Annai Velakanni Madha church
A Brief History
In 2006, Catholics in Santhosapuram erected a small grotto honoring Mother Mary beside Vengaivasal Road. Due to road expansion, the grotto needed to be relocated. At the request of the Santhosapuram Catholics, the Vengaivasal Panchayat allotted land for a new grotto.
During Rev. Fr. Singarayar’s tenure as parish priest of Selaiyur, a grotto and a small chapel with a cement sheet roof were built and blessed by Most Rev. Dr. Neethinathan on August 15, 2010. When Vengaivasal became an independent parish, Santhosapuram became a substation. As the number of devotees grew at Santhosapuram’s Annai Velankanni Church, Most Rev. Dr. Neethinathan elevated it to an independent parish on June 1, 2019, appointing Rev. Fr. Edwin Lawrence A as its first parish priest. The annual feast is celebrated on the first Saturday of Septmeber