Sunil D'Cruz
Vailankanni, Sep 10: A sea of pilgrims attended the multilingual festal Mass to celebrate the birthday of Mother Mary on the evening of September 7 and September 8 at the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health at Vailankanni, Tamil Nadu. The bishop of Thanjavur, Dr T Sagayaraj, celebrated both the concelebrated festal Masses at the open-air auditorium.
In his homily, Dr T Sagayaraj said, "Mother Mary is the spring of good health. People come to a spring because they are thirsty. Generations after generations of pilgrims come to Vailankanni not only because they are thirsty for good health but because they are thirsty for peace, consolation, hope, forgiveness, and healing. Mother Mary tells us not to worry because we have Emmanuel, which means 'God with Us'. God is there for everyone in our sufferings. Emmanuel is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the source of living water from the spring."
Mother Mary, the mother and first disciple of Lord Jesus Christ, is known for her powerful intercessions. Vailankanni is the place where thousands of miracles, healings, and blessings have taken place since the 16th century, when Mother Mary with Infant Jesus appeared to a milk boy and later to a lame buttermilk child vendor. She also helped save Portuguese sailors caught in a storm and ensured that they landed safely on the shores of Vailankanni. Offerings in silver and gold for vows fulfilled are kept in the Museum of Offerings at the sprawling basilica complex.
Francis Jacob (42) from Pune said, "I have been visiting Vailankanni every year for 30 years since the age of 12, except during the two COVID-19 years. My 76-year-old father has been coming here for 60 years. I have been blessed with a baby boy while my sister has been cured of mouth cancer."
Fatima D'Souza of Gorai, Mumbai, said, "Mother Mary has blessed me immensely. In September 1996, I came to Vailankanni with nothing and no money. My uncle brought me here and paid for my expenses. Within three months, some marriage obstacles got removed and I got married on December 7, on the same day as my brother. Our family has been blessed with a flourishing hotel business. Ever since, I have been coming for the feast every year for the past 30 years."
The rector of the Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Fr C Irudayaraj, said, "Pilgrims come from all over the world. In India, we have pilgrims coming in from different parts of Karnataka, including Mysuru, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, West Bengal, Mumbai, and Mizoram. Slowly, we have started receiving devotees from North India. I have met the railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and am very thankful to him for giving us special trains from different parts of India including Goa for the feast this year."
He continued, "We have renovated Our Lady's Tank, the place of the first apparition, making it more a place of prayer. We have also renovated the main basilica with Rajasthan white marble. We also have about 2,000 rooms in the AC and non-AC categories for the benefit of pilgrims."
Through her three apparitions in Vailankanni and other places around the world such as Lourdes in France, Fatima in Portugal, Guadalupe in Mexico, and Walsingham in England which have become pilgrim centres, Mother Mary plays a magnanimous role in the Roman Catholic Church and leads millions of devotees to Lord Jesus Christ. Generations after generations shall call her Blessed.