Vettuvenni St. Antony’s Shrine Parish is situated near the bank of Thambiraparani River.
It is surrounded by beautiful trees and plants with cool climate for people to come
and go. It is on the side of Kanyakumari-Trivandrum National Highway. From Vettuvenni
the shrine is linked with a small road.
This famous St. Antony’s Shrine Parish has a history of 300 years. It was as old as the
time of Martyr Devasahayampillai. While the Dutch Captain
De Lannoy was giving battle training to Marthanda Varma’s soldiers a stone cross
was erected by him at Vettuvenni. The letters found in the Stone cross and the letters
in the tomb of Captain De Lannoy are very similar.
Then onwards the people passing through Vettuvenni started praying before the stone
cross, and had received both spiritual and material benefits. There were many attempts
made to demolish the cross but could not succeed. The other religious people even
used elephant to evacuate the cross and got defeated. Instead the number of people
praying before this miraculous cross was systematically increasing.
Sixty five years ago the Parish priest of Puthukkadai Rev. Fr. Varghese visited
this sacred place and witnessed the faith of the people. He has developed it by
establishing a small Kurusady [shrine] in honour of St. Antony. He blessed one St.
Antony’s statue and placed it in this Kurusady. The people who stayed around Vettuvenni,
particularly the decendants of Pullankuzhy vaithiyar maintained the Kurusady for
years. In the meantime the faith of the people increased and the number of people
visiting this Kurusady also was increasing. Many miracles happened through St. Antony
to the devotees.
In the year 1971 at the request of the people [Hindus, Muslims, Catholic in large]
Rev. Fr. M. Stanislaus then parish priest of Thiruthuvapuram, renovated the Shrine
of St. Antony and it was blessed by Most Rev.Dr.Arockiasamy Bishop of Kottar on
1972. He granted permission to pray Novena in Honor of St. Antony on Tuesdays. In
later years Sunday mass in the evening was also celebrated. This was a boost for
the people. The people of neighboring parishes also started coming to participate
in Novena. The participants were increasing year by year.
In the year 1986 November14th Rev. Fr. Jesudhasan Thomas has purchased 12 ½ cents
of land adjacent to the shrine from Mr. Radhakrishnan Nair. Thus there was fast
development and Rev. Fr. Jesudhasan Thomas expanded the shrine. On 4.4.1989 it was
blessed by Most Rev. Leon Tharmaraj. In the same year 1989 with 15 members a parish
council was constituted in the same year to give more attention to the shrine.
When the time of parish priests Rev. Fr. Eugene Kulandai, Fr. V. Robert, Fr. Hillarius,
Fr. Sebastin, Fr. George, Fr. Antony M .Muthu there were steady improvement and
development in the shrine and the offering also was steadily increasing. During
the time of Rev. Fr. S. Vincent as Vicar Forance and Rev. Fr. Domnic Savio parish
priest in the year 2006 the existing expansion work was started. During this period
Rev. Fr. Domnic Savio parish priest Mr. A.C. Selvaraj V. President, Mr. M. Mariacicil
Secretary, Mr. Stanislas Treasurer & Mr. T. Johnson Vic secretary. There was also
a finance committee Mr. Rajaian, Christu Raj, Dennis being the members. At this
period the existing Shrine’s foundation stone was laid and built. It was blessed
by the Vicar General on 17.4.2007. From this time onwards the Novena and Holy mass
was celebrated on Tuesdays and Fridays at 11.00 A.M and the pilgrims are provided
with noon meal. Our Bishop Most Rev. Dr. Peter Remigius granted permission for mass
on Sundays evening. For the convenient stay to the priests a priest house was constructed
and blessed on 10.1.2009 by Bishop Most Rev. Dr. Peter Remigius. A night watchman
and other employees were appointed. This enhanced the pilgrims to visit the shrine
with least difficulty.
In the year 2009 Bishop Most Rev. Dr. Peter Remigius elevated St. Antony’s shrine
as one of the important pilgrimage centers in the Diocese of Kottar and appointed
Rev. Fr. S. Vincent as first Rector of the Shrine on 26.5.2009. From then onwards
the newly appointed Rector has been putting his heart and soul for the growth of
the Shrine both spiritually and materially. He is a good orator; speaker and he
very easily capture the people. The thousands of people who visit the Shrine every
week is a tangible proof for the same.
Rev. Fr. S. Vincent has been purchasing the necessary lands for the further development
of the shrine. His way of approach to the people is very becoming. He has succeeded
to get the full cooperation of the people for the development of the shrine.
Besides the parish ministry Rev. Fr. S. Vincent looks after the shrine very well.
With the cooperation of the parish council and finance committee the following activities
are also being done for the welfare of the poor people.
- Medical assistance to the poor
- Educational helps to the students hailing from poor families
- Marriage support to the girls from under privileged families
- Evening free tuition to the students from 6th standard to 12th
- Construction of houses to the houseless
- Awareness seminar
- Seminar on non organic cultivation
- Awareness, counseling on addiction
- Educational support to the most deserving students of Thiruthuvapuram vicariate
allotting 5% of the total income of the shrine through St. Antony’s education scheme.
Thus the Shrine of St. Antony at Vettuvenni is doing multifarious activities from
the offering of the devotees of St. Antony, through the dynamic effective management
of Rev. Fr. S. Vincent.
Our appeal:
We request the devotees of St. Antony to contribute their might and maximum of offerings,
donations to the above works as a token of the benefits received through the intercession
of St. Antony.