Maharnonbuchavadi Parish St.Joseph Church. (manambuchavadi): பூண்டி புதுமை மாதா "Poondi Pudhumai Matha"

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

பூண்டி புதுமை மாதா "Poondi Pudhumai Matha"

Poondi Pudhumai Matha

Alamelupuram Poondi is a tiny village, situated in the Thiruvaiyaru taluk of Thanjavur district of the state of Tamilnadu in South India. The nearest town about 3kms away, is Thirukattupalli. The hamlet of Poondi is blessed by God with copious potable water from the great rivers of Tamilnadu namely the Cauvery and the Colleroon as they flow on the Southern and northern sides of the village.

In the beginning of the eighteenth century (1714-1718) a great Italian Jesuit missionary named Rev. Fr. Constantine Joseph Beschi S.J. popularly known as Veeramamunivar built a church and named it as the church of "Mary Queen of Immaculate Conception".

Rev.Fr.Lourdes Xavier was appointed as Parish Priest on 1st September 1955. His immediate attention was given to improve the condition of the Church, the central roof of which was in a precarious condition.Father feared that it might collapse at any moment causing great damage. So he consulted an engineer.They wanted to demolish only the central roof wihout any damage to the front elevation the doom and the altar. It was estimated it would cost Rs.1500 to demolish the roof alone. Fr.Lourdes Xavier was worried as it was too much for him and moreover it would be beyond his means to find the necessary funds to reconstruct the Church. Fr.Lourdes Xavier being a great devotee of Our Lady, must have prayed to Our Lady in Poondi to reveal to all, about Her desire to make this village a pilgrimage centre.

Relic of the Orginal Cross

A small Piece of the The Orginal Cross is kept at Poondi Madha Basilica. On the feast of The Holy Cross, there will be special blessing and on 5th Friday of lent, there will be a procession of the relic from Michealpatty to Poondi Madha Basilica followed by mass..