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{{Infobox church
| name = Our Lady of Lourdes Church
| other name =
| coordinates = {{coord|12.5232|78.0193|display=inline,title}}
| fullname =
| native_name = லூர்து அன்னை ஆலயம்
| native_name_lang = ta
| image = Our Lady of Lourdes Church - Rayakottai.jpg
| caption = Side View of this church

| location = [[Royakottai]], [[Krishnagiri district]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
| country = [[India]]

| denomination = [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]
| religious institute = [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]]
| cult = [[Latin liturgical rites|Latin Rite]]
| founded date = 1995
| founder = Fr. Heny Bonal MEP
| status = [[Parish church]]
| functional status = Active
| former name =
| dedication = [[Jesus]]
| architectural type = [[Church (building)|Church]]
| style = Modern Architecture
| groundbreaking = 1997
| completed date = 1999

| parish = [[Rayakottai]]
| deanery = [[Denkanikottai]]
| archdiocese = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore|Pondicherry and Cuddalore]]
| diocese = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Dharmapuri|Dharmapuri]]
| episcopalarea = [[Catholic Bishops' Conference of India|TNBC]]

| archbishop = [[Antony Anandarayar]]
| bishop = Lawrence Pius Dorairaj
| priest = Fr. A. Thomas
}}
'''Our Lady of Lourdes Church''' is a Roman Catholic parish church located in [[Rayakottai]], Krishnagiri district, Tamil Nadu, India. It falls under the administration of the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Dharmapuri|Dharmapuri Diocese]].<ref>https://dharmapuridiocese.org/parishes/lists.html</ref>

==History==
The Catholic settlements in [[Rayakottai]] began after the [[British East India Company]] won the [[Third Anglo-Mysore War]], and Rayakottai came under British on July 20, 1791. The Catholics in Rayakottai primarily worked in making explosives for the British.<ref>{{cite book |author=Jean-Antoine Dubois |title=Letters on the State of Christianity in India|url= |location=Salem, India |publisher=Forgotten Books|page=80 |isbn=0282554912}}</ref> During this period, priests from [[St. Francis Xavier Church, Kovilur|Kovilur Parish]], particularly Fr. Guöen, would visit Rayakottai to provide spiritual services to the Catholics.<ref>{{cite book |author=Rev Fr.M.S. Joseph |title=Salem Marimaavattam varalaru |chapter= |url= |location=Salem |publisher= Dharamapuri Diocese|language= ta|page= |isbn=}}</ref> Captain Beva mentioned meeting Catholic priest [[Jean-Antoine Dubois|Fr. Abbe Dubois]] in Rayakottai in 1816.<ref>{{cite book |author-link=Julian James Cotton |title=List of Inscriptions on Tombs Or Monuments in Madras |url= |location= |publisher=Superintendent, Government Press |page=290 |oclc=223353642}}</ref> However, after the withdrawal of British troops from Rayakottai in 1861, most of the Christians left the area, and there is no further record of Catholics in Rayakottai during that time.

In the early 20th century, the number of Catholic families increased in Rayakottai, and the spiritual needs of the community were taken care of by priests from Kovilur. When the [[Our Lady Of Refuge Church, Elathagiri|Elathagiri Parish]] was formed in 1906, priests from Krishnagiri and Elathagiri began to serve the Catholics in Rayakottai.<ref>{{cite book |author=Staff writer(s) |title=Saritha Surukkam|url= |location=Salem, India |publisher= Salem Diocese|page=145 |isbn=}}</ref> A letter written in March 1931 by Fr. Martin MEP, the Elathagiri Parish priest, to the [[Hosur]] Sub-collector, mentioned that the church would take care of the British graveyard in Rayakottai, which belonged to a Catholic organization. In May 1931, with the assistance of Fr. Gabrial Playoutst, the [[Our Lady of Fatima Church, Krishnagiri|Krishnagiri parish]] priest, a survey was conducted and 1.88 acres of land were registered to the diocese. In the 1950s, Rayakottai came under the care of [[Queen of Angels Church, Kadagathur|Kadagathur Parish]]. In October 1958, Fr. PA. Zackriyas, Kadagathur Parish priest wrote a confirmation letter to the Hosur sub-registrar stating that the graveyard, which had been occupied by others, still belonged to the Salem Diocese.<ref>https://salemdiocese.org/necrology/</ref>

In 1985, when the [[Christ the King Church, Palacode|Palacode Parish]] was formed, Rayakottai became its substation. The Palacode priest, Fr. Fr. Heny Bonal MEP, would visit Rayakottai once a month to conduct Mass in the houses of the Catholic families.<ref>https://dharmapuridiocese.org/priests/lists/diocesan_priests.html</ref> In 1993, Fr. Bonal purchased land in Rayakottai and started building a parish house. The construction was completed on January 25, 1997. Initially, Masses were conducted in the parish house, as the Catholic population in Rayakottai was relatively small. In June 1997, the construction of the church was started . During this time, Fr. Bonal was in charge of [[Shoolagiri]] and Rayakottai. Additionally, the priests of Rayakottai also conducted Masses at the Panjampalli Sri Lankan Tamil Refugee camp during that period. After two years of construction, the church was inaugurated on April 18, 1999, with the blessings of the Dharmapuri Bishop Joseph Antony Irudayaraj.<ref>{{cite book |author=Rev Fr. A Susairaj |title=Dharamapuri Marimavatta Varalaru |chapter=Bommidi Parish |url= |location=Dharmapuri, India |publisher= Dharamapuri Diocese|language= ta|page= |isbn=}}</ref>

==Parish Priest==

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Served Year!! Priest names
|-
| 1995-2009 || Rev. Fr. Heny Bonal MEP
|-
| 2009-2014 || Rev. Fr. Henry George
|-
| 2014-2019 || Rev. Fr. Mariya Joseph
|-
| 2019–present || Rev. Fr. A. Thomas
|}

==See also==
* [[Christ the King Church, Palacode]]
* [[St. Francis Xavier Church, Kovilur]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Dharmapuri}}

[[Category:Roman Catholic churches in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Churches in Krishnagiri District]]
[[Category:Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic churches completed in 1999]]

Our Lady of Lourdes Church, Rayakottai - Revision history

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