Pray for us and Heal our Hearts

Our Lady of Vailankanni

Our Lady of Vailankanni, also known as the "Lourdes of the East," is a Marian apparition and a revered Christian pilgrimage site in India. It is located in the small coastal town of Velankanni in the state of Tamil Nadu. The title "Our Lady of Vailankanni" is associated with a series of miraculous events and visions of the Virgin Mary that have occurred in Velankanni.

The devotion to our Lady of Good Health is attributed to three separate miracles: The rescue of Portuguese sailors from a deadly storm, the healing of a handicapped boy who was a buttermilk vendor, and the apparition of a shepherd boy who found his jug full of fresh milk in spite of him giving some to the Madonna and Child. The devotion has existed since the mid-sixteenth century. The shrine that began as a thatched chapel in the mid-sixteenth century was converted to a stone church by the Portuguese sailors. It became a parish church in 1771 and was raised to the status of Minor Basilica on 3rd November 1962 by Pope John XX111. He called the shrine “The Lourdes of the East”.

Feast and Celebration

In two of the three miracles, Our Lady appeared as a beautiful lady with a child in her hand. It is believed that her clothing had the colors of blue and white. The thing about Marian Apparitions is that the depiction of Mary’s appearance reflects the demographics of the local population where she appeared. Given that the apparition happened in South India where the women are dressed in silk sarees and wore some gold, irrespective of what background they came from, her image carries the same grandeur.  She also wears a crown with 12 stars symbolizing the twelve tribes of the Old Testament and the twelve apostles in the New Testament.

The Feast of our Lady of Velankanni is celebrated on the 8th of September which is also the Feast of the Nativity of Lady. It was on that day that the Portuguese soldiers were brought safely to the shore at Velankanni. The novena to our Lady of Velankanni starts on the 30th of August, the day after the flag is hoisted, till the 7th of September. 

One of our OITS members was fortunate to witness the Flag hoisting that happened on August 29, 2023, at Velankanni Basilica, India.

Display of devotion to Our Lady

  1. Many in Tamilnadu do Pada Yatra (Pilgrimage by foot) every year during this time. You will see people from all walks of life and from all religious backgrounds doing this very cheerfully in gratitude for all the blessings they have received.

  2. Since she is a Mother not just to Catholics but to all who believe in her, you will see different types of worship under one roof. You will see people donating their hair. You will see people preparing a tray with images of different body parts for which they are praying for healing, go to the beach and pray to face the church, and then come back and offer those images in the petition for healing. You will also see people walking on their knees from the entrance of the church to the altar praying the rosary

  3. While most of the mass and offerings happen in the new church, it is a tradition to visit the old or the original church where you will see images of the three miracles

  4. Another tradition is to walk on your knees (see picture below) on the sand path between the new and the old church saying the rosary or walking the Stations of the Cross.

  5. You can see babies being lifted to the statue of our Lady of Velankanni for blessing. Also getting rose petals from the garlands that adorn her along with salt, Holy Water and Holy Oil is a must for every pilgrim

Testimony

“I personally have walked on my knees on the sand path between the New and the old church when we visited Velankanni once as a family and I remember Jonathan trying to remove the stones on my path (he must have been in kindergarten at that time) and Ethan holding a water bottle in his hand to hydrate me. Pradeep and I also walked from Annanagar to the shrine in Besant Nagar in Chennai but when I see the thousands walking the many kilometers to the Shrine in Velankanni or participating in the festivities without worrying about the huge crowds or whether they are getting a hotel room to stay, we can see the power of her presence not just among Catholics but among all the people who come to her aide.”

- Rubina Anthony, OITS Member

Sr. Grace, Member of OITS Prayer Group at Vailankanni, Tamil Nadu

A swarm of people at Vailankanni

Pilgrims walking on their knees towards the Pond

The Chapel in Nadu Thittu where the Mother Appeared for the First time

The Prayer

Dear Mother,

Sometimes as Catholics, we tend to take for granted the faith that has been given to us so freely. We get so caught up in the worries and struggles of life or the things of the earth that we do not realize how privileged we are to receive our Catholic faith a faith that we can practice without any inhibition. We do not realize how privileged we are to have you as our Mother, someone who not only understands our struggles but is also ever willing to come to our rescue. Someone who is there to bring us back to our Lord, every time we go astray. Be with us Mother and help us to be united with you and our Lord Jesus Christ, not just in times of need, not just when miracles or healing is required but ALWAYS… Amen

Credits: Rubina Anthony, Member, OITS Prayer Group