Ramanathapuram: Shiv Das Meena, Principal Secretary, Tamil Nadu Public Department, held discussions with Ramanathapruam Collector S. Natarajan and Superintendent of Police N. Manivannan in Chennai on Wednesday, on the arrangements to be made for the pilgrimage to Katchatheevu on Friday for the inaugural ceremony of St Antony’s church.
After the Ministry of External Affairs gave its nod for 100-member delegation, comprising fishermen from Rameswaram and priests and sisters of four Parishes in the island, to take part in the ceremony, the Secretary discussed with the officials various safety and precautionary measures to be taken for the pilgrimage.
“The discussion mainly centred around safety and security aspects of the pilgrims and precautionary measures to be taken”, Mr Manivannan told The Hindu . The fishermen, who insisted on taking part in the inaugural ceremony to assert their rights over the church, would set sail for the islet in three trawlers at 5.30 a.m. on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Jaffna diocese, which organised the ceremony with the Delft Parish, has offered to accommodate the Verkodu Parish Priest in the mass programme. Fr. Sagayaraj had been asked to deliver the ‘thanks giving’ address, reports received here said.
The ceremony would commence at 8.30 a.m. and, after welcome address, prayer, felicitation and refreshments, end at 12 noon, Fr. Sagayaraj said. Rev. Justin Gnanapragasam, Bishop of Jaffna, would preside over the ceremony and Fr. Jayarangan, Delft Parish Priest, deliver the welcome address, he said.
Vice Admiral Ravindra C Wijegunaratne, Commander of Sri Lankan Navy, Rear Admiral Piyal De Silva, Commander, Northern Naval Area, and Reginold Cooray, Governor of Northern Province, were among those invited for the ceremony. The new church was built by the Lankan navy at the request of the Jaffna Diocese.
