Matric. Hr. Sec. School, no. of students : 1142,
    no. of staff : 42
    St. Antony’s Middle School, no. of students:921, no. of staff: 25
    St. Sahaya Annai Hospital, no. of staff: 7.
    St. Sahaya Annai Community College, no. of students: 28, no of staff: 3
  • Run by the sisters of Mary Immaculate:
    Mary Immaculate Matric, High School, no. of students: 620,no. of staff: 22, Ph: 0452-2660726
    Little Flower Tailoring Institute, no. of students:15, no. of staff:1
  • Run by the sisters of Mercy of the Holy Cross
    Working women’s Hostel : no. of students: 57, no. of staff: 5.
    Tailoring Institute : no. of students : 24, no. of staff: 3.
  • Run by the sisters of St. Joseph of Lyons:
    Fatima College (Autonomous), Mary Land, Madurai – 625018.
    Ph: 0452-2668016, 2669015.
    no. of students : 1865 for aided Courses,
    no. of students: 1425 for self financing Courses,
    no. of students: 116 for aided course

 

Kurusadis & grottos in the Parish:

Koodalnagar Camp – Annai Velanganni Kurusadi
Anaiyur Camp – Annai Velanganni kurusadi