1923

Filed among the fishing villages

In 1923 the Diocese of Tuticorin was erected, and Vadakkankulam passed out of the old Diocese of Trichinopoly into the new see. Its first bishop was Francis Tiburtius Roche: a Jesuit, and, as Stephen Neill records, the first Indian bishop of the Latin rite. The Catholic Directory of the following year prints a diocese still being drawn: “The Limits of this new Diocese are not yet quite determined. — It is impossible to give at present the number of Parishes that compose it.” Inside it there is as yet only one district, the Fishery Coast, and this inland parish is filed among the fishing villages: “Vadakankulam (Tinnevelly Dt.) — Revv. Y. Ignatius, G. Michael, Asst. — Cath. 4,765, vills. 17: Churches: brick 1, clay 4.” Neither priest was a Jesuit. After more than two centuries, the care of this parish had passed to the diocesan clergy, in the very year its new bishop was himself a Jesuit.

DocumentedThis moment rests on 3 sources.
Catholic Directory 1924p. 111
ttrilC O R IN . ni P eriataiai ( l’ i n n e v e l l y D t . ) — R e v . A . G n a n u s w a i n y , C a th . 2,105 ; v ills. 4 ; C h u r c h e s : b r i c k 3. Pragasapuram (N azareth P.O., Tinnevelly D t.)— R ev. A . A daikaîasam y, Cath. 3,191 ; vills. 23 ; Churches : b rick 12, d a y 7. Funnakayal (A uthoor P.O., Tinnevelly D t .) — Rev. M. F e r n a n d o , — Cath . 4,003 ; vills. 35 ; C h u r c h e s : b r i c k 15, c l a y 11. Satankulam (T in n e v e lly D t .)— R evv. X . G abriel, Singarayan . Ca th. 5,426 ; vill. 77 ; C h u r c h e s : b r i c k 13, c l a y 18. Sokkenkudiruppu. (P a d u k k a p a ttu P.O ., Tin n evelly D t.) — R ev. D. Sam inather.— Cath. 4,820 ; vills. 17 ; Churches : b rick 3, clay 6. Taruvaikulam ( Via T u t i c o r i n ) — R e v . J. S. L o u r d e s — Cath. 3 , 6 4 0 : v ills. 27 ; C h u r c h e s : b r i c k 14, c l a y 7. Tuticorin.— R evv. G nan agragasam , V ic a r G eneral ; Rev. Jaganather, R e v . S. B a n g a r, R ev . J. R o c h e : St. Fr. X a v ie r fi. S ch ool, M. A m a lo r p a v a n a t h e r , s.J., Cath. 6 ,3 4 6 : B o y s ' High School. Vadakankulam (T in n e v e lly D t .) — R evv. Y. Ignatiu s, G. Michael, A sst.— Cath. 4,765, vills. 17 : Churches : brick 1, cla y 4. Vembar (T in n e v e lly D t .) — Rev. J. M ariadas— Cath. 5,003; vills. 43 ; Ch urch es : b r ic k 13, clay 11. Virapandianpatnarn (T in n e v e lly D t .) — R ev. P erian ayagam , — Cath. 1,213 ; vills. 3 ; Churches b rick 2. Summary : Dt. o f the Fishery Coast : — 289 b rick Churches, chapels clay 167— boys’ elem. sch. 87 ; 4,355 ; g ir l s ’ elem. sch. 25 ; 2,602. ' Î Castes. Bharathars, 29,835 ; Idyars, 2,262 ; K am m alars 5,650 ; K allars, 3,045, M arvars, 2 444 ; Odeyars, 34,404 ; Pallars, 22,349 ; Pancham as, 43,707 ; Shanars, 56,933 ; Vann ia r , 35,759 -, V e l l a l a r s , 24,835. O th er c a s t e s 16,171, B r a h m in s 95. O /tô f ^ 0-v~ p> H~7
111

The Catholic Directory of India, 1924Diocese of Tuticorin, pp. 173–174

Published before 1930. In the public domain, and reproduced here in full.

Catholic Directory 1924 · p. 111

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The printed page 111 of The Catholic Directory of India, 1924, photographed from the book

What this source establishes

The parish counted, two years after the diocese was erected — and listed under the DIOCESE OF TUTICORIN, under two priests who carry no "S.J." The Directory marks Jesuits; neither Y. Ignatius nor G. Michael is marked. The parish's care had passed to the diocesan clergy. Note the Directory gives no date of erection at all.