Our Lady of Good Health Parish
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About Our Lady of Good Health Parish
Kodaikanal is one of the finest hill stations in the South Indian peninsula. In fact, it is the best holiday resort in the southern part of the Indian sub-continent perched on the southern crest of the Palani hills, It is located at a height of nearly 7,000 feet from sea level, enjoying a salubrious climate round the year. The Palani hills are an off shoot of the western ghat mountain range which runs north-south along the west coast of peninsular India. In Kodaikanal in summer is from March to May, the temperature ranges from 68°F to 52°F and in winter is from November to February the temperature ranges from 63°F to 46°F. It has an average rainfall of 6½ inches every year. Kodaikanal is quite spectacular with unique forest of shola trees, rich plantations, breathtaking views of mountains, romantic valleys, and a large picturesque lake in the heart of the township.
The region of Packiapuram in located 75 miles west of the major city of Madurai (population over 1 million) and 43½ miles from the town of Palani (population 126,751). The parish territory has a population of 415 Catholic families and 500 non-Catholic families. All the Catholics in the parish are downtrodden. They all belong to the suppressed and oppressed classes collectively called ‘dalit’ and previously known as untouchable. The Christians of the parish are engaged in work like cooking, gardening, driving, and caretaking in the bungalows and properties of local wealthy and influential people. The majority of the Christians in the parish are daily laborers. Many work as domestic servants doing errand jobs in houses of the wealthy, and in hotels, restaurants, and, guest houses
Years ago the people of Packiapuram realized the need for a place of their own for their daily prayers and worship. They themselves collected together in large groups and prayed en masse in any convenient place they found. In 1948, they started a grotto on the highest place in a house. As days rolled by, in 1952, they arranged a grotto in a shed with a small statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A large number of Catholics lived near this shed-grotto and it was very convenient for them to assemble and pray in unison. Though there was no church, people used to have regular prayers, communal praying, and submitting petitions to Mother Mary, and other religious activities every week in an orderly manner. Later the weekly mass was conducted in an elementary school which has become a high school today and is controlled by the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As the Catholic population of Kodaikanal Munjikal parish was growing, an assistant priest was given to the parish priest of Munjikal in order to minister to the Catholics of Packiapuram.
With the kind blessings and approval of the then-bishop of the Archdiocese of Madurai, the construction of the present church was begun and started materializing in 1972 with the basement of the present church constructed in 1980, which now serves as the rectory for the parish priest. The new Our Lady of Good Health Parish was bifurcated from Kodaikanal Mujikal Parish. The first floor of the parish church was built in 1985 and later blessed by Archbishop Marianus Arokiasamy of the Archdiocese Madurai. It is now one of the seven parishes in the Kodaikanal hills. In 2004, the parish building was refurbished. In addition to the main church, there are three substations with chapels: St. Anthony the Hermit (Kurusadimedu), St. Anthony of Padua (Perumpallam) and Infant Jesus Kurusadi (Rifle Range Road).
The region of Packiapuram in located 75 miles west of the major city of Madurai (population over 1 million) and 43½ miles from the town of Palani (population 126,751). The parish territory has a population of 415 Catholic families and 500 non-Catholic families. All the Catholics in the parish are downtrodden. They all belong to the suppressed and oppressed classes collectively called ‘dalit’ and previously known as untouchable. The Christians of the parish are engaged in work like cooking, gardening, driving, and caretaking in the bungalows and properties of local wealthy and influential people. The majority of the Christians in the parish are daily laborers. Many work as domestic servants doing errand jobs in houses of the wealthy, and in hotels, restaurants, and, guest houses
Years ago the people of Packiapuram realized the need for a place of their own for their daily prayers and worship. They themselves collected together in large groups and prayed en masse in any convenient place they found. In 1948, they started a grotto on the highest place in a house. As days rolled by, in 1952, they arranged a grotto in a shed with a small statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. A large number of Catholics lived near this shed-grotto and it was very convenient for them to assemble and pray in unison. Though there was no church, people used to have regular prayers, communal praying, and submitting petitions to Mother Mary, and other religious activities every week in an orderly manner. Later the weekly mass was conducted in an elementary school which has become a high school today and is controlled by the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. As the Catholic population of Kodaikanal Munjikal parish was growing, an assistant priest was given to the parish priest of Munjikal in order to minister to the Catholics of Packiapuram.
With the kind blessings and approval of the then-bishop of the Archdiocese of Madurai, the construction of the present church was begun and started materializing in 1972 with the basement of the present church constructed in 1980, which now serves as the rectory for the parish priest. The new Our Lady of Good Health Parish was bifurcated from Kodaikanal Mujikal Parish. The first floor of the parish church was built in 1985 and later blessed by Archbishop Marianus Arokiasamy of the Archdiocese Madurai. It is now one of the seven parishes in the Kodaikanal hills. In 2004, the parish building was refurbished. In addition to the main church, there are three substations with chapels: St. Anthony the Hermit (Kurusadimedu), St. Anthony of Padua (Perumpallam) and Infant Jesus Kurusadi (Rifle Range Road).
Our Lady of Velankanni
Our Lady of Good Health (Our Lady of Velankanni) is fondly called as the ‘Lourdes of the East’ and is as popular and famous as the Lourdes in France who is known as the ‘Lourdes of the West’. The statue of Our Lady of Velankanni in the Packiapuram church is an exact replica of the statue of Mary in the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni. The Packiapuram church is known the ‘Arockia Annai Aalayam’. ‘Arockiam’ is the Tamil word for Good Health and thus the name of the church is quite fitting and meaningful. The statue of Mary was brought from Velankanni and the statue of St. Joseph was a gift for the church from the Presentation Convent. The 5 foot tall statue of Mother Mary is gentle and heavenly. Anyone who enters this church has the feeling of entering the premises of the basilica in Velankanni and the church of Lourdes in France. Today the people who come and pray seeking peace, salvation, status, and any material and spiritual expectation return with a heart of contentment and happiness as their grievances are redressed and their expectations are fulfilled.
