Eighty two Indian pilgrims, mostly fishermen today participated in the consecration ceremony of the newly constructed St Anthony's Church at Katchatheevu Island in the Palk Strait. 

Official sources said here Rev.Fr.Justin Gnanaraj, Bishop of Jaffna diocese, Sri Lanka lead the mass in the presence of Fr.Antony Jayaranjan of Delft Island, besides the Sri Lankan and Indian pilgrims. 

The Indian pilgrims were led by Rev.Fr.L.Sagayaraj, Priest of Verkodu Parish (Rameswaram) and Rev.Fr.Amalraj, former Vicar General of Sivaganga diocese. 

Though the Sri Lankan government had accorded permission for 100 Indian pilgrims to participate in the church inaugural ceremony, only 82 pilgrims were allowed by Indian authorities. Earlier, the Indian pilgrims left in three boats to Katchatheevu from Rameswaram fishing jetty after a thorough check up by the security agencies. 

The Indian Navy accompanied them till the International Maritime Boundary Line. The pilgrims would return to Rameswaram this evening. The church consecration ceremony, scheduled earlier for December seven, was postponed by the Sri Lankan government to December 23, following the demise of late Chief Minister J.Jayalalitha. 

The Ramanathapuram diocese had built the church in Katchatheevu over a century ago and dedicated it to St.Anthony. It was controlled by the Ramnad Zamindari centred in Ramanathapuram, and became part of the Madras Presidency. However, the 285-acre uninhabited Island in the Palk Strait northeast of Rameswaram was ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974 by India. 

The Jaffna diocese pulled down the 110-year-old church and constructed a new church with the assistance of Sri Lankan Navy according to WI.