Christianity in Tamil Nadu

The Catholic Church (including the Latin Church, Syro-Malabar Church and Syro-Malankara Catholic Church), the Church of South India, the Pentecostals, The Salvation Army Church, the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, the Evangelical Church of India, the Apostolics and other evangelical denominations constitute the Christian population in Tamil Nadu. The Latin Church of the Catholic Church has 18 dioceses and has a homogeneous presence throughout the state. The second-largest church by the number of members is the Church of South India with eight dioceses in Tamil Nadu. They are Coimbatore Diocese, Kanyakumari Diocese, Madras Diocese, Madurai-Ramnad Diocese, Thoothukudi – Nazareth Diocese, Tirunelveli Diocese, Trichy-Tanjore Diocese and the Vellore Diocese. Church of South India Synod, the highest administrative body of the Church of South India is in Chennai. The vast majority of Christians in Tamil Nadu are either Latin Catholics or members of the Church of South India. The Pentecostal Mission (TPM) is headquartered in Chennai. The Congregational churches were a small group called The London Missionary Society (LMS) run under Travancore Church Council (TCC) with its headquarters in Nagercoil. The London Mission Congregational churches date back to 1795 when British missionaries were sent to 19th century Tamil Nadu and Kerala States of South India.

Salvation Army in Tamil Nadu

The Salvation Army is an International Christian Church and charitable organisation. There are six territories in India; Eastern, Western, Northern, Central, South Eastern and South Western Territory. Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry come under the Central and South Eastern Territory. There are more than 1000 churches over Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry. School, colleges, homes, shelters, and medical services are provided here. The Salvation Army does missionary, medical, educational, emergency disaster, and social services.

The Salvation Army operation commenced on 27 May 1892 as a result of the vision received by Major Deva Sundaram at "Medicine Hill" near Nagercoil in Kanyakumari District. He had been praying and fasting with three officers in South Tamil Nadu. As the Army experienced rapid growth in South India, the territory was separated from Southern Territory on 1 October 1970. States included in the territory: Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry. 'The Salvation Army' in Tamil: Ratchaniya Senai in Malayalam: Raksha Sainyam. Languages in which the gospel is preached: English, Malayalam, Tamil. Periodicals: Chiruveeran (Tamil), Home League Quarterly, Poresatham (Tamil), The Officer (Tamil)

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Saint Thomas Christian denominations

In 1996, the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church created its first `Diocese of Thuckalay` in Kanyakumari district, (which was under the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Changanassery in Kerala till then), of Tamil Nadu. The same year the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church has also newly established the `Diocese of Marthandam` (bifurcated from its Archdiocese of Trivandrum) in Kanyakumari district. The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church established its first diocese Chennai Diocese in the year 1979. St. Thomas Mount in Chennai, the place where St. Thomas, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, was believed to have been martyred, is an important pilgrimage site for Indian Christians. The Santhome Basilica, supposedly built atop the tomb of St. Thomas, and the Vailankanni Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health – revered churches by India's Roman Catholics – are good examples of majestic church architectures in Tamil Nadu.

In Kanyakumari district

Kanyakumari District has the highest number of christians, both in absolute numbers and as a percentage, among the districts of Tamilnadu and is one of the districts with the highest concentration of Christians in India.

One of the disciples of Jesus Christ, St. Thomas, introduced Christianity in the areas of what is now Kanyakumari District. He built a church in Thiruvithamcode in 63 AD. The church is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the world that still has daily prayers, and the oldest church in Tamilnadu.

In the 16th century, thousands of people in the coastal areas converted to Catholicism due to the efforts of St. Francis Xavier and Portuguese missionaries. St. Francis Xavier primarily resided at Kottar, Nagercoil during his missionary work in the region. During this time there was already a chapel at Kottar dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. St. Xavier celebrated Mass and prayed at this Church during his stay. The chapel is now part of the St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar. St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar is believed to be the first church dedicated to the great missionary-saint in the world. As per church records, it was dedicated to the saint in the year 1605.

A native of the district, Devasahayam Pillai, who was martyred in the 18th century, was canonized and made a Catholic saint by Pope Francis in 2022. He is the first layman-saint in India.

In the 18th century (1806) European missionary William Tobias Ringeltaube established Protestant churches and propagated Christianity in Kanyakumari district and South Travancore. He built the first Protestant Church in Mylaudy.

Demographics

Population by districts

Important basilicas

San Thome Basilica

San Thome Basilica is a Roman Catholic (Latin Rite) minor basilica and one of the three National Shrines in India located in Santhome, Chennai city (Madras), India. It was built in the 1523 by Portuguese explorers, and rebuilt again with the status of a cathedral by the British in 1893. The British version still stands today. It was designed in Neo-Gothic style, favoured by British architects in the late 19th century. Christian tradition holds that St. Thomas arrived in Kerala & Kanyakumari Dist in 52 AD preached between 52 AD and 72 AD, when he was believed to be martyred on St. Thomas Mount. The basilica is built over the site where he was believed originally to be interred.

San Thome Basilica is the principal church of the Madras-Mylapore Catholic Archdiocese. In 1956, Pope Pius XII raised the church to the status of a Minor Basilica, and on 11 February 2006, it was declared a national shrine by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. The San Thome Basilica is a pilgrimage centre for Christians in India. This church is a very important site in the world for Christians. The church also has an attached museum at back.

Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Velankanni

The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is located in the small town of Velankanni in the state of Tamil Nadu in Southern India. The Roman Catholic basilica is devoted to Our Lady of Good Health. Devotion to Our Lady of Good Health of Velankanni can be traced to the mid-16th century and is attributed to three miracles at different sites around where the basilica currently stands: the apparition of Mary and the Christ Child to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the rescue of Portuguese sailors from a violent sea storm.

Although all three apparitions ultimately resulted in the erection of a shrine to our Lady, it was the promise of the Portuguese sailors that was the proximate cause of a permanent edifice being built at Velankanni. The chapel was dedicated on the feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (8 September), the day of their safe landing. More than 500 years later, the nine-day festival and celebration is still observed and draws nearly 5 million pilgrims each year. The Shrine of Our Lady of Vailankanni, also known as the "Lourdes of the East," is one of the most important Christian religious sites frequented by Christians in India.

Basilica of Our Lady of Snows, Thoothukudi

Basilica of Our Lady of Snows, Thoothukudi is located at Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Catholic pilgrimage centers in India dedicated to the Our Lady of Snows, a title given to Mother Mary. The Shrine name refers to the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The site is known for Portuguese architecture and Portuguese prayers and now it is recognised as a Tamil Nadu notable pilgrim site.

St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar

St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar, is a Roman Catholic Latin Rite shrine in Kottar, Nagercoil, in the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu state, India. While Francis Xavier was doing missionary work in Kottar and its neighbourhood, he averted an invasion of Vadugas with the help of the army of Paravars and Padaiyatchis of Kottar, at Vadasery, thus protecting the people of the Venad kingdom from that attack which was appreciated by the king, Unni Kerala Varma, who became closer to the priest and befriended him from then on. In recognition of Xavier's services, the king allotted him a piece of land to construct a Catholic church, as a gesture of goodwill, as per the church records. There was already a small church, in the same place where St. Xavier Church stands at present, dedicated to Mary the Mother of God, since AD 1544. Church records indicate that St. Xavier Church was built in 1600. In 1865, the Shrine of Mary was renovated and enlarged. In 1930, the church was raised to the status of a cathedral. The annual festival is celebrated during November – December, lasting for 10 days.

Popular Church of South India (CSI) churches in Tamil Nadu

Contributions to literature

Christians of Tamil Nadu who have made concrete contributions to Tamil language and Tamil literature are

Vedanayagam Sastriar (1774–1864)
Samuel Vedanayagam Pillai (1826–1889)
Henry Alfred Krishnapillai (1827–1900)
Dr. Abraham Pandithar (1859–1919)
Xavier Thaninayagam (1913–1980)

Christians who had been born in Europe, but were adopted to Tamil culture and made major contributions to Tamil language and literature are

Roberto de Nobili, also known as Thaththuva Bothagar
Constanzo Beschi / Constantine Joseph Beschi, also known as Veeramaa Munivar
Bartholomaeus Ziegenbalg
Robert Caldwell
George Uglow Pope
Fred Goodwill

Christian pilgrimages

St. Thomas Cathedral Basilica, Chennai
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Velankanni
St. Thomas Mount in Chennai
Poondi Madha Basilica
Our Lady of Snows Basilica, Thoothukudi
St. Antony's Church at Uvari
St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar
Our Lady of Ransom Church, Kanyakumari.
Church of Maria Bambina Kangeyam.
St. Mary's Orthodox Church, Thiruvithamcode, Kanyakumari
New Jerusalem Church, Tranquebar
St. John de Britto Church, Oriyur, Sivagangai
Amy Carmichael, Dohnavur Fellowship Mission
Our lady of Holy Rosary basilica Karumathampatti, Coimbatore

List of denominations

Catholic Church
Church of North India (CNI) (North India)
Church of South India (CSI) (Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Sri Lanka,...)
Apostolic Christian Assembly
Assemblies of God
Advent Christian Church
Anglican Church of India
Arise and Shine Missionary Diocese
Arcot Lutheran Church (ALC)
Brethren Church
Bible Believing Churches in India
Bible Crusade Missionary Society
Church of Christ (Non-Instrumental)
Tamil Evangelical Lutheran Church (TELC)
Dohnavur Fellowship
Eternal Light Ministries
Evangelical Christian Church of India
Fort English Church by Rev. Dr. I. Ratnampaul (Tirunelveli)
Good News Church (Ramanathapuram)
India Gospel League
Indian National Apostolic Diocese
Indian Pentecostal Church (ipc)
Saron Bethel Deva Sabai Kanyakumari District
Madras Pentecostal Assembly Church
Maranatha Full Gospel Churches
Prince of Peace Church
Tamil Baptist Churches
The Pentecostal Mission
Good Shepherd mission church
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Rehobtoh Church, Sankarankovil
Madras Pentecostal Faith Church, Mylapore
Evangelical Church of India
Church of Mahanaim Ministries
The Salvation Army Church
Indian Pentecostal church (ipc)
Christian Revival Church (CRC)
Syrian Malankara catholic & Marthoama kanyakumari dist borders of Kerala

List of Tamil Christians

C. Joseph Vijay (Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu)
Madhuri Devi
Vikram (actor)
S.J. Suryah
J. C. D. Prabhakar
N. Marie Wilson
Sathish Christopher
Harris Jayaraj
D. Imman
Vijay Antony
J. Livingston
Prameela
James Vasanthan
John Vijay
Alexander Babu
L. R. Eswari
Chandrababu
Vedanayagam Sastriar
Samuel Vedanayagam Pillai
Vincent Asokan
Henry Alfred Krishnapillai
Dr.Abraham Pandithar
S.A. Ashokan
Xavier Thaninayagam
Arun Alexander
Mahendran
Nelson Dilipkumar
George Maryan
Imman Annachi
Joseph John (minister)
Andrea Jeremiah
Nivedita Louis
S. A. Chandrasekhar