Churh of Our Lady of Visitation

St. Francis Xavier had visited Perumanal in September 1542, and he appointed Mr. Antonio Henrigues as the first catechist to impart religious teachings. In all the coastal parishes the Churches are all dedicated in the names of the Apostles. But at Perumanal we have a Church dedicated to Our Lady of Visitation. The reason is this: originally Parathavars were worshipping the virgin Goddess Bharvathi Amman and the married goddess Meenatchi Amman. Knowing this religious sentiment of the Parathavars, St. Francis Xavier who wanted to divert their devotion to our blessed mother dedicated the Church in 1548 to the Virgin Mary who visited the married Elizabeth. Thus the Church of Perumanal was named by people as “Thaeva Matha Amman Koil”.

Panchal is the substation to Perumanal. Here we have a Church dedicated to St. Ignatius. This is one of the ancient shrines. After 1936 when the Goa mission priests took over the administration of Perumanal Church, the French Mission Jesuit priest settled at Panchal and was serving the French mission people who were supporting him. Later on people from Panchal migrated themselves into various coastal villages such as Idinthakarai, Koothenkuzhi and Manapad.

Present Church at Perumanal was built by Rev. Fr. Rajareegam and was blessed by Rt. Rev. Arockiasamy, Bishop of Kottar on 21st November 1980.