St. Francis Xavier’s church, Kanakkanpatty is situated in the Taluk of Thirupathur in Sivagangai District. It is a remote village surrounded by quite a few Catholic villages. Most of them are farmers, and have their own land, cultivating seasonal crops. Now, the younger generations from the main parish are settled in the nearby towns, seeking employment opportunities. This village was previously a substation of Thirupathur parish and when Most Rev. Dr. Susaimanickam, the bishop of Sivagangai decided to create a new parish due to pastoral necessity, he bifurcated Kanakkanpatti from Thirupathur parish and erected it as an independent parish. Then he entrusted the new parish to the pastoral care of the MSFS missionaries. Fr. A. Lawrence, MSFS the Regional Superior at that time responded to the bishop’s invitation and designated Fr. A. Selvaraj, MSFS to be appointed as the parish priest. He took charge as the first parish priest. The parish is entrusted to the MSFS missionaries for a term of 25 years. There are six substations under Kanakkanpatti parish, namely Karuppanpatty, Kuruvadipatty, Ammayendal, Keelachevalpatty, Avanipatty and Mithilaipatty. Altogether there are 152 families in all these villages including the main parish, and there are churches in all the substations, except in Avanpatty and Keelachevalpatty.
Developments undertaken at various times
Fr. A. Selvaraj, MSFS took the initiative in the course of time to buy 7.30 acres of land at Kanakkanpatti parish itself in 2008 and registered it in the name of the province for the purpose of supporting the mission with different apostolates. As the old parish church was very small and in a dilapidated condition, Fr. Selvaraj, in cooperation with the people, took the initiative to mobilize the funds needed for building a new parish church. The people supported him wholeheartedly and completed the construction work of the church with the help of the diocese and the province. The new church was blessed by Most Rev. Dr. Soosaimanickam, the bishop of Sivagangai, and inaugurated by Fr. A. Lawrence, MSFS the provincial on 08 August 2009. Fr. A. Selvaraj, MSFS also was actively involved in organizing the Women Self-help Groups and animated them to be actively committed to social ministries. He helped them to have access to the various government schemes available for the upliftment of women. As there was no rectory in the new parish, Fr. Selvaraj as the first parish priest stayed in a rented house and later, he took the initiative to mobilize the needed funds and built the presbytery with the help from the province and the diocese. The presbytery was blessed by Rt. Rev. Dr. Soosai Manickam, the Bishop of Sivagangai and was inaugurated by Fr. A. Lawrence, MSFS, the Provincial. Moreover, Fr. Selvaraj, MSFS understanding people’s devotion to Mother Mary, organized the people to collect donations and built a grotto at the entrance of the village, dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health. The new Grotto was blessed by Fr. A. Lawrence, MSFS, the provincial on December 03, 2009.
Fr. John Milton, MSFS was appointed as the second parish priest after Fr. Selvaraj, and he started the annual feast of the grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health, which is continued till today and it has become one of the important annual celebrations of the parish feasts. He served the parish only for one year.
Fr. A. Vincent Sahayaraj, MSFS succeeded Fr. John Milton, MSFS, who served the parish for two years.
Fr. Johnson Jeyapal, MSFS followed Fr. Vincent Sahayaraj, MSFS as the parish priest, and he served the parish for five years. During this period, he was actively involved in animating the parish, caring for the spiritual needs of the people. He reached out to the people in all the villages, and they loved him. He organized the people to raise the funds needed and constructed a small multipurpose Hall. Rev. Dr. J. Soosaimanickam, the bishop of Sivagangai inaugurated and blessed the hall on December 2, 2016. He also initiated to write a project to Caritas Antoniana Padova, Italy through the diocese for the construction of public washrooms for the use of the people and as the project was sanctioned, he completed the construction work in 2016. At the direction of the province, he was able to find out the availability of land and bought 7 acres of land at Keelasevelpatty on the main road between Pudukkottia and Thirupathur and registered it in the name of the South-East province for the purpose of starting school or any other ministry as needed according to the signs of the time.
Fr. S. Stephen Xavier, MSFS was appointed as the parish priest to succeed Fr. P. Johnson, MSFS. He served the parish for two years with commitment and dedication. He systematically organized the liturgical and pastoral activities in the parish and maintained the sacramental and parish records. He worked hard and served the parish with dedication, always being available and reaching out to care for the pastoral needs of the people.
Fr. L. John peter, MSFS succeeded Fr. Stephen, MSFS as the parish priest and like his predecessors, he was actively involved in organizing and guiding the people to grow in their faith. He took the initiative with the support of the people of Mithalaipatty substation to raise the needed funds and started the construction of a church as the existing church was in very bad condition. He was transferred after three years of his ministry here.
Fr. Sahaya Wilson, MSFS succeeded Fr. L. John Peter, MSFS as the parish priest. As there was no flagpole for the parish church at Kanakkanpatty, he took the initiative to find sponsors and erected a new flagpole at the parish church and it was blessed by Most Rev. Dr. L. Anadam, the bishop of Sivagangai on November 29, 2024. Realizing the needs of the parish, he initiated with the support of the parishioners to erect a small shed with tin sheet in front of the grotto of the blessed Mother of Veilankanni at Kanakkanpatty. He also extended his wholehearted support to the people and organized them to complete the church at Mithalaipatty which was started by Fr. John Peter, MSFS. The new church was inaugurated and blessed by Most Rev. Dr. L. Anandam, the bishop of Sivagangai on January 24, 2025. He also organized the people to raise funds needed and built a grotto dedicated to our Lady of Lourdes in this substation and it was blessed by Fr. A. Partick Jeyaraj, MSFS the provincial on March 2, 2025. As the church sanctuary at St. Joseph church in Kuruvadippatti was in a bad condition, Fr. Wilson initiated to mobilize the needed funds with the help of the villagers and renovated the sanctuary, and it was blessed by Most Rev. Dr. S. Susaimanikkam, the bishop Emeritus of the diocese of Sivagangai.
Participatory structures in the parish: Parish council, Anbiyams (BCC), Women self- help groups
Associations in the parish: Youth Group, Legion of Mary, Alter servers,
Faith Formation team
Succession of Parish Priests
Fr. A. Selvaraj 2007 – 2010
Fr. S. John Milton 2010 – 2011
Fr. A. Vincent Sahayaraj 2011 – 2013
Fr. P. Johnson Jeyabal 2013 – 2018
Fr. S. Stephen Xavier 2018 – 2020
Fr. L. John peter 2020 – 2023
Fr. S. Sahaya Wilson 2023 –
Priests in other responsibilities
Fr. S. Antony Rajesh, MSFS
Fr. A. Jaganathan, MSFS
Fr. P. Felix, MSFS
Dn. J. Arul Justin, MSFS 2019 – 2020