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MORE ON KAMUTHY – HISTORICAL & NARRATIONAL

Readers may kindly refer to “KAMUTHY – A PARAVA STATION – A NOSTALGIC NOTE’’ published in this website on 9th April 2012.

They may also kindly recollect my brief mention in the article “The birth Of Tuticorin Diocese And the Pangs of Jesuits’’ 5th January 2013 that Fr. Leonard S.J. had promised to send some notes on KAMUTHY PARISH, gleaned from the Jesuits ‘ Archives at Shenbaganoor. As promised, he had sent some notes.

114The reading of these notes reveals that these are visiting notes written by the bishop or the priests who perambulated in different parts of Ramanathapuram district in quest of souls for redemption. I furnish them verbatim.

PASTORAL VISITATION.SOUTHERN PANGOUS. MADURAI DISTRICT.
‘ The visitation of the pangoos of Kamuthy ,Kilmudimannar cottai, Sittumuniadaipu took only a few days as the stations that can afford to receive the Bishop’s call are numerically few and still largely undeveloped.

The travelling in those parts was done by bus, when available; or else, in the easy jog trot manner of the time honored bullock cart come into its own again, thanks to the temporary disappearance of motor cars.

Again the Episcopal cart drawn by our touring bulls with the conspicuous victory horns was requisitioned for the journey and attracted much attention as it rattled past the pedestrians on the roads or the gaping on lookers in the crowded streets.

KAMUTHY PARISH
Kamuthy has the unenviable distinction of requiring a contingent of Reserve police to keep the peace among its bellicose population.

There was a time when it was Touch and Go– heated squabbles flared up on the slightest provocation. The healing action of time and the salutary fear of a lathi charge or of the crack of rifle have somewhat calmed the atmosphere. Still there has been of late a recrudescence of minor molestations in the shape of stone throwing ; not a few Catholic houses have been the targets.

Well, broken tiles are less grievous injuries than battered heads, though the repetition of the ordeal is a nuisance which few people fancy, least of all people with jaded nerves and quick tempers.

The Catholic Population consists mainly of inland paravars , occupied as elsewhere ,in the fish trade. Their wives, though not engaged in the business, are nevertheless possessed of as glib and sharp tongues as any authentic fish wives. The women sodality exercises a wholesome check on such volubility of speech.

There is at the centre a nucleus of little crusaders who do take their title very seriously. They are regular at church. Thanks to their fervor and good example, the morning and night prayers are not only well attended but also instinct with piety.

The schools are fairly well patronized. The Girls school conducted by the Viagula Madha sisters is catering for a hundred pupils.

Church attendance is in honor. People love the services especially when they are conducted with Pomp and Solemnity. The singing indeed is very good and would be a credit to any choir down along the fishery coast.

There is less eagerness, however, when it means Cash Down. Thus the people keep saying that their church is much too small, that an extension is badly needed; meanwhile, they keep their purse strings tight. They confine their generosity to paying customary church dues.’’

Another extract;-
‘’ Kamuthy is is the headquarters of a vast pangou on the borders of Marava Land and Tinnevely. 50 miles long from East to West and nearly 20 miles From North to South.

The Paravas who form the majority of Catholics must have come from South 150 years ago. The Church itself is about a hundred years old. (Circa 1755) It is a strong building, without style and a façade not much ornamented.’’

An extract of a few notes copied from an account book signed By Fr. Laporte, one of the missionaries who worked mostly in this region;-
‘’The Catholic community of Kamuthy complying with the decree of Pope Gregory XVI submitted at once to the Vicar Apostolic. It was visited by a missionary from Pondicherry, then after the arrival of the Jesuits by several of our fathers, among them;-. Frs Canoz, Puchinelli, and Sartoria , the latter died there of Cholera (his tomb , an Indian monument , is in the South East corner of the Church. Old Christians say that he died after residing there for a fortnight on 10 th March 1854. )

From 1855—1863– Kamuthy was attached to the pangou of Rajagambeeram.
The church of Kamuthy was entrusted to Fr. Trincal from1863. This clever and energetic missionary succeeded in putting some order among the parishioners, who up to that time were a prey to everlasting disputes regarding the church.

Thanks to a registered document on a stamp paper , which acknowledged the Pangouswamy as the sole owner of the church the dispute was settled at last.
Between 1863 and 1873,

As Fr. Trincal was busy in the western region, he seldom came to Kamuthy except once a year to celebrate the feast of St,. Antony, the Patron Saint of the Church.
On such occasions, he set all affairs in order, dispensing sacrements, celebrating marriages, checking up church accounts etc.

In his time, the rear of the alter of the church was made, painted and gilded. Thanks to his care also and intervention with the collector, the park compound increased on the northern side by four to five feet and the sewage of the town took another direction.

New dissensions arose again in 1873 among the Parishoners. The Covil pillai who had been appointed by Fr. Trincal and who had received the keys of the church, being at a loss whom to obey and unwilling to compromise himself, made up his mind to deliver back the keys of the church to the man from whom he had received them.

It was at this time Fr. Laporte was appointed at Ramnad to tend the parishes.Fr. Trincal , who was looking after the parishes so far and whose work was becoming day by day extensive ,took the opportunity to place Fr. Laporte in charge of Kamuthy with the help of Msgr.Canoz. on 2nd November 1873.

Between 1873 and 1874 Kamuthy was attached to the Pangou of Ramnad from 2nd November 1873. Fr. Trincal sent the keys, stamped papers and other documents concerning the church of Kamuthy to Fr. Laporte.

FR. Laporte took up the administration of the church and celebrated the church festival of St. Antony from 27 th May to 14 th June 1874. Due to earlier dissensions the church was closed for a year or so, and church dues had not been levied.

On the advice of Fr. Laporte and as atonement for the past negligence, the chief traders pledged themselves to have a fine silver crown made for the great statue of the Holy Virgin, which was subsequently stolen with other jewels.

In 1876 Fr. Laporte went on a civil suit against the village elders who had collected and spent the Magamai funds without his permission. He also advocated that each of the others paid,the arrears of the Magamai panam according to his conscience.He also made the Ambalagarars to represent him in his absence though he did not consider it necessary to grant them any Adigara patthiram.

Fr. Laporte regularly visited Kamuthy upto 1879 and was in charge of Kamuthy placing himself in Irudaya oil in 1889.’’

The successors of Fr. Laporte are;;–
From 1899 to 1906
Fr. Ernezi Mazeran,
Fr. Maria Jeganather,
Fr. Decoly
Fr. Victor Jeyaseela rayer,
Fr.Raja Adisayam
Fr. Sandappar
Fr. Joseph Pages
Fr. Mahe
1907 – Fr. Vincent Jeganather .
1908 – 1914 .Fr. Blaise Dillinger Sj
1915 – 1921 . Fr. Isidore Prince Sj
1922 – 1926 Fr. Vedatus Arnault Sj
1926 – 1927 Fr. Irudayaraj
1927 – 1928 Fr. Gabriel Pignol Sj
Between 1928 and 1930, the Parish was attached to Aruppukottai.
1928 – 1932 Fr. Aringo. SJ
1932 – 1935 Fr. Periya Montaud sj
1935 – 1936 Fr. Chinna Montaud Sj
1936 – 1943 Fr.Augustin Sattler sj
1943 – 1957 Fr . Paul Veaux Sj
1957 – 1968 Fr. Soosai manickam
1968 – 1980 Fr. Antonysamy Sj
1980 – 1980 Fr. Arulanandam
1980 – 1982 Fr. Yettical
1982 – 1986 Fr. Arul
1986 – 1987 Fr. Vincent
1987 – 1990 FR. Raymond
1990 – 1991 Fr. Pushparaj
1991 – 1992 Fr..Robert Elango
1993 – 1995 Fr. Irudayaraj
1995 – 1997 Fr. Sahayaraj
1997 – 2002 FR. Vincent Sahayaraj
2002 – 2008 FR. Gerald Joseph
2008 – 2011 FR Jeganathen
2011= FR. Swakin

From these notes it is evident that Kamuthy had a very old church dating back to eighteenth century ,had pious Parava settlers from south as faithfuls , whose wives were members of Sodality and whose children were very active in church and enriched the enchanting choir.

They can’t be termed lavish but apt in their contribution to the upkeep of the church and during the annual festival. Nevertheless , they indulged in disputes with the missionaries regarding the church building money and supremacy in the church vis a vis the visiting missionaries and had unfortunately closed the church for a year or so but had the simplicity to obey the dictates of Fr. Laporte to reconcile by offering a silver crown to the Blessed Mary virgin and by contributing the tithes as ordained to the church for the period of closure.

Of course ,the crown and the jewels were stolen in the height of dispute between the priest and villagers when father had gone on a civil suit against the villagers for the mahamai funds.

This must have been one of the ways of protest those days as one would see such incidents of closure of churches and stealing of blessed articles whenever there were disputes reported elsewhere too.

I am reminded of another such theft in the days of Fr. Viaux sj , told to me by Thiru MJP Ayyapillai Rayen of RAYEN Theatres Kamuthy.

The Silver crown Of BLESSED VIRGIN MARY was stolen in the temporary absence of Fr. Viaux, the parish priest who had gone for retreat to St. Mary’s Kodai in the month of May by one of the villagers.

In their attempts to locate the offender the parishioners caught hold of one mentally deranged vagabond and confined him in the SAPPARA KOTTAHAI of the church and tied a burrowing insect encased in a coconut shell on to his stomach and indulged in sadistic pleasure at the sight of suffering victim.

They kept him confined in this cruel manner till Fr. returned from Kodai. When he came they showed the suffering vagabond.

The annoyed Father, a French man in his inimitable missionary Tamil chided them
“”Yaey, Pissasu kuttigaley ,
Ivanai ippodhey Kattavillthu vidungal.
Ungalil oruvan thaan kallvan.
Yaar inda kreedathai thirudi yeduthaano avan kodukka kadavanavan.’’
But his admonition elicited no response.

The next day in the mass, he announced , that he would sit in the Pava Sangeerthana Thotty and that the one who stole could come and confess and hand over the crown. Again he elicited no response.

The next day he announced that he would wear black vestments and say a requiem mass the next day and would spell a curse on the thief’s family; and even then he did not get the crown . He said the mass as he announced.

The crown came back to the church!

The villagers knew who did the foul deed and lo and behold the family of the thief as he cursed went into ruins.

How efficacious is the curse of a holy man!

Fr. Viaux , after his Kamuthy posting, went to Leprosorium at Paranur and looked after the spiritual and material welfare of lepers and passed into Eternity.

By A.X. ALEXANDER

KAMUTHY – A PARAVA STATION – A NOSTALGIC NOTE

Fr.Caussanell who wrote on the Paravas lists out a number of inland villages in the erstwhile Tinnevely district to which the Paravas had migrated for different reasons .No scientific study is still made about different reasons for this migration in Tinnevely District. I wish some youngster does this. Continue reading KAMUTHY – A PARAVA STATION – A NOSTALGIC NOTE