Priesthood and good news in India & culture impact: Jesuit priets in Madurai province
Jesuit preists in India
Tamil Nadu is one of the states in south India. I come from this state. Among all the priests mentioned in the following article, Fr. Constantine Joseph Beschi, who came to Tamil Nadu and lived there from 1680–1747, was a unique priest. He not only preached gospel but also made a cultural impact by adopting our language and culture. He adopted the Indian culture particularly the Tamil culture to preach the gospel. He learned the Tamil language and changed his name in to a tamil name called Veeramamunivar, which means a brave sage. He was great scholar in Tamil. He wrote many books in Tamil, he translated many Latin catholic books in to Tamil and preached the gospel.He wrote and defined grammar for christian Tamil literature, and to the Tamil language. priest, scholar, writter, and preacher. His works are foundation for Tamil scholars. He also built the Poondi Madha shrine in a farming village, which is now a Basilica. We as a family visit this church every year and we were present in the church during the elevation of Basilica status ceremony of this church. My second son Joel received his holy communion in this church. This church is close to our family heart and we have recieved many blessings through the intercession of Poondi Madha, who is our lady of Immaculate conception.
Madurai Province - A brief history
Why would the Jesuits of Tamil Nadu call their Province the Madurai Province ? The reasons are historical. Incidentally quite a few Indian Jesuit provinces have names of cities like Bombay , Patna , Jamshedpur and Ranchi . Others – like Andhra, Kerala and Gujarat – have the names of States.
Madurai Province is the oldest Province in India . Jesuit presence in this land of Tamils began since the times of St Francis Xavier. He arrived in Goa on 6 May 1542 and, after four months of stay in Goa, travelled to Tamil Nadu and worked in Manapad, Tuticorin, Madurai and Madras-Mylapore, preaching the good news of Jesus and founding Catholic communities.
After Francis Xavier came Antony Criminali (1520 – 1549) who was later killed by the Badagas in a raid near Vedalai, Ramnad District,Tamil Nadu. Henri Henriques (1520 –1600), Goncalo Fernandez (1541–1621), Robert de Nobili (1577 –1656) and others were sent from Goa to the Tamil region to continue the work of evangelisation.
Old Madura Mission
When Robert de Nobili, a saintly scholar, visited the southern city of Madurai in 1606, he found it an ideal place to learn the ancient Dravidian language of the area - Tamil - and to start his work. Madurai was the capital of Pandya kings who ruled the area and it was a renowned cultural and literary centre.This is why when De Nobili founded a mission, he called it the ‘Madura(i) Mission' (1606). For men and material the Madura Mission depended on Goa Province .
After Robert de Nobili, 122 Jesuits worked in the Madurai Mission till 1759. Among them are courageous, holy men like St John de Britto (1647–1693), martyred in Oriyur, Ramnad district and the renowned Tamil scholar, Constantine Joseph Beschi, who is known by the Tamil name he adopted - Veeramamunivar (1680–1747).
Jesuits' service all over the world was painfully interrupted by an unfortunate development. As Jesuits went about educating, inspiring and concientizing the people everywhere, powerful men with strong vested interests – for whom neither God nor his people really mattered - began to fear and loathe the Jesuits. Yielding to the pressure exerted by such men with political power, Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society of Jesus on 21 July 1773. Jesuits ceased to exist openly and officially in Madura Mission and everywhere else.
Poondi Madaha Basalica
Alamelupuram Poondi is a tiny village, situated in the Thiruvaiyaru taluk of Thanjavur district of the state of Tamilnadu in South India. The nearest town about 3kms away, is Thirukattupalli. The hamlet of Poondi is blessed by God with copious potable water from the great rivers of Tamilnadu namely the Cauvery and the Colleroon as they flow on the Southern and northern sides of the village.
In the beginning of the eighteenth century (1714-1718) a great Italian Jesuit missionary named Rev. Fr. Constantine Joseph Beschi S.J. popularly known as "Veeramamunivar" built a church and named it as the church of "Mary Queen of Immaculate Conception".
Basilica
Rev.Fr.Lourdes Xavier was appointed as Parish Priest on 1st September 1955. His immediate attention was given to improve the condition of the Church, the central roof of which was in a precarious condition.
Father feared that it might collapse at any moment causing great damage. So he consulted an engineer.They wanted to demolish only the central roof wihout any damage to the front elevation the doom and the altar. It was estimated it would cost Rs.1500 to demolish the roof alone. Fr.Lourdes Xavier was worried as it was too much for him and moreover it would be beyond his means to find the necessary funds to reconstruct the Church. Fr.Lourdes Xavier being a great devotee of Our Lady, must have prayed to Our Lady in Poondi to reveal to all, about Her desire to make this village a pilgrimage centre.
Of the sixty six parishes of Kumbakonam diocese three parishes - Poondi, Papanasam, Elakurichi are the diocesan Shrines. Of these three Shrines Poondi has attained the i nternational repute and it enjoys prime status as Shrine in the diocese.His Eminence Simon Cardinal Lourdusamy declared the Shrine of our Lady of Poondy as a permanent pilgrimage centre of our Lady of Immaculate Conception. On 03.08.1999, the shrine was declared as Basilica by Pope John Paul II.
Tamil Nadu is one of the states in south India. I come from this state. Among all the priests mentioned in the following article, Fr. Constantine Joseph Beschi, who came to Tamil Nadu and lived there from 1680–1747, was a unique priest. He not only preached gospel but also made a cultural impact by adopting our language and culture. He adopted the Indian culture particularly the Tamil culture to preach the gospel. He learned the Tamil language and changed his name in to a tamil name called Veeramamunivar, which means a brave sage. He was great scholar in Tamil. He wrote many books in Tamil, he translated many Latin catholic books in to Tamil and preached the gospel.He wrote and defined grammar for christian Tamil literature, and to the Tamil language. priest, scholar, writter, and preacher. His works are foundation for Tamil scholars. He also built the Poondi Madha shrine in a farming village, which is now a Basilica. We as a family visit this church every year and we were present in the church during the elevation of Basilica status ceremony of this church. My second son Joel received his holy communion in this church. This church is close to our family heart and we have recieved many blessings through the intercession of Poondi Madha, who is our lady of Immaculate conception.
Madurai Province - A brief history
Why would the Jesuits of Tamil Nadu call their Province the Madurai Province ? The reasons are historical. Incidentally quite a few Indian Jesuit provinces have names of cities like Bombay , Patna , Jamshedpur and Ranchi . Others – like Andhra, Kerala and Gujarat – have the names of States.
Madurai Province is the oldest Province in India . Jesuit presence in this land of Tamils began since the times of St Francis Xavier. He arrived in Goa on 6 May 1542 and, after four months of stay in Goa, travelled to Tamil Nadu and worked in Manapad, Tuticorin, Madurai and Madras-Mylapore, preaching the good news of Jesus and founding Catholic communities.
After Francis Xavier came Antony Criminali (1520 – 1549) who was later killed by the Badagas in a raid near Vedalai, Ramnad District,Tamil Nadu. Henri Henriques (1520 –1600), Goncalo Fernandez (1541–1621), Robert de Nobili (1577 –1656) and others were sent from Goa to the Tamil region to continue the work of evangelisation.
Old Madura Mission
When Robert de Nobili, a saintly scholar, visited the southern city of Madurai in 1606, he found it an ideal place to learn the ancient Dravidian language of the area - Tamil - and to start his work. Madurai was the capital of Pandya kings who ruled the area and it was a renowned cultural and literary centre.This is why when De Nobili founded a mission, he called it the ‘Madura(i) Mission' (1606). For men and material the Madura Mission depended on Goa Province .
After Robert de Nobili, 122 Jesuits worked in the Madurai Mission till 1759. Among them are courageous, holy men like St John de Britto (1647–1693), martyred in Oriyur, Ramnad district and the renowned Tamil scholar, Constantine Joseph Beschi, who is known by the Tamil name he adopted - Veeramamunivar (1680–1747).
Jesuits' service all over the world was painfully interrupted by an unfortunate development. As Jesuits went about educating, inspiring and concientizing the people everywhere, powerful men with strong vested interests – for whom neither God nor his people really mattered - began to fear and loathe the Jesuits. Yielding to the pressure exerted by such men with political power, Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society of Jesus on 21 July 1773. Jesuits ceased to exist openly and officially in Madura Mission and everywhere else.
Poondi Madaha Basalica
Alamelupuram Poondi is a tiny village, situated in the Thiruvaiyaru taluk of Thanjavur district of the state of Tamilnadu in South India. The nearest town about 3kms away, is Thirukattupalli. The hamlet of Poondi is blessed by God with copious potable water from the great rivers of Tamilnadu namely the Cauvery and the Colleroon as they flow on the Southern and northern sides of the village.
In the beginning of the eighteenth century (1714-1718) a great Italian Jesuit missionary named Rev. Fr. Constantine Joseph Beschi S.J. popularly known as "Veeramamunivar" built a church and named it as the church of "Mary Queen of Immaculate Conception".
Basilica
Rev.Fr.Lourdes Xavier was appointed as Parish Priest on 1st September 1955. His immediate attention was given to improve the condition of the Church, the central roof of which was in a precarious condition.
Father feared that it might collapse at any moment causing great damage. So he consulted an engineer.They wanted to demolish only the central roof wihout any damage to the front elevation the doom and the altar. It was estimated it would cost Rs.1500 to demolish the roof alone. Fr.Lourdes Xavier was worried as it was too much for him and moreover it would be beyond his means to find the necessary funds to reconstruct the Church. Fr.Lourdes Xavier being a great devotee of Our Lady, must have prayed to Our Lady in Poondi to reveal to all, about Her desire to make this village a pilgrimage centre.
Of the sixty six parishes of Kumbakonam diocese three parishes - Poondi, Papanasam, Elakurichi are the diocesan Shrines. Of these three Shrines Poondi has attained the i nternational repute and it enjoys prime status as Shrine in the diocese.His Eminence Simon Cardinal Lourdusamy declared the Shrine of our Lady of Poondy as a permanent pilgrimage centre of our Lady of Immaculate Conception. On 03.08.1999, the shrine was declared as Basilica by Pope John Paul II.
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