Catholic Student Credits Bible Reading, Parish Support for Tamil Quiz Championship

Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, July 7, 2026: A Catholic student from Tamil Nadu has attributed her victory in a popular state-level Tamil television quiz competition to daily reading of the Holy Bible, attentive listening to Sunday homilies and the encouragement she received from her parish community.

Divina, a student of Velumanikam Montessori Matric Higher Secondary School in Ramanathapuram, led her team to the championship title in Tamilodu Vilaiyaadu, a Tamil language and intellectual game show telecast on Kalaignar TV. The team emerged winners after competing against finalists from 36 schools, selected from an initial pool of more than 100 institutions.

"My greatest desire was to make my parents, especially my mother, proud," Divina told Church communicators after the competition. "Every Tamilian loves the language, and so do I. But what kept me going through every round was the dream of seeing my mother happy."

She said the victory was the fruit of perseverance, teamwork and faith.

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"When you overcome so many hurdles to achieve your goal, the joy is beyond words," she said. "It was our team's hard work, guided by God's grace, that brought us this victory. I had only heard about 'tears of joy' before, but when we were declared champions, I simply couldn't stop crying."

The first person she embraced after the announcement was her mother.

"I told her, 'Amma, every bit of our struggle has paid off. I won, Amma,'" Divina recalled.

Her mother, Subitha, a music teacher and member of the parish choir, said the family endured years of hardship after relocating to Ramanathapuram but found strength in prayer and the support of the local Church.

"When we first arrived here, we had no one to turn to," she said. "We experienced many struggles and humiliations. But when our parish priest honored my daughter before the entire congregation during Sunday Mass, all those painful memories seemed to disappear. The Church embraced us and encouraged us whenever we felt weary."

Divina believes her command of Tamil was strengthened by her faith.

"I read the Holy Bible every day," she said. "I also listened carefully to my parish priest's homilies and noted the unique Tamil words he used. Slowly they became part of my own vocabulary."

She also acknowledged the guidance of Brother Stephen of Arul Saandru Academy, who supported her throughout the competition and later honored her at the institution.

Father Singarayar, the parish priest, said the Church has a responsibility to recognize and nurture the talents of young people.

"We identify children's gifts through parish ministries, Sunday schools and cultural activities," he said. "When young people are encouraged and appreciated, they grow in confidence. Our mission is to help them develop holistically so that their talents become a blessing for both the Church and society."

Hosted by television presenter James Vasanthan, Tamilodu Vilaiyaadu tested contestants on Tamil language, grammar, literature and general knowledge.

For Divina, however, the championship represents more than academic success. She says it stands as a witness to the power of faith, family and a parish community that believed in her long before she stood on the winner's podium.

By Catholic Connect Reporter