Kollam Bishop Stanley Roman will inaugurate the year-long centenary celebrations of the Saint Antony's Parish church in Vaddy in the city on Saturday in a public meeting. The celebrations will commence with a thanksgiving concelebrated mass with Dr. Roman as the chief celebrant.
The meeting to be held after the mass will be presided over by Bishop Emeritus of Kollam Joseph G. Fernandez. Parish priest George Mathew and festival committee general convener Cyril J. Fernandez said Ministers P.K. Gurudasan and N.K. Premachandran, Kollam MP N. Peethambara Kurup and Mayor Prasanna Earnest would speak at the function.
Vaddy occupies a prominent position in the history of Christianity in India and is linked to the ancient port of Kollam. The parish has a 700-year old recorded history and the present church is believed to the third structure during this period. The first two church structures were situated close to the sea and were often battered by the waves. So the third structure was constructed a little away from the sea front.
Fr. Mathew said various programmes were been planned for the celebrations.
