1848

Bishop Canoz asks the village for a church

The great church began with a request. Auguste Jean records that on his pastoral tour of 1848 Bishop Alexis Canoz, Vicar Apostolic of Madurai, “visited Vadakenkoulam” — the parish’s own history dates the visit to 21 June. It is that history alone, and no outside source, which remembers what he asked for: that the people begin gathering money for a large new church. Seven years later he came back to bless its foundation stone.