Parish Priest                   : Rev. Fr.  A. Arul Jabamalai Raj

Assistant Parish Priest : Rev. Fr. Vigula  Shaya RaJ SDM

Address :

The Parish Priest, St. Catherine's Church, Kumaran Road, Tiruppur P.o- 641 601.

HISTORY

As a Christianity, Tirupur is one of the more recent one. W do not hear about the presence of Catholics, till the beginning of th 20th century. In secular history, the big, non-descript village Tirupur, started gaining importance ml 900s as one of the main cotton market of the whole of India, with enough weight to determine th stock markets of cotton till 1940! Then after a bull of anonymity it has again regained its importance as the ‘Hoisiery City’ of India in recent years! In the beginning of the 2 century, a trickle of Catholics began to settle here, from surrounding Catholic villages, with the opening of a Cotton Mill by Benny an Co. In 1902, Fr. Perrein who was the then parish priest Karumathampatty bought a portion of the present church premises. Later Mr. Molen, the Manager of the adjoining Benny Cotton Mills donated another portion of the present site. In 1909, a small chape was built in honour of Our Lady of the Presentation, at the location where the prvious belfry was standing. FrA. . Ignatius, from Pukilipalayam was looking after the few Christians of this town. H constructed the old church from a donation from U.S.A., in honou of St. Catherine of Alexandria, according to the wishes of the donor and it was blessed on 27.9.1914. He also constructed the fine, well ventilated and large presbytery.

It was created as a separate parish, divided from Pukkilipalayam on 11.01.1934, with Fr. Barron (1934 1935 ) as the first parish priest. Fr. T.C. Adailcalam (1935 1936 ) , looked after the new converts of Avinashi, Pappankulam and Naduvacherry as sub-stations. In 1935, he brought the convent of the Presentation Sisters. F Legrand (1936 1938) converted some families of Kuravars, near Avinashi. Fr. Maria Soosai (1938 1950), the real “ founder” of this parish, continued the missionary work of conversion, at Kannur, Goundampalyam, Nallur, Idugampalaym and Veerapandy where the people, converted from Luthernism bought the Lutherans Church 1n1940. for .Rs 40!. He collected money from the local people, both Christians and Non- Christians and put up a building for the Girls Higher Elementary School at a cost of 50,000. With Bishop Ubagarasamys’ encouragement, he bought the large plot of land for Bishop Ubagarasamy Boys’ High SchooL In those days, the area was a wasteland covered by thorns and thistles. Hence its nick name “ Kattu Pallikoodam “ (School in the land in the thorny Rushes). Fr. A. Sawaminathar (1950 - 61) extended the church into a Cruciform shape and also erected a new sanctuary and altar. Fr. A. Muthusamy extended the Girls school and the convent. Then the floodgates of a phenomenal expansion, were opened both with regard to thç Catholic population as well as of the church expansion. Fr; Arul Irudaya Raj tirelessly and single handedly collected funds and constructed the present spacious Church with its unique belfry. Bishop Ambrose consecrated the new church and the altar on 19.6.. 1996. Fr. John Bosco constructed a new church at Veerapandy and Bishop thomas Aquinas consecrated it in February 2005. The rows of houses for rental were built Fr. D. M Antoninathar from Pukkilipalayam and by. Fr. T.C. Adaikalam. The Catholic population in the beginning, comprised of emigrants from the surrounding catholic Villages of Pukldipalayam, Pallapalayam, Vettukapalayam etc. But lately people from all over Tamil Nadu are powing in. due to the ever-growing demand for workers to the Hoisery industry, which has now reached mammoth proportions of export to foreign countries! Hence the town is witnessing an unprecedented expansion, on all sides, so that very soon many more churches would have to be built and even now parishes would have to be created like Kumaran Nagar which had become a separate parish in 1982.

Main Station

Distance from the Cathedral Church : 5OKms.

Total No. of Catholic Families both in the Main & Sub- Stations : 1665

Total No. of Catholic Families in the Main Station : 1600

No. of Catholics in the Main station : 6000

MASS TIMINGS

Weekdays : Mon to Sat 6. 15 a.m

Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat 6.00 p.m.

Sundays : 6.15, 8.00 a.m & 6.00 p.m

Religious Houses :

I . Presentation Convent 0421 - 2420895

2. Presentation Convent (Kangayam Road)

Religious Institutions :

1. St. Joseph Mat. Hr. Sec. School -(Kangayam Road)

2. St Joseph’s College (Kangayam Road)

3. St. Joseph’s Middle School

Lay Association :

1. Legion of Mary

2 .Altar Boys Association

Patronal Feast: 2nd Sunday of May

SUB- STATIONS

1. Iduvanpalayam

Distance - 7 Kms

Families - 35

No. of Catholics - 125

Mass Timings - Sun 7.00 a.m

2. Veerapandy

Distance - 7 Kms

Families - 30

No. of Catholics - 100

Mass Timings - 8.30 a.m (Sunday)

10.00 a.m. (Tuesdays)

Lay Association Legion of Mary