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{{Short description|Roman Catholic Church in Tamil Nadu, India}}

{{Infobox church
| name = Queen of Angels Church
| other name = St. Mary's Church
| coordinates = {{coord|12.1730001|78.1383023|display=inline,title}}
| fullname = Our Lady of Queen of Angels Church
| native_name = சம்மனசுகளின் இராக்கினி ஆலயம்
| native_name_lang = ta
| image = St. Mary's Church - Kadagathur.jpg
| caption = Side View of this church

| location = [[Kadagathur, Dharamapuri|Kadagathur]], [[Dharmapuri district|Dharmapuri Dt]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
| country = [[India]]

| denomination = [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]
| religious institute = [[Society of Jesus|Jesuit]]
| cult = [[Catholic devotions]]
| founded date = 1873
| founder = Fr. Loius Auguste Chevalier
| membership = 105 families

| status = [[Parish church]]
| functional status = Active
| former name = St. Sebastian Church
| dedication = St. Mary
| architectural type = [[Church (building)|Church]]
| style = [[Medieval architecture|Medieval]]
| groundbreaking =
| completed date = 1932

| parish = [[Kadagathur, Dharamapuri|Kadagathur]]
| deanery = [[Dharmapuri]]
| 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 = [[Francis Kalist]]
| bishop = Lawrence Pius Dorairaj
| priest = Fr. Savariappan
}}

'''Queen of Angels Church''' or '''St. Mary's Church''' is located in [[Kadagathur, Dharamapuri|Kadagathur]] village, Dharamapuri District, [[Tamil Nadu]], India. Due to Catholic settlements in 19th century this is second oldest church in its [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Dharmapuri|Dharmapuri Diocese]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dharmapuridiocese.com/cms/public_view/list-parishes.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130825175657/http://www.dharmapuridiocese.com/cms/public_view/list-parishes.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=August 25, 2013|title=Dharmapuri Diocese}}</ref>

== History ==
After the riots against [[Catholicity|Catholics]] in [[Pennagaram]], many Catholics were forced to scatter to different locations. A significant number of them found settlement in [[Tirupattur]], while others sought refuge in [[Kadagathur, Dharamapuri|Kadagathur]] with the assistance of local leader '''Chinnappa Nayakar'''. He graciously offered shelter to the Catholics within his fort and even allocated a section of it as a prayer hall for their use. Interestingly, there is an oral tradition that suggests the present-day abandoned St. Antony's Church in Kolathur was originally Chinnappa Nayakar's stable, and his cemetery can still be found in the village. It is worth noting that Kolathur is now part of Gollapatti village, and the name Kolathur is no longer in use. The church in Gollapatty is known as St. Mary Magdalene Church, while the church in Pennagaram was also named St. Mary Magdalene Church. There is a local account that suggests the statue in the present Gollapatty church was relocated from the Pennagaram Church.<ref>History of Dharamapuri Diocese - Fr A. Susairaj</ref>

As part of their missionary work, the [[Paris Foreign Missions Society|Paris MEP Fathers]] took responsibility for the village of Kadagathur following the footsteps of the [[Society of Jesus|Jesuits Fathers]]. Fr. MS. Joseph reported that Mass and prayers were conducted within Chinnappa Nayakar's fort. Later, Kadagathur came under the jurisdiction of the Kovilur parish. Later additional priest from Kovilur stayed in Kadagathur for a few months to preach. In the 1830s, people from Kolagathur, Selliampatti, Savaloor, Kotavoor, Savadiyur, and [[Kethanahalli, Dharmapuri|Kethampatty]] attended the Kadagathur church. Presently, Kotavoor is part of Savadiyur.

As early as 1872, Fr. Athanase Pneau MEP and Fr. Dupas MEP stayed in Kadagathur. During the investigation conducted by Pondicherry Bishop [[François-Jean-Marie Laouënan| Laouënan MEP]] in 1873, it was reported that there were 400 Catholics in and around Kadagathur, along with 300 Catholics around Savadiyur (present Palacode).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pondicherryarchdiocese.org/history.php|title=Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddlaore|access-date=2022-01-07|archive-date=2022-01-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220108225205/http://www.pondicherryarchdiocese.org/history.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1895, [[Elathagiri]] was separated from the [[Kovlivoor, Thirupattur|Thirupattur - Koviloor Parish]] and established as a new parish church, leading to Kadagathur Parish being annexed under the [[Our Lady Of Refuge Church, Elathagiri | Elathagiri Deanery]].

In 1900, Kadagathur became a parish as part of the [[St. Francis Xavier Church, Kovilur|Kovilur Parish Deanery]]. The first parish priest of Kadagathur was Father Istanish-Laus, serving between 1910 and 1919. Subsequently, Kadagathur once again became a sub-station of the [[Kovilur, Dharamapuri|Kovilur Parish]] from 1919 to 1930. In 1930, [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Salem|Salem]] became a diocese separate from the [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore|Pondichery diocese]],<ref>Sarithira Surukkam - Salem Diocese</ref> and Father Loius Auguste Chevalier from the Pondicherry diocese became the parish priest of Kadagathur. In the 1930s, the Franciscan Sisters of Mount Poinsur<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://saintclaremsa.com/ministries/|title=MINISTRIES – Saint Claremsa|access-date=2022-01-07|archive-date=2022-01-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220107203338/https://saintclaremsa.com/ministries/|url-status=dead}}</ref> began their service in Pennagaram and subsequently continued their work in Kadagathur after leaving Pennagaram in 1939. At that time, the Kadagathur Parish extended from [[Rayakottai]] to [[Biligundlu]], making it the largest parish in terms of area.<ref>Catholic Record of Salem Diocese Fr. Abbe Dubois</ref> The parish church of Kadagathur was originally named St. Sebastian Church until 1932 when Father Chevallier constructed the current '''Queen of Angels Church'''.

{| class="wikitable"
|+ List of events take place in this parish
|-
! Date / Year !! Events
|-
| 1932 || Primary School in Selliyampatti
|-
| 1938 || Building for Selliyampatty Primary school
|-
| 1938 || Built Church in Kethampatty
|-
| 19-Jan-1952 || A grotto was built for Our Lady of Fatima.
|-
| 3-Aug-1952 || Church Bell gifted by Dharamapuri KRMS Appavu Pilli
|-
| 15-Aug-1953 || Started celebrating Parish Festival
|-
| 3-Mar-1954 || Indian Ambasoitor of Pope Fr. Lucas SVD came to Kadagathur and lead groundbreaking for sister's convent.
|-
| 17-Jul-1954|| Fatima Middle school has started.
|-
| 7-Jul-1955 || SMMI Sister<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.smmisisters.org/ |title=Home |website=smmisisters.org}}</ref> convent has started.
|-
| 1980 || New Parish Priest House
|-
| 1988 || Started Sacred Heart Hr. Sec. School
|-
| 2004 || St. Theresa Convent
|-
| 2004 || St. Cluny Convent
|}

==See also==
*[[St. Francis Xavier Church, Kovilur]]
*[[St. Francis Xavier Church, Kethanahalli]]
*[[Roman Catholic Diocese of Dharmapuri]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Roman Catholic Diocese of Dharmapuri}}

[[Category:Churches completed in 1932]]
[[Category:Churches in Dharmapuri district]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic church buildings in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic church buildings in the Diocese of Dharmapuri]]

Queen of Angels Church, Kadagathur - Revision history

BenjaminWoodard: New First Post Needs Work - done