The Arockia Annai'yin Dallas Tamil Catholic Association, started on August 15th, 2006, to encourage and unite Tamil Catholics living in Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) area to come together once a month to have a Tamil mass and help the community to grow in spiritual life.
Rev. Fr. Peter Chinnappan from Dallas, TX diocese is the founder and spiritual advisor of DTC.
The creation of the DTC has been encouraged and supported by several Tamil priests and families living in and around DFW.
The DTC community wishes to reach out to the Tamil community to share their social, cultural, and spiritual values.
Arockia Annai-yin Dallas Tamil Catholic Community is presently part of Holy Family of Nazareth as a Tamil cultural ministry, located at 2330 Cheyenne St., Irving, Texas 75062 in the Diocese of Dallas, TX
Founder's Profile
Rev. Fr. Peter Chinnappan is from Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India. He studied for the Diocese of Kohima, Nagaland, which borders China and Burma/Myanmar.
He was ordained on April 17, 1985, and worked in the seminary as a Dean and Administrator. Before he came to New York in 1993, Fr. Chinnappan was a pastor and a missionary, and worked in the furthest parishes of his diocese.
He has three undergraduate degrees in Philosophy, Economics and Political Science; and a B.Th (Bachelor of Theology) from the University of Urbanium, Rome. He has two Masters degrees, one in Political Science from Madras University, and an MBA from St. Peter's College at the University of Wales, England. In 1994-95 he studied for a certificate program in TV Program Production using Lumen 2000 projection at Mt. Saint Michael in West Dallas. While studying, he was assigned to St. Cecilia on West Davis Road in Dallas. He worked in a private television program production center in New York for two years before leaving for India in 1997.
On returning to his diocese he worked as a pastor and a communication director, and produced about 30 television programs for both public and private channels, based on social, cultural and biblical themes and values. He was the founder and Director of North East Social Communications (NESCOM). For about 8 years he taught (as a visiting professor) Visual Communications to the students of Theology, and Homiletics to the Deacons. During this period he also conducted over 500 seminars on the impact of social media and visual communications for students, teachers, parents, college students and lecturers, priests, bishops and nuns working in 15 Dioceses of Northeast India.
He returned to Dallas in 2003-04 and served St. Mark Catholic Church in Plano. In 2005-06 he was at All Saints Dallas, where he started the Tamil Catholic community and named it as Arockiya Annaiyin Dallas Tamil Catholics. In 2007-08 as Pastoral Administrator he was at St. Michael in Garland. During 2009-10 he went back to his diocese in India. On returning to the Diocese of Dallas on the eve of Thanksgiving Day 2010, he returned to All Saints, and then served Forney for about 4 years. Fr. Peter was assigned to Prince of Peace Church in Plano, Holy Family of Nazareth Church in Irving and St. Michael's Church in McKinney. In 2023, he was assigned as a Chaplain for the hospitals associated with St. Paul's Church in Richardson and Chaplain for Arockiya Annaiyin Dallas Tamil Catholics.
We are so proud of his vision and thankful for his commitment to the Diocese of Dallas and to Arockiya Annaiyin Dallas Tamil Catholics.
Ministry with Dallas Tamil Catholics
A Report to Rev. Bishop Greg Kelly
Dated: August 2023
📖 Our History
Arockia Annai-yin Dallas Tamil Catholic Association is a part of Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church’s multicultural ministries. It was founded by Rev. Fr. Peter Chinnappan, then the Associate Pastor of All Saints Catholic Church, Dallas, Texas.
The first gathering with the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in Tamil took place on August 15, 2006, with due permission from Most Rev. Charles V. Grahmann, then Bishop of the Diocese of Dallas. At that time, only five Tamil Catholic families were the founding members of Dallas Tamil Catholics (DTC).
Over time, the number of families steadily increased. Initially, the Tamil Mass was celebrated in various parishes within the Diocese of Dallas. However, to establish a regular monthly celebration, a permanent place of worship became necessary.
Prior to moving to Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church in Irving, Texas, the Tamil Mass was celebrated for a period of three years at Holy Cross Catholic Church, The Colony, under the Diocese of Fort Worth.
Dallas Tamil Catholics is supported by Tamil-speaking priests and families residing in and around the Dallas–Fort Worth (DFW) Metroplex. In the year 2013, Rev. Albert Becher, after consultation and approval by the Parish Pastoral Council, graciously shared the sanctuary at Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church, Irving, for the celebration of the Holy Mass in Tamil.
With this blessing, more than 60 Tamil-speaking Catholic families became an integral part of the parish’s multicultural ministries. Today, DTC has grown to more than 200 families.
Holy Family of Nazareth Catholic Church became the permanent abode of Our Lady of Good Health (Arockia Annai / Vailankanni Madha). The installation of the statue took place on December 8, 2018. Rev. Fr. Albert Becher blessed and dedicated the statue of Our Lady of Good Health to Holy Family of Nazareth.
🌿 Our Vision
To strengthen our faith and nurture it within our families through the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in Tamil, catechizing our children, and forming them with strong social, ethical, spiritual, and family values—thus building a vibrant, faith-filled Catholic community.
🎯 Our Mission
The DTC community reaches out to all Tamil Catholics in and around the DFW metroplex to share social, cultural, traditional, and spiritual values, celebrating life together as one family.
We involve every Tamil Catholic family in worship and traditional celebrations such as Adoration, Lenten Retreats, Quarterly All-Night Adoration, Novena for the Birthday of Our Blessed Mother (September 8), and Enthronement of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Currently, Mass is celebrated on the Second and Fourth Saturdays of every month.
✝️ One Faith • One Hope • One Love
One Faith
Faith is man’s response to God who reveals Himself and gives Himself to us. It is the assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things unseen, lived through prayer, sacraments, commandments, and love.
One Hope
Hope is the desire for the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life, trusting in Christ’s promises and relying on the grace of the Holy Spirit.
One Love
God is Love. Through the Holy Spirit, His love fills our hearts, transforming us into Christ and calling us to love all as He has loved us.