Pilgrim Centre Single


Ellur, Our Lady of Nirmalagiri Church
Name:
Ellur, Our Lady of Nirmalagiri Church
Estd:
5th May 1978
Feast Day:
Dec-08
E-mail: aarondirisina@yahoo.com
Website:
Telephone (O) +91 8813-278628 
  Contact: Gowripatnam Post  Nirmalagiri  West Godavari Dist  Andra Pradesh - 534 313     
History
In the year 1974, on 10th May on this lonely deserted land the first seed of Christianity was sown by Rev. Fr. Dominic ofm Cap. The year 1976, 9th December, was a very special year and the day for West and East Godavari Districts. It had the happy memory of the bifurcation of the diocese from Vijayawada and the erection of the new diocese of Eluru and the election of Bishop John Mulagada as its first Bishop. In the year 1977, 5th May Bishop John Mulagada was consecrated and on 8th of May he took charge of the Diocese as first Bishop. n 1978 on 5th May, while Bishop was traveling from Eluru to Visakhapatnam, his native diocese for blessing a Church, his car got broke down exactly in front where the present shrine is situated. After he got out of the car, he noticed the steep forest hill on which the ascending and descending of the sheep and the shepherds and the flowing of the small streams from the hill tops. He was totally attracted to the blossom of the  nature. While he was immersed in the aesthetic atmosphere, he could hear  a divine inner voice  speaking to him that “Do not be afraid, I am with you always, I will protect you from all dangers and I want you to build a shrine dedicated to Blessed Mother Mary through which all should honor Her here at this place.  His immersion into the Divine was disturbed when his driver said, the car is repaired let us proceed further. Bishop assigned Fr. Jose Kaimlett, the then Bursar of the Diocese, to Nirmalagiri to design and construct the shrine and other institutions around. Fr. Jose Kaimlett masterfully designed the shrine in Indian style bringing the culture of the nation clubbed with local colour. So the diocese at present is called the "Temple diocese of Andhra”. In 1984, Fr. Kunnakatt Augustine was appointed Director of the shrine. In 1987 Nirmalagiri was  declared as an independent parish with Fr. Guzzula Michael as its first parish priest. During his tenure, he put up steps leading to the hill, stage and hall. source: www.nirmalagiri.org (2012)