periyanayagi madha shrine - konankuppam

Periyanayagi madha shrine (Konankupam)

Address:

Periyanayagi madha shrine (Konankupam)

Konankuppam PO,

Mangalampettai,

Cuddalore Dt. - 606 104

History:

Periyanayagi Madha shrine is a famous Roman Catholic Church, which is dedicated to Mary mother of Jesus constructed by an Italian missionary Fr. Constantine Beschi. He is also called as Veeramamunivar. The Church located in Cuddalur district which is in TamilNadu, India.

The place where the shrine is located was once a forest place. People used to come here for feeding their flocks.  In the 17th century , Fr. Beschi, brought two statues of Mother Mary to be kept in the place where he worked, namely  Elakuruchi / Thirukavalur ( Now in Kumbakonam Diocese). He preached all over Tamil Nadu and on the way to his place he happened to pass over this forest and due to tiredness he slept under a tree with the two statues. The boys, who were looking after the cattle, playfully hid one of the statues behind the bush. Fr. Beschi was shocked to know that one of the statues was missing and went to his place sadly.

There was a man called Kachirayar in Konankuppam, who is childless. One day a lady (Mother Mary) appeared to him in his dream called his name and said that she is alone in the forest. Asked him to find the statue and built a chapel at that place so that he will be blessed with a child. Kachirayar searched for the statue and found it in a bush. There he built a chapel with the help of

villagers. As dreamt the miracle happened, his wife gave birth to a child Later Fr.Beshi happened to hear about the miracle and came to Konankuppam and saw the small chapel built for the Mother Mary statue he lost. He was very much delighted and decided to stay at Konankuppam, continued his work on Tamil over there. He constructed the shrine which exists today. It is said to have been the first place of worship he erected and when it was completed he went to Madras and asked the Bishop of Mylapore to procure for him a statue from Manilla, an image of the virgin, in native dress of Tamilnadu and bearing the child Jesus in her arms, fashioned after a model he had made. The image eventually arrived and was set up in the church, were it still is today.

 Every year the church carnival with flag hosting held for ten days from jan 14 to 23.

 

This new flag tree constructed in the year 2012.

Mass Timings:

Week days : 6.00 am - mass

Saturdays : 6.30 am - mass

Sundays : 8.00 am - mass

First Saturdays : 6.00 pm - procession and mass

Mass Timing During Carnival:
5.00 am, 6.30 am, 11.am, 3.00 pm, 6.00.pm