“Faith, determination relentless efforts have paid off for the Tamil parishioners,” said Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam, who consecrated the building.

“Now people have a new and spacious church in which they can worship in coming years," he said.

The colorful ceremony was attended by a crowd of priests and nuns, and thousands of parishioners, many of them fisher folk.
“You stumbled and fell several times but you were determined to built it,” Bishop Savundaranayagam said in honor of the achievement.

The church in the harbor town has taken 27 years to complete.