Kuthalur
Kuthalur is a village which is located in Sivagangai District, Tamil Nadu, India, 10 km from Karaikudi towards Sivagangai. The village was called "Chinna Colombo" by the surrounding people, as the villagers have traveled and worked in Colombo and Rangoon prior to India's Independence.
The Community
The Village has about 600 families with the head count of over 1000 people.The Catholic Church
The Roman Catholic Church dedicated to "Immaculate Conception" is the largest and oldest church in the surroundings which was built in the 1860s by French Missionaries. It is governed by the diocese of Sivagangai. Today, it has crossed 150 years of service and walking with Glory. The church was fully donated by an unknown German Lady and the Mother Mary's Statue in the main altar was imported from Germany.Church Architecture
The Church resembles the Gothic architecture of France, which has a main circular dome in the center with two front domes at the entrance of the Church. Also, the Church was constructed with a Main Wing, two side wings along with the Sacristy behind the altar. So, this structure makes the church as + shape in the aerial view. The entire building was made of Brick, Chunnammu Chanthu, Kadukkai and with the mixture of Egg White. There are some unconfirmed information that the glasses in the middle dome were imported from Italy.The inner walls of the church once had unique paintings and due to the damage in the paintings, those walls were repainted with colours.
The Centennial Jubilee
The Centennial Jubilee was celebrated in 1970, in a Grand manner by the villagers through the guidance of the then Parish priest Fr. Saleth for one week. The current entrance hall was constructed during the 100th year jubilee. Also, the church was fully renovated and re-painted during that occasion.In 1993, Fr. K. Jesuraj, the then parish priest renovated the whole Church. The current Tabernacle & the Calvary Painting behind the altar was done during this Renovation.
Fr. Susairaj, the then parish priest, did the major repair work and repainted the Church in 2004.
The Grotto: The grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes was constructed by Fr. K. V. Paul in April 1955.
Importance to St. Sebastian
Prior to the current Church, the natives of Kuthalur had a small church in the middle street dedicated to St. Sebastian. St. Sebastian's Novena has been celebrated in a grand manner in the Second Week of January to thank him for being the patron of the Catholic Community in Kuthalur. Even, today the neighborhood people call IC Church as Sebasthiar Kovil. The local catholic community has the custom to celebrate St. Sebastian's Feast every year with a Car procession.The Church celebrates its annual festival in the last week of May with a car procession & also the villagers celebrates St. Sebastian's festival with a car procession during third week of May.