Long before the creation of the diocese of Batticaloa, and the creation of the diocese of Trincomalee, Christianity was introduced into Batticaloa and Trincomalee by the Portuguese in the 16th. century.Fr. Simon de Coimbra in a letter to the King of Portugal in 1549 speaks of having instructed the Prince of Batticaloa, and when the expedition of Monis Barretto landed in Batticaloa the same year, the Franciscan Priests in the expedition baptized him with the name Dom Louis. This has been reported by Monis Barretto to the Portuguese Governor of India in 1549. Besides a Vannichi who ruled from Pannichankernie from 1477 to 1552 along with her two sons and households too were baptized by the early missionaries.
In Trincomalee however the situation in the years between 1549 – 1552 were different. A young prince of the Vanniars of Trincomalee belonging to the royal house in a dispute over the succession was forced out by the King of Jaffna, Sangiliyan, and took refuge on the Fishery Coast of Tutucorin, with his uncle and a group of bodyguards. At that time the prince was only 8 years old. The Paravar Christians there welcomed them cordially and afforded hospitality. Father Enrique Enrigues, s.j. who was the first to have mastered the Tamil Language visited the group and comforted them. The princely band was very much touched deeply by the kindness of these Christians and their priest, that they requested to be instructed in the Christian religion and receive baptism. The little Prince was baptized with the name Dom Alonso (Dom Alfonso) and was later admitted to the College of Goa, as ‘Dom Alonso Rey de Trincomalee.
The Christians of the Fishery Coast raised a force of thousand men, who assisted by the Portuguese soldiers accompanied the Vanniars back to Trincomalee and secured the Principality for the Prince with his uncle as regent. Apparently many of the Paravar people chose to remain in Trincomalee and its environs, where they with the Vanniar converts formed the first Christian Community in Trincomalee and Kottiyar. Even to this day, we have in Kottiyar (present day Mutur) a paravar Catholic Community who trace their origin to the Fishery Coast of India. Their existence in Mutur ante date the arrival of Venerable Father Joseph Vaz.
Their names such as Corera, Fernando, Peiris, Croos, Mascharenhas betray their evident connection with the Fishery Coast Paravar Christians.
Extract from Mattakallapu Maraimauatta Ninaivumalar, Sent by RAJA VAIZ , Bombay