Like a river originating so humbly and meekly as a brook, flowing incessantly and gathering many more brooks, gradually becoming a very big one, our church, Lourdes Forane Church originated from a congregation of merely 25 Catholic families, has become, a great and big parish, gathering many more families in the course of its growth. Today there are 1100 families, around 5000 parishioners in our church.Centuries back, Kottayam was a Christian centre. But after the ‘Koonan Kurishu Sathyam’, the church was split into various groups. There was a large-scale migration to the high range regions. They realised the prospects of the wonder tree ‘rubber’, planted rubber trees and became prosperous plantation owners.The Christians who settled in Kuttanad regions also became rich by paddy cultivation. They worked hard in the rice fields and earned money. These farmers could afford to provide good education to their children; as a result, the next generation saw many efficient lawyers and professionals, among these Catholics.Kottayam was the centre of Kottayam district, with the Civil Station and the District Court. The heads of church, identified the prospects of this place. ‘Sabhabhasuran’ Rev. Mani Nidheerickal selected this region as the centre of his activities related to ecumenism. His follower, Rev.Fr.Thomas Kurialassery, became the first local Bishop of Changanassery. He purchased 16 acres of land near the Civil Station and shifted the minor seminary (which had been functioning in the Bishop’s house at Changanassery) to this place in 1919. But this started to function fully in 1922 only.In the meanwhile, the lawyers who preferred to live in the vicinity of the District Court and the rich Catholics who wished to send their children, to the prestigious educational institutions in and around Kottayam settled down in Kottayam. They attended the Holy Mass at the Seminary Chapel.This Chapel was a ‘Bernadette’s’ Church in the beginning; and later the present name ‘ Lourdes Church’ was adopted. It was Mary Bernadette’s visions of the Virgin Mary, which led to the founding of the Shrine of Lourdes in France. His Holiness Mar.Mathew Kavukattu was the Vice-Rector here for a short period. There was a press attached to the Seminary.The foundation stone for the new church was laid on 18 th March 1934. The construction of the renovated church was completed on 16 th April 1938. The petty seminary was shifted again to Changanassery in 1945. In the meantime, our church has grown into a well-established Christian fellowship. In 1954, 5 acres of land was given free of cost to the Medical Mission Sisters, as they wished to start a training institute for the nuns. The result was a ‘Noviciate’ instead of a seminary- a convent and a school along with a church, is the usual concept of a catholic community.The construction of the Lourdes Parish Hall began in 1976. On 10 th October 1978, Arch Bishop Mar.Antony Padiyara inaugurated the new parish hall. On 25 th April 1982, the renovation of the church was completed. On 13 th December 1982, the parish was raised to a ‘ Forane Church’. On February 23,1992, the Vadavathoor church was inaugurated. On December 12 th 1993, Bishop Mar. Joseph Powathil inaugurated the Lourdes Forane Centre- a glittering chapter in the history of the church. The Platinum jubilee of the church was celebrated from January 29 to February 12, 1995- an occasion for spiritual renewal. Lourdes Public School was started in May 1996. On 30 th January 2000, the blessing of the Lourdes Public School was done by Mar.Joseph Powathil.Today Lourdes Forane Church is one among the excellent, model and rich parishes of Changanassery Arch Diocese. It is a supreme example of God’s mercy showered on a devoted community; renewed to create wonders, among the poor, suffering fellows; it is a community, blessed with Mercy, Love and Concern; it is a communion recharging themselves from the Holy Communion-the Eucharist; holding high the Eucharistic Culture; following the formula-the sum and substance of Pope John Paul II’s Encyclical letter- E.C = 4S + 3L, where E.C = Eucharistic Culture, 4S = Sharing, Silence, Suffering and Surrendering. 3L = Love, Life and Light.Rosamma RajanMethikkalamKalathilpady.

Founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209. Inspired by his ideals of fraternity and minority, we soon began to live in larger communities or "convents" from which the word "Conventual" derives. This was added to the name of our Order to characterize the friars of the community who dedicated themselves to apostolic work promoted centers of studies and did not participate in the reform movements within the Franciscan Order. Though the official name of the Order is Order of Friars Minor Coventuals O.F.M. Conv.It can also be referred to as Conventual Franciscan Friars. We are present in sixty countries throughout the world and are called by the spirit to serve the church and humanity in various forms of ministry by living our Franciscan Charism with its characteristics of Fraternity, Minority and Conventuality. We are the custodians of the Basilica of St. Francis in Assisi, where our father and founder is buried along with his first companions. Among the other early Franciscan churches in which we still minister today is the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, where the tomb of the saint is located. Our permanent presence in India began in 1980.

Vidyarambham Publishers, Alappuzha,Kerala,Book Publishers-General,Devotional,Astrology,Ayurvedam,ThachusasthramAn eminent publishing house with more than eighty years of brilliant heritage, Vidyarambham is a well-known name among Malayalis around the globe.The house has brought out precious books on different categories like Devotional, Astrology, and Ayurvedam etc. for three generations and still continues the course of disseminating knowledge to the public.Founded by Late K. Narayana Chettiar, who entered the world of books by peddling books in and around temple maidans for his livelihood. A man with relentless working nature, he started Vidyarambham Publishers in 1919 in Alapuzha and published books on general interest. His elder son N. Chellappan Chettiar (1934) joined business with his father in 1955 and soon carved out a niche market in Malayalam Publishing by producing books on various subjects. For his various contributions to the book industry, the Federation of Indian Publishers has felicitated him by conferring Award for Significant Contribution to Book Promotion & Publishing in the year 2001. He has served in many committees related to printing and publishing. At present he is a member of All India Federation of Master Printers, New Delhi, Book Development Council of Kerala Government, Trivandrum and in the executive committee of All Kerala Publishers and Booksellers Assosciation. Since early 1955 he was designated as Secretary of Vidyarambham, and still widely known to the industry in that byname.His wife P. A. Ramani manages the Alapuzha Sales Depot. He has 4 daughters and 2 sons. The elder son N. C. Sivaraj is in charge of Trivandrum Depot. (Vidyarambham Publishers, TRIDA Centre, Pattom Road, Medical College PO, Trivandrum 695011). Besides this, he owns the largest Greetings Cards Showroom of the city, Greetings Galaxy, Near Ayurveda College, Trivandrum 695001. The younger son N. C. Rajendran looks after the publishing activities in Alapuzha. He has achieved the Master's Degree in Publishing Science and Printing Technology from Mahatma Gandhi University with First Rank. Before joining the firm he was working in National Institute of Oceanography, Cochin, after his Post Graduation in Oceanography from CUSAT.The extent and diversity of books are amazing that range from Primary Educational books to authoritative titles on Devotion, Astrology, Ayurvedam, and Tachusasthram. The General books include Yoga, Magic, Fables, and Crime etc. In joint with Gayathri Parivar, Santhikunj, Haridwar, the house brings out Malayalam editions of books on Gayathri Devi. The publications are all professionally edited and produced with strict quality control both during printing and finishing line. The prices of the books are always kept a minimum considering chiefly the targeted readers so that it would be bearable to them.The promotion of books are largely done by releasing regular advertisements through leading newspapers and periodicals. The books are marketed out through all leading bookshops across the state apart from our own bookshops at Alapuzha and Trivandrum. The readers can purchase books through mail - the VPP system, which is used widely by people outside Kerala and India. Besides own publications, the firm sells titles of similar categories of other major publishers in the state. The Yogada Stasanga Society of India, Ranchi, appointed the house as the distributor of Malayalam translation of "Autobiography of a Yogi".