St. Francis Of Assisi Church, Nattakal

St. Francis Of Assisi Church, Nattakkal, the only Conventual Franciscan Parish in Kerala, was blessed and consecrated on 17 September 1994 by His Grace Mar George Valiyamattam of Tellicherry. The church was erected as a parish in 2003 in the Eparchy of Thalassery. There are 140 families in the parish. The church is locally known as the Malabarinte Paduva (Padua of Malabar). The patron of the parish is St. Francis of Assisi, and his feast is celebrated each year on the first Sunday of October. The feast of St. Anthony of Padua is celebrated as a parish festival in the month of January. An annual Padua Bible Convention is held in preparation for the feast. On every first Friday special prayers and a vigil service are conducted. Anthonian devotion is celebrated every Tuesday. Special Rosary Devotion begins in the month of October and lasts until the Feast of the Immaculate Conception in December. Forty hour adoration is also celebrated at this time.