St. Joseph's Church,  Irussumanda

St. Joseph’s Church, Irussumanda was established in 1984 in the Diocese of Eluru, following the bifurcation of Pallivela Parish, which is 15 km away. From its inception until 2002, the parish was administered by the diocesan clergy of Eluru. In 2002, the late Rt. Rev. Bishop John Mulagada, then Bishop of Eluru, invited the Vincentian fathers from Congregation of the Mission(CM) to take charge of the parish. The first Vincentian parish priest was Fr. Sunny Vadakambadan CM. Recognizing the dedicated service of the Vincentians, the diocese officially entrusted the parish to them ad usum perpetuum in 2006. Since then, the Vincentian priests have been actively working towards enhancing the spiritual, social, and educational life of the faithful. Several priests have served as parish priests, including Fr. Sunny Vadakambadan CM, Fr. Sunny Kuttikad CM, Fr. Joseph Ponmalakunnel (late), Fr. Jayaraj CM, and Fr. Thomas Enjikal CM. Currently, Fr. Vinay Sagar CM serves as the parish priest. Assisting in the pastoral ministry is Catechist Tummala Krupavaram, along with the FCC Sisters of St. Tom Province, Eluru. The parish has three substations—Modekuru, Linepeta, and Nadepuvaripalem, each with its own chapel. Additionally, the parish is organized into ten family units under its jurisdiction. The FCC Sisters run an English Medium School and a Snakebite Healing Centre. Additionally, they actively engage in adult education, healthcare, and women empowerment programs. During the tenure of Fr. Sunny Kuttikad CM, a beautiful shrine dedicated to the Holy Family and the Sacred Heart was constructed. The St. Vincent de Paul Society was formed by Fr. Sunny Vadakambadan CM the the parish priest, is now actively involved in supporting the poor and needy of the parish. To strengthen youth participation, St. Joseph’s Youth Group has been formed in April 2024 under the guidance of Fr. Vinay Sagar CM. The St. Vincent’s Retreat Centre was established in 2016, during the tenure of Fr. Jayaraj CM, the then parish priest, at Nadepuvaripalem, one of the substations. St. Vincent’s Feast is celebrated here annually. The parish is dedicated to St. Joseph, and the feast is celebrated on May 1st every year.

<< Go back to previous page