Kurusady is the part of Kanyakumari District, the southernmost tip of India. 200 years ago, in this blessed land of Kurusady, following a miracle of a stone-cross sprouting from the earth , a church was built with St. Antony the worker of million miracles as the patron saint.
Kurusady church is 100 years old and it has established in the year 1911. The kurusady village has become one of the most famous among the Kottar dioceses . There were twenty-two villages under Kurusady when the parish was established in the year 1940.
Legion of Mary at Kurusady was started in 1937 which has started even before it was started in the diocese. Kurusady saw the origin of a mixed presidium's.
Kurusady Services are Catholic Action Society , Little Way Association , Youth Movement , St Vincent de Paul Society , Legion of Mary , Catholic Society , Christian Life Movement , Catechism , Women's Commission , Rural women welfare association , St. Mary's Thaliths Association , Liturgical Spiritual Comity , Pious Association Coordinating Comity , Basic Christian Community and Parish Administration .
There are four nursery schools and higher secondary School in Kurusady. Sacred Heart Orphanage which is help to enhance the lives of needy children.
The Functional Convents at kurusady are Holy Cross Convent , Seared Heart Formation House , Carmel Convent , Holy Cross Novitiate , Servite Convent , Servite Provincialate and Home for the Aged Servites .
History of the Kurusady Church
KURUSADY means a Holy Cross in the regional language of Tamil. It was a dense forest nearly three hundred years ago. In the forest, there were five kinds of trees and so it was called PANJAVANCADU. The name Panjavancadu has changed to kurusady after the miracle of a stone-cross sprouting from the earth, a church was built with St. Antony the worker of million miracles as the patron saint. This place was intersecting the Rajakamangalam to Thiruchendoor Highway. This Highway was called Manghammal Salai.
There are stories about the origin of Christianity in this place. The much believed one is that one fisher woman after having sold the fish happened to spend the night at a lonely place. Being a devotee of St. Antony she prayed for her protection and then she happened to see a light at night . This incident is told to be repeated the following days of her stay in the village. She was sure it was a sign of divine protection and so pleaded the parish priest of Kottar to erect a Holy Cross on the spot .
Kurusady thus became popular and many passers-by on the high way started taking rest in this place. A few families from nearby places started coming here and settled down. This prompted Fr. Elias to build a small chapel. This attracted many pilgrims, which asked for a big church to be built here. However it took twenty one years to construct the present church in the grandeur which you are witness to today and completed in the Year 1911.
Initially St. Antony's of Padua Church, Kurusady was under the Vadakankulam Parish. Then it has become the sub-station parish of Kottar. In the year 1940 it got it own parish. There were twenty-five villages under Kurusady. Marthal, Peruvilai, Rajavoor, Ramanathichenputhoor, Aramboly, Ramanputhur, Maravankuiiruoppu, Vethanagar, Konam, Christu Nagar, Vattakarai, Thalavaipuram, Mela Ramanputhur, Punnainagar were once sub-stations of Kurusady.
Rev. Fr. Richard was the first Parish Priest. Rev. Fr. Ambrose, Rev. Fr. P.V. Anthony Swamy, Rev. Fr. R.Anthony Muthu were worked as a parish priest. As Rev. Fr. R. Anthony Muthu worked as a Parish Priest, he was consecrated the Archbishop of Vellore . It was a great honour to Kurusady.
Kurusady got its own individuality the surrounding villages like Punnainagar, Vattakarai, Maravankudiruppu, Vethanagar, Thalavaipuram, Mela Ramanputhur, Kezha Ramanputhur, Konam, etc., the people from these villages came here and got their Christianized ceremonies like baptism, first communion, confirmation, etc.
In 15.01.1961, Mr. S. Rajayah tried his best to construct St. Judesthatheus Kurusady at North Street. 45 years ago, St. Anthony'sKurusady was built in the entrance of the church. In the period of Rev. Fr. Dionysius , a new alaya peedam was constructed.
In 1985, Rev. Fr. Benjamin started a Parish Council. Rev. Fr. Vincent constructed a new Parish house with the help of people who worked in abroad of Kurusady residential. Fr. Vincent united all the youths in the village and he constructed a new reading building. Now this building is used as a government ration shop. In December 6, 1993 he started 11 ANBIAMS (Basic Christian Community) .
There are lots of miracles during 250 years. Now it also has a well-known place in Kottar diocese , Nagercoil, Kanyakumari District, India.
About our Diocese
Kottar is a located in Nagercoil, Kanayakumari District, Tamil Nadu, India near the southernmost tip of Peninsular India.
The great Roman Catholic missionary, St. Francis Xavier, is said to have had Kottar as his base, while doing his missionary work in the coastal areas of the southernmost part of India. The small shrine inside the present Cathedral was built by him while he stayed in Kottar during his missionary journey in India .
The church where he celebrated mass is a Cathedral under the Roman Catholic Diocese.
KURUSADY means a Holy Cross in the regional language of Tamil. It was a dense forest nearly three hundred years ago. In the forest, there were five kinds of trees and so it was called PANJAVANCADU. The name Panjavancadu has changed to kurusady after the miracle of a stone-cross sprouting from the earth, a church was built with St. Antony the worker of million miracles as the patron saint. This place was intersecting the Rajakamangalam to Thiruchendoor Highway. This Highway was called Manghammal Salai. 
