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McNicholas students hold open doors for new students.

Welcome to Diocese of Thanjavur

McNicholas students hold open doors for new students.

Very Rev. Dr. L. Sahayaraj Administrator of Thanjavur Diocese

McNicholas students hold open doors for new students.

"The guest of our soul knows our misery; He comes to find an empty tent within us - that is all He asks."

McNicholas students hold open doors for new students.

"He remains among us until the end of the world. He dwells on so many altars, though so often offended and profaned."

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Welcome of the Diocese of Thanjavur

The Diocese of Thanjavur was created on November 22, 1952 through the papal bull “Ex Primaevae Ecclesiae” when it was bifurcated from the ancient See of Mylapore. It had to wait for four more months for the nomination of its new bishop. Most Rev. Dr.R.A.Sundaram, an illustrious son of the soil, was nominated the first Bishop of Thanjavur on February 4, 1953 and was consecrated at Chennai on 19th March 1953. It is interesting to note that in 1843 itself, the then Apostolic Prefect of Pondicherry, Msgr.Bonnand proposed that Thanjavur be erected an Apostolic Vicariate.

Mylapore had become a diocese in 1606 and was the third oldest diocese of India till it was amalgamated with Madras in 1952. Its jurisdiction extended from the present Diocese of Thoothukudi in Tamilnadu to what is now known as West Bengal. Many missionaries including Franciscans, Augustinians, Dominicans and Jesuits like Robert de Nobili (the Father of Tamil Prose), Balthasar da Costa (the founder of Thanjavur Mission), John de Britto (the first Jesuit saint in India), Antam de Proenca (whose Tamil Portuguese, Dictionary was the first of its kind to be printed) and Costanzo Giosseffo Beschi (fondly called by the Tamils Veeramamunivar, who was the author of the Tamil Catholic epic Thembavani, the first European scholar to scientifically study Tamil grammar and compose new Tamil grammar both in Tamil as well as in Latin and the first to compile a Tamil Tamil Dictionary called Saduragarathi) had toiled laboriously in the area presently covered by Thanjavur Diocese.

History of Diocese

Students are challenged to pursue their God-given brilliance and radiate it out into the world.  This is represented by three reaching strands of light that connect to form a cross. The three lines of the cross signify the Trinity and remind us of our strong, Catholic values.

Our Parishes

The strong M proclaims our school spirit and our strong culture of participation.  Every student contributes in our experiential environment of doing — not watching. Our size and our broad array of teams, clubs, retreats, service opportunities, and classes allow students to maximize their opportunities while learning from each other. After all, we all benefit when everyone is in the mix.

Our Priests

The outer strands of the cross symbolize the Brotherhood and Sisterhood or our coed community while the center strand extends to express the Good we can do together. The cross embraces the M and signifies that all Rockets, young and old, are bonded together. 

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