->Rodw: Disambiguated: Bible study → Bible study (Christianity); Help needed: High mass

2021-11-10T09:06:53Z

Disambiguated: Bible study → Bible study (Christianity); Help needed: High mass

New page

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox church
|name = St Antony's Church
|location = Kanjiracode, Kundara, Kollam-691 501<ref name="PDF-1770932289"/>
|country = [[India]]
|denomination = Latin Catholic
|priest = Very Rev.Mary John<ref name="PDF-1770932289"/>
|coordinates = {{Coord|8|58|13|N|76|40|11|E|display=inline,title}}
}}
'''St Antony's Church, Kanjiracode''' is a [[Latin Catholic Church]] located in [[Kollam district]] in the Indian state of [[Kerala, India|Kerala]].<ref name="Panoramio31341049"/><ref name="Wikimapia"/> The Parish Priest is Very Rev. Fr Tomy Kamans. The Assistant Parish priest is Rev. Fr. Lenin Darwin Leon.

==History==
St. Antony's Latin Catholic Forane Church, Kanjiracode is listed among the first churches of [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Quilon|Quilon diocese]] and of Kerala. The church occupies three acres on the northern side of old ceramics road (Sir C.P. Road) in an area dominated by a fishing community.

St. Thomas Christians migrated arrived near [[Kundara]] in the ninth century. The parish was officially established in 1502. St Antony's was originally built and blessed in the name of [[Saint Lucy|St. Lucia]] by the administrator of Cochin diocese. The construction was financed by Lakshmi Ammal (Mary Ammal), a Brahmin convert. The foundation stone was laid on 27 October 1609 and the church was blessed on 30 April 1609. The church was reconstructed and named after [[Anthony of Padua|St. Antony of Padua]] in 1633. After the diocese of Quilon was officially established, Kanjiracode remained under the jurisdiction of Cochin diocese under Padravado and remained there until 1893. In 1975 reconstruction was begun to accommodate more believers. The church was finally blessed on 26 January 1986 by the Bishop of Kollam, his Excellence Rt. Rev. Dr. Joseph G. Fernandez, in the presence of Rev. Fr. A. Solomen, Parish Priest and dedicated to the Papal visit of [[Pope John Paul II]] in Kerala.

== Mission statement ==
St. Antony's church provides spiritual healing and better education, health care and women empowerment through its allied organizations.

== Festival ==
Patron saint St. Antony of Padua is celebrated on the Sunday preceding [[Ash Wednesday]]. The feast starts with the unfurling of the flag on the prior Sunday. The unfurling is a colourful function with religious pageantry that is attended by thousands of devotees. Besides liturgical functions, a religious discourse is held at St. Antony's shrine in Mukkada, in the evenings. People of all religious faiths attend these functions. On Saturday the day before the festival a procession is taken from the Church along with colorful floats of saints. The procession proceeds to [[Perayam, Thiruvananthapuram|Perayam]], the northern boundary of the Parish and touches the southern boundary at [[Elampalloor]] and Mukkada. The Procession is attended by thousands of devotees from across the Diocese and beyond.

On the feast day [[High mass]]{{dn|date=November 2021}} is celebrated in the morning by a senior church functionary. This is followed by Snehavirunnu ([[agape]]), a community Lunch partaken by ten thousand and more devotees, distribution of clothing to the poor, etc. The closing ceremony is the lowering of the flag in the evening with a procession around the church. One important feature is the participation of non-Catholics in the celebrations.

== Religious status ==
Average church attendance numbers two thousand. [[Bible study (Christianity)|Bible study]] groups, [[Charismatic movement|Charismatic movements]], Little way association, [[Legion of Mary]], [[Sodality]], Franciscan 3rd order, Jesus youth movement and KCYM active. St. Antony's [[Novena]] is conducted Tuesday evenings.

== Administration ==
The Parish council consists of 25 members. The Parish Priest is the President of the council. The members are elected from the 8 Parish wards. A four-member finance committee is selected from the council. This four-member committee assists the Priest in other financial activities. B.C.C.:- 54 B.C.C. group are actively participating in all church activities.

== Status of women and children ==
Women of Kanjiracode Parish are independent and employed. Catechism classes are conducted by sisters of St. Margaret's Convent for children aged 5-17. A Bible festival is conducted every year and Parish children won prizes in Forane, Diocese and State level.

== Services ==
Financial assistance is offered to poor families for education and also to help with illness. Parishioners help solve family and neighborhood disputes.

== Former pastors ==
The names of the Parish Priests up to 1888 were not recorded.
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Former pastors
|-
| Rev. Fr. Antony Disusa
|-
| Rev. Fr. John
|-
| Rev. Fr. Mathew Cathanar
|-
| Rev. Fr. Simon Netto
|-
| Rev. Fr. Joseph Rodrigues
|-
| Rev. Fr. Francis Pulickal
|-
| Rev. Fr. Joseph Fernandez
|-
| Rev. Fr. Joseph Cruz
|-
| Rev.Fr. Antony Fernandez
|-
| Rev. Fr. Stephen Netto
|-
| Rev.Fr. Francis Fernandez
|-
| Rev. Fr. K.J. Yesudas
|-
| Rev.Fr. Charly Consekha
|-
| Rev. Fr. A. Solomon
|-
| Rev.Fr. Sebastian Conception
|-
| Rev. Fr. Peter Jose
|-
| Rev.Fr. GrigaryJohn Aravijo
|-
| Very Rev. Msgr. Albert Parisavila
|-
| Rev. Fr. Yacoob Cathanar
|-
| Rev. Fr. Silvy Antony
|-
| Rev. Fr. Martin Fernandez
|-
| Rev. Fr. Paul Cruz
|-
| Rev. Fr. J.P.Renaira
|-
| Rev. Fr. James Puthenpura
|-
| Rev. Fr. Bernad Decrues
|-
| Rev. Fr. Xavier Laser
|-
| Rev. Fr. Michel Netto
|-
| Rev. Fr. Mary John
|-
| Rev. Fr. Dominic
|-
| Rev. Fr. Tomy Kamans
|-
| Rev. Fr. K.J. Kameyonce
|}

== Chapel and shrines ==

{| class="wikitable"
|+ Former pastors
!! Shrine !! Festival
|-
| St. Antony's shrine|| June
|-
| Little flower, Perayam Jn. || October
|-
| Shrine of St. Patric, Kanjiracode ||
|-
| Shrine of St. Jude, Kanjiracode||
|-
| Shrine of St.Alphonsa, Edakkara|| July
|-
| Shrine of Christ the king and lord, Kanjiracode||November
|}

==References==
{{reflist|refs=
<ref name="Panoramio31341049">{{cite news|url=https://www.panoramio.com/photo/31341049|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304003303/http://www.panoramio.com/photo/31341049|title=Panoramio - Photo of St.Antony's Church, Kanjiracode|url-status=dead|accessdate=9 February 2021|archive-date=2016-03-04|work=[[Panoramio]]}}</ref>
<ref name="PDF-1770932289">{{cite web|url=http://www.quilondiocese.com/uploads2/Ordo-2013%20for%20WEB.pdf|title=Diocese of Quilon|author=BHSE|date=19 November 2012|page=4|access-date=30 May 2013}}{{Dead link|date=February 2021|bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref>
<ref name="Wikimapia">{{cite web|url=http://wikimapia.org/20001851/St-Antony-s-Church-Kanjiracode|title=St.Antony's Church Kanjiracode|publisher=wikimapia.org|date=8 November 2012|access-date=30 May 2013}}</ref>
}}

[[Category:Roman Catholic churches in Kerala]]
[[Category:Churches in Kollam district]]

St Antony's Church, Kanjiracode - Revision history

->Rodw: Disambiguated: Bible study → Bible study (Christianity); Help needed: High mass