The twin spires and domed roof of the Holy Family Shrine at sunset, with the hills of the Western Ghats on the horizon

Visit · Write · Pray

Come to Little Rome

The doors of the Holy Family Shrine have stood open since 1685. Whether you are planning a pilgrimage or need to reach the parish office, begin here.

Mass daily

Chapel open 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

04637 230134Directions
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Dedicated to the Holy Family

Holy Family ShrineOur Lady of the AssumptionVadakkankulam 627116

Founded 1685 by St John de BrittoCalled Little Rome since 1926A shrine since 1993

Mother of Vadakkankulam, pray for us.

Holy Family Shrine, East Street, Vadakkankulam, Radhapuram Taluk, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu 627116, India

Holy Family Shrine04637 230134
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Where we are

The shrine stands on East Street, at the heart of the village. Its twin white towers are visible from the highway.

Holy Family Shrine

Holy Family Shrine, East Street, Vadakkankulam, Radhapuram Taluk, Tirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu 627116, India

8.2586167°N, 77.6074224°E

DirectionsApple Maps
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Reach us

Why have you come?

I have come to say something else.

Write to the parish office

Prefer to talk? Most people reach the parish fastest by telephone.

04637 230134

Write to the parish

So the parish can reach you

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Whom to call

One line reaches the parish. Everything else goes through it.

Parish Office

Holy Family Shrine

The parish's only published telephone line

04637 230134

Parish Priest

Rev. Fr. Joseph Christian A.

Reached through the parish office

Adoration Chapel

Adoration Chapel

Open daily, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Diocese of Thoothukudi

Diocese of Thoothukudi

Bishop's House, 82 G.C. Road, Thoothukudi 628001 · For official correspondence

Diocesan contact page

Religious Houses in the village

These are the convents and the ashram — not the parish office. Please do not call them for parish matters.

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Getting here

Vadakkankulam lies off NH-44 between Nagercoil and Tirunelveli, about an hour from the southern tip of India.

By rail

  • North PanakudiNPK15 km
  • ValliyurVLY20 km
  • Nagercoil JunctionNCJ26 km
  • Tirunelveli JunctionTEN66 km

All four halts sit on the Nagercoil–Tirunelveli line. Autos and share-taxis wait outside each.

By road

  • Nagercoil30 min26 km
  • Kanyakumari35 min27 km
  • Tirunelveli51 min66 km

State and private buses stop at Vadakkankulam. Ask for the bus to Valliyur, Panagudi or Nagercoil.

By air

  • Thiruvananthapuram (TRV)nearest international95 km
  • Thoothukudi (TCR)nearest domestic97 km
  • Madurai (IXM)230 km

Thiruvananthapuram is the nearest international gateway.

NH-44

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When to come

Monday – Saturday · Mass

5:00 AM · 6:10 AM

Sunday · Mass

5:00 AM · 7:00 AM · 9:30 AM

Adoration Chapel

Daily, 9:00 AM – 8:00 PM

Evening devotions

Rosary 6:30 PM · Benediction 7:00 PM

This is a working parish, not a museum. Please come quietly if a Mass or a funeral is in progress.

See all Mass timings and feasts

Before you come

Dress

Modest dress, as in any Indian church. Shoulders and knees covered.

Photographs

Welcome outside and at the back of the church. Please do not photograph during Mass or a funeral.

Access

The church is at ground level. For help with wheelchair access or with an elderly pilgrim, telephone the parish office before you travel and they will make arrangements.

Offerings

Offerings for Masses, for the feast and for the upkeep of the shrine are received in person at the sacristy. Please ask for a receipt.

What are the Mass timings at Vadakkankulam shrine?

Mass is celebrated Monday to Saturday at 5:00 AM and 6:10 AM, and on Sunday at 5:00 AM, 7:00 AM and 9:30 AM. The Eucharistic adoration chapel is open daily from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

How do I reach the Holy Family Shrine, Vadakkankulam?

The shrine is on East Street, Vadakkankulam, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu 627116, just off NH-44. The nearest railway station is North Panakudi, about 15 km away; Nagercoil Junction is 26 km and Tirunelveli Junction 66 km. The nearest airport is Thiruvananthapuram, about 95 km away.

Can I visit the shrine at any time?

The shrine is a working parish church. The adoration chapel is open daily from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM, and the church is open around Mass times. During the annual feast, from 6 to 15 August, the village is crowded and roads near the church are closed to vehicles.

In faith, in stillness, in light.