Yanam was a French YANAM (1846) enclave and they built an indigo factory there in 1750. Priests coming from Goa were visiting Yanam. The first group of St. Francis De Sales came from Pondicherry to Yanam at the end of January 1846. Their Superior Fr. Jacques Martin stayed there while others proceeded to Visakhapatnam. But Fr. Mar tin died of sunstroke after 3 months, but eversince there were resident priests at Yanam. The church at Yanam was constructed in 1848 when there were a number of Frenchmen there, chiefly indigo planters. In 1859 the French government built the present Church. Once the French people left, the number of Catholics went down and Yanam remained almost a deser t for Christian Faith. Many Fathers tried to sow the seed of Faith, but all in vain, when the last French priest Fr. A Gangloff died in 1957 after living at Yanam for over 36 years, the catholic population of the parish was only 30. The Indian Priest sent to Yanam to succeed Fr. Gangloff was Fr. Mathai Mappilakunnel, a zealous young missionary. Bishop Baud sent him there purposely to do work among Ad paganos. He went about on his motor- cycle far and wide contacting many towns and villages of East Godavari District. Wherever he went people asked “who are you? one knows Lutherans, Baptists, Pentecost preachers, Seventh Day Adventists etc., but we never heard about Catholics.” Fr. Mathai explained, made friends, At the end of the first year there were 247 catholics and 150 catechumens. The work he star ted progressed and in the past 25 years Mandapeta, Draksharam, Gangavaram were erected as independent parishes separating from Yanam.
The Grotto has its own history. In 1943 an American ship ‘William B ogden’ went aground near Sacramento light house near here. All the effor ts for one year to flot it were of no use. The engineer E H Sweeney made a vow and recited rosary. Soon the ship sailed back. So as a gratitude, in memory of his wife E H Alber ta Landry Sweeney of New Orleans, he built the Grotto.
With the transfer Fr. Mathai Mathew to Kakinada in 1979, the Mass conversions ended and individual conversions began , mostly women. At the same time there is a gradual drifting away of old catholics. In 1993 the Lourdhu Matha Shoping complex was built.
On 28.8.94 bishop Mariadas blessed the rennovated presbytery and blessed new the chapel at Kolanka Village chapels were built in number of places 6.11.1996, was a horrible day for the people of East Godavari. Severe cyclone hit the East Coast killing many people and cattle, uprooting thousands of poles, trees, and damaging thousands of houses. Rt. Rev. Dr. K. Mariadas bishop of Vizag came to the rescue of Victims through the diocesan social service society, with rice, dal, cloths and medicines. Volunteers from Jesuits, JMJ’s, Marie Stella college students helped Yanam parishioners in very inconvenient and trying circumstances for 20 days. The Jesuits also have taken par t in rehabilitation programme. They distributed more than 80,000 tiles, 300 rice drums to the hut dwellers, stationary to all the students, in 1st phase. In 2nd phase they helped nearly 100 people who were constructing houses with the help of A. P Housing Board, For two years they sponsored 11 Balawadi centres. Then came the turn of Charitas India and the Diocesan Social Service Society. In 6 villages of Yanam parish, Tallarevu, Georgepeta, Injaram, Kolanka, Namavanipalem and Kuyyeru 350 houses with RCC roof were built, irrespective of caste and creed. On 26.7.1998 Dr. C Rangarajan, the honorable governor of A.P. has inaugurated the houses and handed over the keys to the beneficiaries, in the presence of Rt. Rev. Dr. K. Mariadas, bishop of Visakhapatnam, M. P., Ch. Ramachander Rao, M.L.A., Tallarevu, Rev. Fr. Ivan Joseph, executive director, caritas India, many more government and Church dignitaries and people. With 155 years of Catholic Presence and the past history Yanam parish is marching towards an alround development.