Media Release
Mangaluru, Nov 22: The Infant Jesus Shrine at Mughalsarai, situated near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, is part of Christ the King Church which was built in 1935, established mainly for the purpose of attending to the spiritual needs of the railway employees.
It was in 1984 that the Shrine of Infant Jesus was blessed and opened for the faithful of the diocese of Varanasi and for the general public. It was St Mother Theresa of Calcutta who personally inspired the then parish priest of Christ the King Church, Mughalsarai to establish a Shrine for Infant Jesus and dedicate it to the people in 1982.
Since Mughalsarai is within the proximity of only 10 miles from Varanasi, one of the oldest cities of the world and better known as the Holy City, and for all practical purposes it is considered a suburb of Varanasi, and is also approachable by road, rail and air, it was found to be a suitable place for starting the devotion to Infant Jesus.
The feast of Infant Jesus as a pilgrimage is the public manifestation of faith. The feast and the pilgrimage are celebrated on the first Sunday of the advent every year as it is one of the best ways to prepare for the Christmas by paying a visit to the Shrine of Infant Jesus. The feast is marked with pilgrimage by the faithful / pilgrims arriving from different states of India such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharastra, Jharkhand, Bihar, Kolkata, Madhya Pradesh, and the Metropolitan city of Delhi.
This year the feast will be celebrated on November 27. Procession will be taken followed by mass at the shrine. Public manifestation of faith is done by the procession that winds through the Railway Colony and passing by the railway station, goes for one kilometre on the G T Road and then finally ends up in the shrine covering a distance of nearly three kilometres. It is a practice started 30 years ago which has become a tradition now. Every year a particular diocese takes it up to lead the pilgrimage. They come in big numbers with the bishop of the respective diocese leading the pilgrimage.
Now, the purpose of the shrine, among others, as a source of evangelization is being fulfilled. Since some years now, the local public (all of them non-Christians) come more than one hundred thousand in number on Christmas Day for paying homage to Baby Jesus. In the extreme wintry cold, the locals come to the shrine on Christmas Day from 9 am onwards until midnight, bracing the biting cold.
Miracles and favours granted are reported regularly for thanksgiving. Prayers are offered daily, both during the Mass, daily Holy Hour and weekly Novena to Infant Jesus (every Saturday evening) for all the devotees and benefactors of the shrine and also for all those who are sending their petitions. Among the miracles, most of them report of financial crisis being cleared, barren women conceiving, healing of the sick, barriers of the marriage being removed and jobless people getting jobs.
Miracles of the Shrine: Testimonials
Success in my life: Bhim Kumar Tiwari, Mughalsarai
"My name is Bhim Kumar Tiwari, and I am originally from Bihar. I was from a very poor family and I stayed at Mughalsarai on rent with my parents. My father was earning only Rs 2,000 per month then. It was so difficult for me to continue my studies. One day, I reached Infant Jesus Shrine, and felt that Jesus was calling me to come to his presence and study. I just followed his calling and started to come to pray to Infant Jesus in the morning and studied just in front of him at the shrine. I felt everything was very going well. My turning point of life was that Jesus called me to his presence. And I always studied at the Shrine looking at Infant Jesus. For breakfast, lunch and dinner I used to go to my house. Otherwise every activity was with Infant Jesus only. He is in my heart always because he saved me.
"I finished my twelfth and wanted to do further studies and save my family from utter poverty. But found no money. I prayed to my Infant Jesus and he led me to a bank nearby and I asked for a study loan and to everyone’s surprise, the bank manager told me that there was no need of any security against the loan (though security is not needed against the student loan, some managers won’t easily give the loan away without showing some securities). He granted me the loan. In fact, it was Infant Jesus who granted me the loan. I joined engineering on August 11, 2007 in electricals and now I am working in Doha with good salary. I support my family and always speak about my saviour, Infant Jesus. He is my life. He is my everything. Thank you Jesus for making me someone out of nothing."
Infant Jesus intervention into the life of Dr Eugene Rebello, Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh
"I started my real devotion to Infant Jesus at the age of 19 when I was doing my MBBS at St John’s Medical. As usual when we come to difficulties we look for God’s intervention. I did so too. I was on the brim of my toughest exam of medicine. I said the Novena to Infant Jesus for 9 consecutive hours and Infant Jesus got me through with good score. This was the experience when I turned to the devotion to Infant Jesus, the miracle worker. Throughout my life, I see only him, I have surrendered everything to him. And my family does so too.
"I have experience the intervention of Infant Jesus so closely when an accident occurred on Lucknow-Varanasi highway. A boy of 4-5 years of age ran across the road and my car hit him and dragged him along the road for nearly 15-20 meters ahead. I was breathless. All of a sudden from nowhere a white ambassador car reached and a lady and man of around the age of 60, who seemed to be foreigners, open the door of the car. I tried to explain to them about the incident. They were not interested in my narration but took the child and disappeared. I went in search of the child to the nearby government hospital and found the child perfectly alright and safe. Infant Jesus sent them to me to save me from the danger.
"I used to come to the shrine of Infant Jesus, Mughalsarai, with my wife Dr Rosemary Rebello. My wife and I are doctors. And we prayed to Infant Jesus that our sons become doctors and daughters-in-law also be doctors. He gave me all that I asked. We are now 8 doctors in my house. We serve people of Sultanpur with the blessings that we received from Infant Jesus. Thank you Infant Jesus."
I conceived the day I believed: Soni Gurupreeth, Mughalsarai
"My name is Soni Gurupreeth and I belong to a Sikh community. I used to hear from my Christian family friend and neighbour that there are so many healings taking place at the Shrine of Infant Jesus, Mughalsarai. I being so close to the Shrine could not make a visit in public because I belong to the Sikh religion. I was scared to approach the shrine and worried over whom to contact and say my personal problem of not conceiving even 7 years after marriage.
"In the month of April 2016, I heard that a priest from the Shrine was coming to my Christian friend’s family for the Easter blessing. I made a point to be present along with my in-law when the father arrived. After he blessed the house, my Christian friend told the father to pray over her for she did not have a child for the last 7 years. I remember the father asking me if I believed in Infant Jesus, and that he could give a child. I said to the father that I believed. Then the father told me some incident of someon else conceiving after praying to Infant Jesus. I believed totally and the father prayed over me and blessed.
"After a month I felt the signs of preganancy and went to the hospital. The doctor whom I met told me that I was conceiving a child. Wow!!! My heart was overwhelmed with joy. The doctor told me the date of conceiving, and to everyone’s surprise, it was the exact day the father prayed over me in the name of Infant Jesus. That made me happy and strengthened my belief in Infant Jesus. At present I am expecting my delivery this month. And this month is the feast of Infant Jesus also. Thank you Infant Jesus."
Healing of migraine: Gauravi Mishra
"I was disturbed with severe migraine several years. I heard about the Infant Jesus shrine and thought of visiting along with my mother Dr Garima Mishra. I visited the Shrine last year and prayed to Infant Jesus that if my headache (migraine) got healed I would visit this year. Infant Jesus heard my prayer and my severe headache of several years has been healed. Now it is my visit to this Shrine is due this year. Thank you Jesus."
Financial crisis cleared - He saved me from suicide: Meera (name changed)
"I had come to the shrine in the month of October on a Saturday at 3 pm and did not enter the Shrine campus. I was sitting at the gate of the shrine and weeping. One boy walking by saw me and went inside the Shrine and informed the father about me. But the father was preparing for evening worship and decide to meet me only after the prayer was over. This being my first visit here, I did not know where to go and what to do. I only knew that many people come to pray to this mandir (shrine) and go back happy. The father met me after 6.30 pm in the asked me to come in front of the statue of Infant Jesus. Then the father told me not to worry. When my husband reached the front of the shrine, the father called him also and made both of us stand in front of the statue of Infant Jesus and said that if we believed totally, Infant Jesus would give us a way to pay the loan. To his question, I said yes. And he prayed over and called out the name of Infant Jesus to protect and guide us in our poverty. We returned after the prayer home hoping that something would happen.
"It was Saturday when I had gone to the shrine. And on Sunday morning, my mother who was not talking to me for the last 3 years called me to her house, which was far from my house, and compelled me to meet her in the morning itself. I went to meet my mother hastily. When I reached, to my surprise, my mother handed over to me Rs 20,000 and asked me to pay the loans. I was in tears with joy and remembered Infant Jesus. I could not believe myself. For me Rs 20,000 was something worth two hundred thousand at that time of my life-and-death situation. Infant Jesus saved me from poverty and gave me new life. Now I come to the Shrine on Fridays to pray to him. Thanks you Infant Jesus."
Infant Jesus saved me from my illness: Nirmala, Zakaldiha, Chandauli
"I was sick for a long time and the doctors told me to continue the treatment at home as they lost all hope. I was not able to eat anything. The moment I ate I vomited. Therefore, I lost my physical strength and lost hope of living. Then some of my neighbors who used to go the Shrine of Infant Jesus on Fridays encouraged me to come to the Shrine. I reached the Shrine on Sunday. The priest who was there met me and asked what the problem was. I was then not able to talk because I was almost physically weak for not eating for many days. My friends explained to the priest about my condition and he told me to believe in Infant Jesus and I would get healed. I could only listen to what he said. But I was unable to speak, as I had no strength.
"The priest prayed over me in the church itself and he went out of the church and brought an egg. He took the egg, pealed it and touched the statue of the Infant Jesus and gave it to me saying that I should eat it completely in the church itself. Somehow, I got some strength and courage to eat the egg. I ate it fully. I was surprised, I did not vomit. The priest told me believe in Infant Jesus and walk home and I would be healed. My friends took me home and I got healed. I could eat anything from that day onwards. And I got back my strength. Now, I am regular on Friday prayers at the shrine. He saved me from dying. All my villagers admired the rare miracle. Thank you Infant Jesus."
I was mute, I speak now: Prem Kumar, Chandauli, UP
"I was a mute boy. I used to come to the shrine on all Fridays and Sunday mass. I am a Christubhakta (devotees of Jesus) now. I don’t know when it happened to me, but I have been able to speak from 4 months. I reported to the priest at the shrine. I come every week whatever may be the troubles. I got healed. I am able to speak better and better every day. I am trying to catch up with the words to speak. Thank you Infant Jesus for making me speak."
I was dead, now I am resurrected: Bonifes Beck, Mughalsarai
"I am a heart patient from some years. I get treatment from CMC hospital, Vellore. All of a sudden in the month of September, I had chest pain and went into almost unconscious state. My wife took me to a multi-speciality critical care hospital which was very expensive. I was admitted to the CCU and nobody was allowed to visit me. My body was swollen and I was not able to eat because I was unconscious. One fine night, my wife was informed that I was almost over and no more treatment could be given to me. She was asked to take me home as nothing further could be done. At 2 am my wife called up the Shrine in-charge father and told him about the emergency. The priest who my wife talked to told her that he and some parishioners would pray to Infant Jesus that night itself. He told her not to remove me from the hospital. He encouraged my wife to face anything that would happen in the morning. My wife was in tears and got desperate at the hospital. And there was nobody around her other than her brother. But she got some courage and started to pray to Infant Jesus. The priest and the parishioners who he called and messaged at night were praying for me. My wife did not know what was happening inside the CCU.
"As the sun rose up in the sky, my wife started preparing to hear from the doctors. Miracle!!! One nurse came and said to my wife to bring some khichadi (rice and pulses mixed and cooked) for me. She cried out with loud voice in awe at the mercy of Infant Jesus for saving me. Now, I am alive, resurrected from the dead. I believe Infant Jesus is a miracle worker."
I was bleeding, Infant Jesus healed me: Anil Kumar Minj, Mughalsarai
"I was admitted in the railway hospital in the month of October. I was bleeding through the urine. I can’t say it was urine. It was only clotted blood. I was shocked and thought I was finished. The father in-charge of the Shrine was informed at night by one of the Catholic nurses of the railway that I was admitted. He reached the hospital at around 1.am at night and remained with me till 3.30 am. He told me immediately to make good confession and he was praying to Infant Jesus. He also told me that Infant Jesus would heal me immediately after the confession. I was struggling with abdominal pain due to the clotted blood in my bladder or the urinary tract. In that struggle of pain, I made it a point to listen to the priest. I confessed with full heart and mind. The power of the confession was such that I got relieved of the pain instantly. Yes! Instantly. The father left at 3.30 am and I slept till morning.
"In the morning, the father in-charge of the Shrine told me to get discharged from the railway hospital and meet a urologist in Varanasi for all other tests to see what exactly had happened. I went there with my son and four other people to meet the doctor and do the tests. Miracle! The doctor told me there was no issue and he could not find any fault in the system. Yes! I got healed during the confession after which the blessings of the Infant Jesus came upon me."
The Shrine is serving the spiritual needs of the devotees from all walks of life, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. The Shrine has very few numbers of parishioners and most of them are very poor. To continue and uplift the rich history of the Shrine, it is in need of financial support from generous donors.
Hence, philanthropists, donors, organizations and individuals, are requested to come forward and help the Shrine financially to maintain this heritage site:
Bank Details:
Infant Jesus Shrine
A/C No: 100201000002771
Indian Overseas Bank
52 & 53 Patel Nagar Colony Near Mint House,
Nadeshar, Varanasi Cantonment
Uttar Pradesh
Pin - 221002
IFSC Code: IOBA0001002
Pan No:
The Shrine of Infant Jesus
AAA TT 7506L
Contact:
Fr Bipin
bipincj@gmail.com
0091 7388447931
Disclaimer: The above article is purely an appeal for financial support to the Shrine. The opinions and views expressed in the testimonials do not necessarily reflect the views or editorial policies of Daijiworld.