With great joy the Missionaries of the Precious Blood have recently dedicated two new worship spaces in the Indian Vicariate.  Through the hard work and perseverance these two churches have welcomed hundreds of parishioners for liturgies and prayer.

The corner stone for Saint Joseph’s Chapel in Mangalam, a sub-station in the Boodhamangalam Parish, was laid on November 11, 2015.  With support from the Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples, the Diocese of Vellore Tamil Nadu, and countless other generous donors, the Chapel was dedicated on February 26, 2017 by Msgr. I. John Robert, the vicar general of the Diocese of Vellore.  He was joined by dozens of priests, sisters, and 350 parishioners.  Rev. Sibi Mathew, C.PP.S., the Vice-Director of the Indian Vicariate and Rev. David Jayasingh David, C.PP.S., the pastor of Boodhamangalam Parish, represented the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.

Rev. David commented that “The faithful of Mangalam are poor, but not poor in faith.  They are jubilant because they now have this beautiful and modest place for worship.”

On the same day, February 26, 2017, the new Our Lady of Lourdes Church  in the Diocese of Sivagangai, Tamil Nadu, was consecrated.  The church is located in the Gaspar Nagar region of the diocese.  This region was named after St. Gaspar del Bufalo in honor of the twelve years of ministry the Missionaries of the Precious Blood have provided in the region.  

The Most Reverend J. Susaimanickam, bishop of Sivagangai, presided at the liturgy and he was joined by V. Rev. Varakumar Chowtapalli, C.PP.S. the Director of the Indian Vicariate as well as many other Missionaries, sisters, and lay faithful.  A grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes has also been built on the property. 

Much of the project was funded through the efforts of the late Rev. Antonio Bernardo, C.PP.S., a Missionary of the Precious Blood from the Italian Province.  

Information for the story and the pictures were provided by the Indian Vicariate.