Our Lady of Visitation Church-Abiramapuram

Our Lady of Visitation Church - Abiramapuram

No.89, St Mary's Road,

 Abiramapuram,

Chennai - 600 018

This  Church was known as “Descanco Church”, as it is situated in the place known as “Descanco”, a Portuguese word meaning “rest”.  In Tamil it was known as “Ilaippaatri Madha Kovil” denoting that Our Lady rested at Elizabeth’s house.  During the 17th Century the Portuguese and the local pilgrims used to rest at this place on their way to St Thomas Mount and Little Mount while traveling from San Thome.  It is also said that St Thomas used to rest here in course of his journeys between the Mounts and Santhome. Due to the invasions of Tipu Sultan and Hyder Ali, this church which was built  during the period 1650-1683  was destroyed and ruined.  On 29th May 1783, the Bishop of Mylapore who was also the Episcopal Governor, considered the petition of the Catholics there and exhorted everyone to rebuild that “Holy Place”.  It was a sub-station of Mae-de-Deus for sometime and later of Luz Parish. It  was  established as a  separate Parish in 1976. The first Parish Priest was Fr J N Rodriguez. The present parish Church was newly built by Rev Fr Joseph Thyparambil, who was also the Vicar Forane of the Archdiocese.

     

Mass Timings:

Sunday Mass Timings / Language :  8.00 am & 5.30 pm - Tamil

                                                     6.45 am - English