Infant Jesus Feast observed in Andhra of South India

A village named Turka Enjyala, which is located 17 km away from the City of Hyderabad, has got its importance within the Catholic community of the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad in Andhra Pradesh, South India. That is because of the Infant Jesus Shrine which is in this village.

In 1920, 14 families headed by Kakumanu Innaiah came to this place from Nalgonda, bought 195 acres of land, and started cultivating it. Fortunately, all these 14 families were Catholics.                                      

They built a small church with thatch and mud and started praying in it. With the intervention of Bishop Dionisio Vismara of Hyderabad at that time, this church was made a sub-station for Saint Joseph's Cathedral, which was the parish then.  

In that village, the first person was baptized in 1920. Since then the number has increased year by year.

In 1955, three acres of land were purchased for the church under the leadership of Father Udumula Antaiah. And a small church was built in 1956.

In 1972, upon the petition of Father Tirumalareddy Papaiah, Emjyala was declared as a parish by then-Archbishop Saminini Arulappa of Hyderabad. 

Soon after that, Father Papaiah started to build a new and bigger church, but due to his untimely death, the construction was completed by Father Tibartis Raj.

The new church was blessed and inaugurated by Archbishop Arulappa and Saint Joseph was assigned as the patron for the church.

However, a few devotees of Infant Jesus from Hyderabad started visiting this church and started praying Novena of Infant Jesus with the parish priest's permission.

Father Chinnabattini Chinnaiah, the parish priest in 1979, had foreseen that this place would gain importance and be declared a Shrine. He started the custom of celebrating the Infant Jesus feast every year.

In 1980, the descendant of the Sultans Family—Vazir Sultan Papali donated the present Infant Jesus Statue to the church. At their request, the Infant Jesus feast is celebrated on the second Sunday in February every year. 

Father Chopparapu Arogyam, the immediate successor of Father Chinnaiah, popularized the Shrine in his six-year tenure (1980-1986) when the miraculous intervention of a lame boy who could walk was reported at the Shrine.

All the parish priests later have played their part in developing the Shrine and leading the pilgrims in faith.

This year, the Shrine celebrated the Infant Jesus feast on February 13. Thousands of faithful participated in the feast.

Bishop Rayarala Vijaya Kumar of Srikakulam offered the Mass in English followed by the Eucharist in Telugu by the Archbishop Antony Poola of Hyderabad.