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Summary
There are three major events associated with Our Lady
of Good of Health in Vailankanni. The Virgin Mary is said by tradition
to have appeared to a shephered boy named Tamil Krishnannesti
Sankaranaranayam who offered her child milk. She is subsequently said to
have appeared to and healed a crippled boy selling buttermilk. A group
of Portuguese sailors attribute being saved from a violent storm to her
intercession. They constructed a larger chapel at their landing spot in
Vailankanni.
Our Lady of Good Health
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Summary
There are three major events associated with Our Lady
of Good of Health in Vailankanni. The Virgin Mary is said by tradition
to have appeared to a shephered boy named Tamil Krishnannesti
Sankaranaranayam who offered her child milk. She is subsequently said to
have appeared to and healed a crippled boy selling buttermilk. A group
of Portuguese sailors attribute being saved from a violent storm to her
intercession. They constructed a larger chapel at their landing spot in
Vailankanni. |
Timeline
| 1550? |
A shepherd boy named Tamil Krishnannesti
Sankaranaranayam was performing his usual duty of carrying milk from
Vailankanni to his master at Nagapattinam. Despite the morning
freshness, fatigue overcame him as he was passing by a water pond at the
Anna pillai street at Vailankanni. Placing the milk-pot near the banyan
tree by the water pond, the boy fell into an unusual slumber, only to
be startled to his feet by the sweet vision of a beautiful Lady holding
in her hand a most charming child of divine appearance. As the boy was
still taken by surprise, the Lady asked for some milk for her child
which the boy then reverently offered.
The impatient master did not believe the story of the
boy. But to the greater astonishment of all present, the milk began to
surge over the pot and flow out. On reaching the place of apparition,
the gentleman and others began to believe in the her appearance. This
place began to be called, "Matha Kulam" (Our Lady's Tank). |
| 1600? |
Around the end of the 16th century, a poor
widow and her lame son lived in Vailankanni. Every day the lame boy
used to sit under a banyan tree at a place called 'Nadu Thittu' (central
mound) and sell butter-milk to the thirsty wayfarers. One day, a very
bright light appeared in front of him and from amidst the light, a Lady
of peerless grace with a divine Child in her arms, asked the boy for a
cup of butter-milk. Then She directed him to go and inform a catholic
gentleman at Nagapattinam to put up a Chapel in her name on the spot of
her apparition. The boy realized that his legs had become normal upon
the word from the Lady. With great joy, he ran to Nagapattinam to carry
out the errand. Having been already directed in a vision by Our Lady,
the Catholic gentleman, with the support of the people, built a Chapel
at 'Nadu Thittu' where now stands the present Shrine Basilica. The Lady
was called, 'Our Lady of Good Health'. |
| Sep 8, 1650? |
In the 17th century, a Portuguese merchant
vessel was caught in a giant storm in the Bay of Bengal as it was
sailing from Macao in China to Colombo in Ceylon.The helpless sailors
prayed fervently for Mary the Star of the Sea to save them.
They vowed to build a Church in her name,
wherever they could land on. The stormy sea became calm. Their ship
landed near the shore of Vailankanni on the 8th September, the Feast of
the Nativity of Our Lady.
They transformed the thatched Chapel erected by
the catholic gentleman of Nagapattinam into a beautiful stone-built
Chapel. On their next visit, they decorated the Altar with porcelain
plates, illustrating biblical themes. These plates giving testimony to
their thanksgiving to Our Lady, are seen even today around the throne of
the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Good Health, over the main altar
of the Shrine Basilica. From that time the Feast of Our Lady of Good
Health is celebrated every year preceded by hoisting of the flag on
August 29th. |
| Sept 1771 |
Vailankanni which had been a substation of Nagapattinam Parish, was raised to the status of a Parish. |
| 1920 |
The Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health was renovated for the first time. |
| 1933 |
The Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health was renovated for the second time. |
| Nov 3, 1962 |
His Holiness Pope John the XXIII, raised the
Shrine to the status of 'Basilica' on the 3rd November 1962. The
apparitions of Our Lady, the Miraculous statue of Our Lady, the
countless miracles, the magnificent architecture and beauty of the
Shrine, were the motives for this Shrine to become a Basilica. |
| 1975 |
The extension Basilica was blessed and opened. |
| 1985 |
The little Chapel at Our Lady's Tank, was rebuilt and blessed |
| Dec 31, 2012 |
Celebration of the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Health |
Photo Gallery
There are currenty no photos available for Vailankanni.
Description of the Virgin
The Virgin Mary appears a beautiful lady with a divine
Child in her arms. She asked for milk in both of her apparitions at
Vailankanni.
Messages
There were no messages given during the apparitions at Vailankanni.
Miracles, Cures, and Signs
Many miracles have been reported at the Shrine Basilicia of Our Lady of Good Health.
Approval
The apparitions of Our Lady of Good Health have not
been formally approved but are implicitly approved by the elevation of
the church to basilica status.
In 1962, the bishop of the diocese, Dr. R.A. Sundram went
to Rome to attend the second session of the Second Vatican Council. At
this time he requested that the Holy Father raise the ancient shrine of
Our Lady of Vailankanni to the high rank and dignity of a "minor
basilica". The request was carefully looked into and magnanimously
granted. His holiness Pope John XXIII graciously issued orders raising
the sshrine to the exalted state of a minor basilica. Thus the shrine
basilica of Vailankanni became linked to the St. Mary Major Basilica in
Rome.
Click here to read Pope John XXIII's Apostolic brief.
Shrine
 The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Health
Vailankanni (Thanjavur Diocese ), India
http://vailankannishrine.net
Church Rd, Velankanni
Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu 611111, India
+91 4365 263 423
Books and Videos
God-Sent: A History of the Accredited Apparitions of Mary
by Roy Abraham Varghese
Santos, S. R . The Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health, Vailankanni. Don Bosco Press; 12th ed., rev. and enl edition (1983)
Links
The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Health at Vailankanni in Thanjavur Diocese, India
Our Lady of Health Vailankanni Shrine
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