Dear Brother Paul,
Hi, We are living in a place called Bolgatty Island. Our parish is St Sebastian’s Church, Bolgatty established in 1842, which consists of 750 families, 3016 parishioners, in the Archdiocese of Verapoly. St Sebastian’s Church has received a major makeover and was consecrated in 2013. The feast of St Sebastian is celebrated on the Sunday after the 20th of January each year. There is a palace on our island called Bolgatty Palace, 1.5 miles from my home, built by the Dutch. One of the oldest existing Dutch palaces outside Holland, this quaint mansion was built in 1744 by Dutch traders and later extended and gardens landscaped around it. The building was then the Governor’s palace for the commander of Dutch Malabar, and in 1909 was leased to the British. It served as the home of the British governors, being the seat of the British Resident of Cochin during the British Raj. In 1947, when India attained independence, the palace became the property of the Kerala state and was converted into a heritage hotel resort. Bolgatty Palace has a swimming pool, 9-hole golf course, ayurvedic centre, marina and daily Kathakali performances and is a holiday destination for tourists.
Bye for now,
William
Hoisting the flag on the Feast of St Sebastian: