The inspiration is sort of 12 ft under for the church
| Photograph Credit score: Jovan Thomas
Within the midst of Gandhipuram’s hustle and bustle, Our Girl of Fatima church stands tall, all decked up for Christmas. The church carries a wealthy historical past, spanning over 60 years. The story dates again to 1955 when a bishop named Savarimuthu allotted 5 acres of land to a gaggle of Capuchin friars, who belonged to the Franciscan order of the Roman Catholic church. They have been tasked with setting up a church and a seminary, whereas additionally taking good care of the St Mary’s faculty, that stands reverse to the church to this present day.
Statue of St Francis
| Photograph Credit score:
Jovan Thomas
Father Peter Damian, a priest from the Kumbakonam diocese, took cost of the desolate land with thorny bushes, remodeling it into the magnificent church it’s right this moment with the assistance of Fr Cassian from Canada. They dreamed of constructing a church devoted to Our Girl of Fatima, a title utilized by Catholics for Mary, mom of Jesus Christ. Earlier than the completion of the church, Fr Damian used to conduct lots on the faculty. It’s mentioned that the friars have been so devoted that they slept below the open sky in the course of the church’s development.
It was in 1962 that their dream turned a actuality and the primary Latin mass was celebrated. Below Fr Damian’s management, the Catholic group in Gandhipuram flourished and grew in quantity. Fr Maria Antony says, “The church you see right this moment might look easy, however our Capuchins put in rather a lot or work. The inspiration is sort of 12 ft under for the church and 25 ft for the bell tower. Our friars labored that arduous. I’ve heard that good high quality granite stones used within the development. That’s why we don’t discover any crack within the constructing regardless of local weather change.”
The interiors of the church
| Photograph Credit score:
Jovan Thomas
The Capuchin friars, following within the footsteps of St Francis of Assisi, stay a lifetime of austerity, dedicating themselves to preaching, pastoral care, and academic ministries. Originating from a division among the many Franciscans in 1526, the Capuchins have grown into a worldwide order with 11,000 members in over 100 nations, making a major impression by way of their mission work.
Fr Antony speaks of Fr Damian with fondness. “He joined the Capuchins after his ordination as a diocesan priest. He was a easy and a lovable man with readability of thought. He handed away in 1967, and even right this moment, individuals of their 60s and 70s converse of him.”
Christmas at Our Girl of Fatima Church is not only about decorations and carols; it’s about spreading love and heat to these in want. The church has a Christmas custom the place attendees choose stars from its Christmas tree, every bearing particulars of a particular clothes merchandise. They then buy these and hand them over to the church.
These are given away to the much less lucky, embodying the spirit of giving in the course of the festive season. The church’s vigil mass for Christmas is a grand affair, the place round 5,000 individuals take part. It undergoes a festive transformation with decorations, Santa Claus visits, carols and numerous different features.
This yr holds a particular significance for the Capuchin group as they commemorate the 800th yr of St Francis making the primary crib for the nativity scene in Greccio, Italy. The church embraces this historic milestone with a way of reverence, holding forth what Christmas stands for: love, charity and group.