The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : 400 years of the Diocese of Mylapore

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 22, 2006

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

400 years of the Diocese of Mylapore

Staff Reporter

Services of Portuguese missionaries to be commemorated

Santhome Cathedral Basilica

CHENNAI: The Archdiocese of Madras-Mylapore will mark the fourth centenary of the formation of the Diocese of Mylapore from June 23 to July 3, besides the annual feast of St. Thomas.

Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore Rev. A.M. Chinnappa said the fourth centenary would be observed on July 1 and 2 to commemorate the services of Portuguese missionaries who established the Mylapore Diocese in 1606.

A team of 12 bishops and priests from Portugal will participate in the two-day celebrations. A car procession from St. Antony's Girls' Higher Secondary School to the Santhome Cathedral is scheduled for July 1.

The Archbishop of Portugal and president of the Portugal Episcopal Conference Rev. Jorge Ferreira da Costa Ortiga would preside over the solemn Eucharistic celebration on the same day, said Rev. Dr. Chinnappa. The foundation stone for the fourth centenary memorial building to be constructed opposite the cathedral would be laid on July 2. The five-storey building would be put to commercial use and the proceeds would fund education projects for underprivileged children.

The solemn pontifical high mass on July 2 would be presided by Apostolic Nuncio in India Rev. Pedro Lopez Quintana. Cultural events denoting the history of Mylapore Diocese would be organised.

`Voice of St.Thomas,' the official magazine of the cathedral, and a Tamil devotional cassette would be released on the same day, he said. The celebrations would highlight the service of the Portuguese missionaries in fields such as education and medicine, Rev.Dr. Chinnappa added. Auxiliary Bishop of Madras-Mylapore Rev. Dr. Lawrence Pius Dorairaj said 50,000 people were expected to attend the celebrations, including bishops from Tamil Nadu.

He said the cathedral was recognised as a national shrine at the Catholic Bishops Conference of India during February in Bangalore. Steps were being taken for its recognition as an international shrine as it was built on the tomb of St. Thomas.

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