Tamil Nadu - Coimbatore   

Bishop's Chapel to be consecrated tomorrow

Staff Reporter

It incorporates church architecture from many countries

HOUSE OF WORSHIP: A view of Jesus Christ the Cornerstone Bishop's Chapel, which is to be consecrated on the Church of South India Diocesan Office premises, Race Course Road, on Sunday.

Coimbatore: Church of South India (CSI) Bishop in Coimbatore Manickam Dorai will consecrate a Bishop's Chapel at the CSI Coimbatore Diocesan Office premises on Race Course Road, here on Sunday.

Rev. Dorai told presspersons on Friday that the place of worship - to be called `Jesus Christ the Cornerstone Bishop's Chapel' - had been constructed at a cost of about Rs. 15 lakh, incorporating church architecture from four or five countries.

Traditional style

It could accommodate 75 people at a time, had an altar table for divine services, and was provided with wooden doors and stained glass windows in traditional style.

A unique cross whose shape could be seen from any direction had been installed atop a white dome that was the central architectural feature. The front entrance of the chapel was in British style.

Final shape

He said that the building had come up over a period of three years. Though there had been no formal plan for the final shape, the architects had incorporated ideas he had suggested to them, supported by drawings of the concepts he had in mind.

Blood donation camp

The consecration of the chapel would take place at a thanksgiving service to mark the 6th anniversary of Rev. Dorai's term as Bishop in Coimbatore.

A blood donation camp would be held and seven educational projects launched to mark the occasion.

Bishop's Chapel would be open to people who wanted to pray and meditate.

The place of worship would be in use throughout the year, with Morning prayers, Holy Communion Service and Bible Study scheduled at regular times for Diocesan office staff, hostel students and others.

At present, there were 23 dioceses in the Church of South India, with 40,000 Christians.

CSI Coimbatore Diocese was the largest in terms of area, covering the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Namakkal, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri. The diocese had 85 pastorates and 90 presbyters, besides church workers, evangelists and catechists.

Education to poor

Bishop Dorai said that as part of its service to society, the CSI provided education to poor and tribal children, helped the mentally and physically challenged, supported the families of prisoners, offered assistance to widows and deserted women, and worked for the welfare of leprosy patients.

It ran seven hostels and special homes, ten day-care centres, six fee-paying hostels, three hostels for working women, three hospitals, a nursing school, a community geriatric health care training centre, two homes for physically disabled children and a home for women with mental disabilities, besides a number of compassionate projects.

Schools

He said that the diocese ran 13 nursery schools, 69 primary and middle schools, five high schools, ten higher secondary schools, three Matriculation schools, three Matriculation Higher Secondary Schools, two arts and science colleges, an engineering college, a polytechnic college, a vocational training college, two secondary grade teacher training institutes and a kindergarten teacher training institute.

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