Lourdes Shrine - Madurai

When in 1938 Madurai diocese was born and the Bishop's house was built in K. Pudur, this church of Our Lady of Lourdes became important. The city expanded; transport facilities increased; more Catholic families came to settle down in K. Pudur. Most of them were the settlers from the sivagangai area. They were mainly teachers and middle-class government employees. Fr. Pudumai who was in the Bishop’s House regularly went to cater to the spiritual needs of K. Pudur Catholics In 1951 K. Pudur was canonically erected as a new parish with Fr. M.T. Amalraj, SJ as its first parish priest. The then parish priest was interested in settling the Catholics around the parish church, bought the land and distributed it to the people. The rapid growth of the Catholic population necessitated the expansion of the church which Fr. M.T. Amalraj undertook and finished in 1958. Christmas Eve of 1960 was especially a joyous night for this church as it was announced to be the Cathedral of the Archdiocese, and Fr. Silverius, SJ was the parish priest and Msgr. Diraviam took canonical possession of the Archdiocese in this church on 29 June 1967. Fr. S. Irudayam, the V.G. was then the parish priest. But this privilege of being the Cathedral was short-lived. In 1970 St. Mary’s Church became the Cathedral and Fr. T.A. Michael took charge of the parish of K. Pudur, in 1972 A new flavour was added to the apostolate of the Archdiocese when on 24 September 1975 the Salesians of Don Bosco took charge of the Pudur Parish. Fr. Vincent Durai Raj, SDB was the first Salesian Parish Priest. He had the privilege of celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the Parish and of starting Don Bosco Youth Centre and building the first floor of the parish house. During the time of Fr. Jaswanth, SDB in 1977, the building of the Don Bosco Youth Centre came up and a place for a cemetery was acquired (vide G.O.D. 3/2/1980), Sarvodaya building for girls was built, R.C. Primary School at Kadachanendal was raised to be a Middle School and dispensaries at Yanamalai and Mangalapuram were entrusted to the care of Leuca Sisters. In 1977 the bonded labourers from Yanaimalai Quarry were redeemed by Rev Fr. Joseph Santhanam, SDB and t