St. Sebastian's Church

Parish Office Timing: 09:00 am to 12:30 pm 05:00 pm to 7:00 pm It was on 28th February 1953 that Friars set foot in St. Sebastian’s Church, Madhavaram. It is 66 years since Friars began their pastoral ministry for the people in and around Madhavaram. For these years, the parish has seen its growth and development spearheaded by various Friars who have ministered here. The year 2019 marks a remarkable milestone in the history of St. Sebastian’s Parish as the existing church has been extended and renovated with a magnificent façade, a splendid interior and an impressive sanctuary. It has been a sincere prayer of the parishioners and friars for a spacious Church with an elegant frontage ever since the number of the attendees for the liturgical celebrations was on the rise. Added to it, it was an urgent and immediate need to create adequate classrooms to ensure a quality catechism towards the children, effective animation for the youth, professional guidance for the couples and resourceful assistance towards women. While this felt-need was growing in its magnitude, the successive pastoral team of friars in these years have addressed the same to the best of their ability utilising the available resources to the optimum. Treading the footprints of friars who have served in St. Sebastian’s Parish, the pastoral team of friars under the gifted leadership of Br. Simon A, the Parish Priest undertook a courageous initiative to venture into extending and renovating the existing Church. While it was an exciting development in the life of the Parish, it was not an easy endeavour! However, with a firm belief in the Word of God, “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders' labour in vain” (Psalms 127:1), the parishioners and the pastoral team marched ahead with the insurmountable faith and the resilient hope that it was the LORD who was going to build His House and that their labour shall not be in vain. St. Francis of Assisi began his life of conversion repairing the Church. He went about in the streets of Assisi begging with a loud voice, “He who gives a stone, will get a reward. He who gives two stones will get two rewards. He who gives three stones…” It is this simple yet profound faith of St. Francis that resulted in repair of some churches in and around Assisi. St. Sebastian’s Church as it stands today is a testimony to the same experience of St. Francis in his time. When this Church construction met with various roadblocks, when faced with the financial crunch and when the difficulties were on the increase, the Lord sustained the parishioners and pastoral team throughout this tedious journey providing them with the strength and courage to persist in their endeavours and accomplish faithfully this great task. The Church today stands as a sign of Providence, a symbol of Faith and an emblem of Hope. This church dedicated to St. Sebastian, the martyr, whose intervention in the life of many through his powerful intercession will continue to be a place to experience the divine favours. Jesus, the Redeemer with His hands outstretched is a beautiful sight to behold. Everyone who passed the Church cannot but wait to have a glimpse of Jesus, the Redeemer. Jesus stands there inviting His Children with these irresistible words of consolation, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Mt.11.28). These words of unfathomable assurance echo in every brick of the Church. The mighty presence of Jesus adorning the façade of the Church is a divine vision and a heavenly scene. The accompanying presence of the 12 Apostles, the pillars of our faith is a representation of our history of Church. These Apostles stand there as an inspiration for every Christian to model our lives in the Gospel manner. The Succession of the Priests Rev. Fr. S. Duca SDB (1942-Oct 1949) Rev. Fr. J. B. Franca SDB (Nov 1949-Jun 1950) Rev. Fr. G. Ignatish SDB (Jul 1950-May 1951) Rev. Fr. J A Ross SDB (Jun 1951-Feb 1953) Rev. Fr. G. Ambrose Pappiah OFM (Mar 1953-Sep 1961) Rev. Fr. Basil Devasagayam OFM (Sep 1961-Jun 1965) Rev. Fr. Sanctes Molenkamp OFM (Aug 1965-Oct 1967) Rev. Fr. Sebastian Vadassery OFM (Oct 1967-Aug 1970) Rev. Fr. Daniel Sigamony OFM (Aug 1970-Jun 1976) Rev. Fr. Paschal Fernando OFM (Jun 1976 -May. 1978) Rev. Fr. Paul Fernandes OFM (Jun 1978-Jun 1979) Rev. Fr. Fidelis D'Lima OFM (Jun 1979-Dec 1982) Rev. Fr. James Victor OFM (Jan 1983-Dec 1985) Rev. Fr. Lawerance Simon OFM (Jan. 1986-May. 1989) Rev. Fr. Arok Sundar OFM (Jun 1989-May 1992) Rev. Fr. Arul Antony OFM (Jun 1992-Apr 1995) Rev. Fr. Valerian OFM May (1995-May 1998) Rev. Fr. Arok Sundar OFM (May 1998-May 2001) Rev. Fr. John Chrysostom OFM (May 2001-May 2004) Rev. Fr. Amaladass Manickam OFM (May 2004-Jan 2007) Rev. Fr. Felix John Gassam OFM (Jan 2007-Oct 2008) Rev. Fr. John Chrysostom OFM (Oct 2008-Jul 2011) Rev. Fr. A. Singarayar OFM (Jul 2011-Aug 2014) Rev. Fr. Simon A OFM Aug (2014-Till Date)

151, Madavaram High Road, (Thapalpetti - Jambuli) Madhavaram, Ponneri Tk. - Tiruvallur Dt. Chennai - Tamil Nadu, 600 060 - India.