Indian bishop says Vatican approval makes Marian shrine ‘Lourdes of the East’

MUMBAI, India – At the beginning of August, the Vatican gave its approval of devotion at the popular Marian shrine of Our Lady of Good Health in Vailankanni, India, a move Bishop-elect Sagayaraj Thamburaj of Tanjore said lets people know they “can have easy access to our beloved Mother” at the site.

On Aug. 1, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) sent the letter to Thamburaj – who is due to be consecrated the Bishop of Tanjore Diocese on Aug. 18 – issuing a nulla osta to devotion at the Vailankanni Marian shrine, which is Asia’s biggest Marian shrine and is visited by millions of pilgrims annually.

Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Vailankanni date to the 16th century, when Mary allegedly appeared to a man carrying milk to a customer, asking the man to give the milk to the child she was holding.

A shrine to Our Lady of Health was later established in Vailankanni.

“I was very happy to receive such a communication from the DDF, the document speaks so highly of Mary’s shrine of Velankani, it is almost considered something like Lourdes of East,” Thamburaj told Crux.

“Our beloved mother is always revealing herself as caring for the sick. Therefore, in Tamil also she is known as Arokia Matha – Our Lady of Good Health. It is how she is known here,” he continued.

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“Therefore, I was very happy to receive the letter from the DDF. The fervent faith of our people who come to Velankani and the tremendous love and respect they have for Mother Mary,” the bishop-elect said.

In their letter – signed by the prefect, Argentinian Cardinal Victor Fernandéz – the DDF noted that the shrine has also become a popular destination for non-Christians who seek spiritual graces.

“Some of them are healed of their illnesses and many find peace and hope. Without doubt, the Holy Spirit is also at work in them, responding by Mary’s intercession,” the letter said, saying the interreligious presence at the shrine “should not be considered as a form of syncretism or mixing of religions.”

“The Sanctuary is a place where the closeness of Mary, who welcomes everyone and demonstrates the love of the Lord to those who reflect on it, is manifested. Those who cannot receive the sacraments of the Catholic Church are not denied the consolation of the Mother of Jesus,” the letter said.

Thamburaj told Crux he appreciated the document because it says though thousands of people of other faiths come to Velankani, “it’s not a matter of syncretism.”

“A significant factor is the letter mentions that people of other faiths, other denominations also come in great numbers, in great multitudes and people come without any regard for caste creed or religious affiliation, poor and rich, urban and rural. Everyone is welcomed by Mother Mary, but not only on special days but throughout the year  hundreds of thousands of people coming to Velankani,” he said.

“So we get God’s love for us, Christ’s love for us in the person of Mother Mary. So people feel that they can have easy access to our beloved Mother. she can pray for them, listen to them, intercede for them and get them God’s blessings, and they get it. The people get the motherly Love of God in Velankani,” the bishop-elect explained.

“While teaching in the seminary on Theology of Missions – mission of the church, I would emphasize – that we speak and promote inter-religious dialogue and ecumenical efforts of the Catholic Church. Christ is the way and Gospel should be taken to the ends of the earth… Not all gods are same. Not all religions are the same,” Thamburaj said.

He added he was “personally very happy” Pope Francis recognized the significance of shrine and “he is exhorting people to keep up this particular spirit.”

In the letter, Fernandéz said Francis has a special affiliation for popular piety and for the Vailankanni shrine, and that for this reason, he has offered a special blessing to all pilgrims who will attend the Sept. 8 celebrations there.

“It is not merely a matter of bodily health…but also one that touches the soul,” Fernandéz said, saying, “Contemplating the image of Mary we can all recognize the love of Jesus Christ that can heal our sadness, our anguish and our fears.”

Thamburaj said the Velankani shrine is “a place to have a God experience.”

“People should feel Velankani is an abode of God and an abode of Mother Mary,” he told Crux.

“Therefore, I am happy that the shrine is attracting international recognition and the Holy Father has given his own recommendation and exhorting people to go to Velankani with this particular understanding,” the bishop-elect said.