1544 by them and dedicated to St.Stephen, first martyr of the church, who was handed over as the patron saint of the entire caste by St.Francis xavier, on the last Tuesday in the Tamil month of Thai from the year 1543 which is the spring season that finds mention in letters of St.Francis Xavier to St.Ignatius of Loyola in 1543. This feast of st.Stephen, the first martyr is the traditional feast of this church initiated by st. Francis Xavier himself. the other being on 2 January, which is followed from 1980s by villagers who are all living in Kombuthurai. this church was inactive after the inhabitants moved out of this place, due to suppression of Christians but exact reason has not been studied, but the mass were conducted on the traditional feast day and on special occasions such as a thanksgiving by Patagati / Pattamkatti family, but the church, the altar on which the saint Xavier offered mass and the statues are taken care of by the Kombuthurai villagers this church and another church in punnakayal, which were once the dwelling place of Patangati / Pattamkattians, were funded by MANUEL DA CRUZ (lived in Kombuthurai), the chief of Patangatians Head and king of pearl fishery coast. this church have been patronized by the Patangatians, the chiefs of villages in pearl fishery coast and wardens of the churches of pearl fishery coast who consider this church to be their chief church just like the Patangati consider Our Lady of Snows Basilica, tuticorin. in 1983, this church was taken as a substation of the virapandianpattinam parish. During 1980-84, people from kanyakumari came and settled here in search of livelihood. After nearly 461 years of existence, this church was made a parish on 20 August 2004 by Bishop Peter Fernando (Tuticorin Diocese). On 2013, this church was rebuilt by the new inhabitants and was dedicated on 1 May. Occupation: Fishing There are more than 100 of boats in kombuthurai. They using different methods to catch fishes. One of the best place for buying fresh fish like seer fish,(vangiram or seela meen),Tuna varieties(paara meen),Seer cod(Azhuva meen), Cuttle fish (kanava), etc. They are working 6 days in a week except Sunday List of Parish Priests Fr. Pratheesh(2021-Present) Fr.Sakaya Joseph(2019May-2021) Fr.Vilson(2018–2019April) Fr.John Mariya costa(2017-2018) Fr.Victor Lobo(2012-2017) Fr.Alexander(2009-2012) Fr.JayaJothi(2008) Fr.Denis Vaiz(2007) Fr.William Santhanam(2004-2007) Footnotes References The life and letters of St. Francis Xavier Francis Xavier, Saint, 1506-1552