Sts. John & Stephn

Periathazhai is one of the places frequented by St. Francis Xavier. He had also put up a thatched Church at Periathazhai. In 1550 Rev. Fr. Henry Henriques built an enlarged Church with red mud wall and thatched roof. St. John the Evangelist was the Patron Saint. In 1597 this Church was burnt to ashes by Asiriyapperumal of Vijayapathi. 1603 the Church was rebuilt.

In 1635 Rev. Fr. John Peraira became the parish priest. He built a spacious Church and it was blessed in 1639. St. Stephen was the Patron Saint of this Church. Although on 12th November 1930 Bishop Tiburtius Roche laid the foundation stone for a new Church, only on 13th November 1963 Rev. Fr. T.K. Dhason Dalmaida started the work of building the Church. It was blessed by Bishop Ambrose Mathalaimuthu on 14th May 1978 when Rev. Fr. John Xavier was the parish priest. Rev. Fr. Jeya Jothi built the presbytery in 1992.