Sacred Heart of Jesus Shrine

In early days this place was known as Utchankulam. Later it was renamed Irudayakulam which coincides with the patron’s name of the church of Sacred Heart. A priest resident at Irudayakulam permanently from 1905 to 1909. It had been a substation to Tenkasi Parish till 1943. The slowly catholic population had grown in number. There arose a need for making it a separate parish. This came into being in the month of June 1943. Rev. Fr. A. Couturier took charge of the place as the first parish priest. Rev. Fr. Ignatius Hirudayam S.J. began constructing a big church. But it was actually completed during the period of Fr. Lemahien, S.J. It was here Rev. Fr. A. Causanal, S.J. founded the Sacred Heart congregation for Brothers which was later shifted to Palayamkottai. People are very loving. There was a famous grotto of Lourdes on the Church campus. Priests, who have been here, have done wonderful service. The Succession of the Priests 1. Rev. Fr. Arulanantham S.J. (1919) 2. Rev. Fr. Martin S.J. (1923) 3. Rev. Fr. Thalen S.J. (1925) 4. Rev. Fr. Cranjis S.J. (1928-1930) 5. Rev. Fr. Ignatius S.J. (1931-1933) 6. Rev. Fr. Sabbath S.J. (1933-1934) 7. Rev. Fr. Diyanet S.J. (1934-1935) 8. Rev. Fr. Santaper S.J. (1935-1938) 9. Rev. Fr. Selvanathar S.J. (1938-1941) 10. Rev. Fr. Couturier S.J. (1941-1945) 11. Rev. Fr. Motha S.J. (1945-1947) 12. Rev. Fr. Mudiyappar S.J. (1947-1948) 13. Rev. Fr. Antonysamy S.J. (1948) 14. Rev. Fr. Lamai S.J. (1948-1950) 15. Rev. Fr. Franco S.J. (1950) 16. Rev. Fr. Iruthayam Ignatius S.J. (1950-1958) 17. Rev. Fr. Lamai S.J. (1958-1967) 18. Rev. Fr. Arokkiya Samy S.J. (1967-1970) 19. Rev. Fr. George Joseph S.J. (1970-1971) 20. Rev. Fr. V.M. Joseph S.J. (1971-1973) 21. Rev. Fr. Santiago S.J. (1973-1979) 22. Rev. Fr. Eronimus S.J. (1979-1982) 23. Rev. Fr. M. Arul Arockiam S.J. (1982-1988) 24. Rev. Fr. S.L. Arulappan S.J. (1988-1994) 25. Rev. Fr. S. Alphonse S.J. (1994-2001) 26. Rev. Fr. S.L. Stephen S.J. (2001-2005) 27. Rev. Fr. James S.J. (2005-2010) 28. Rev. Fr. Antony Xavier S.J. (2010-2011) 29. Rev. Fr. M. Arul Ambrose S.J. 30. Rev. Fr. Simon Selvan S.J. Substations With Churches Arumugampatti Gnaniarthoppu Nazareth Georgepuram Ramalingapuram Vickramasingapuram Sivanthipuram Three Lamps Pulavanpatti Substations Without Churches Ambalavanapuram Cash Keeper Thope Agastiyarpatti

Irudayakulam, Vickaramasingapuram - Tirunelveli Dt., Tamil Nadu - 627 425 - India