Annai Velankanni Church Festival

The Velankanni Church Feast is a tenday festival held in the Velankanni Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health at Nagapattinam Every year during the month of September the festival invites millions of devotees to the shrine The event has been celebrated magnificently ever since its inception in the sixteenth century Preachers commemorate the celebration to give thanks to God as they believe it brings wealth and good health into their lifeHistory and Significance Being one of the largest Catholic churches in the country the shrines history dates back to the 16th century According to mythology Lady Mary performed three miracles in this village The first miracle states the appearance of the Lady in front of a shepherd boy asking for milk The slumbering shepherd was astonished to see the jug full of milk even after offering the Lady This remarkable event led to the construction of a small shrine called Maatha KulamThe Mothers Pool It is believed that the second Mary appearance took place nearby Maatha Kulam to a disabled boy selling buttermilk who saw a lovely woman carrying a child The Lady instructed the boy to build a chapel near the location as the boy healed out of his disability The third occurrence took place when a Portuguese ship travelling from Macao to Ceylon Sri Lanka was stuck in extreme storms in the Bay of Bengal The frightened mariners prayed to Mary known as the Star of the Sea seeking rescue It is believed that Lady Mary appeared in front of the sailors and rescued the ship from the extreme storms The sailors as an act of gratitude rebuilt the shrine and continued to stay devoted to the Mother Mary The shrine holds a majestic idol of Annai Velankanni Annai refers to the Mother and Velankanni refers to the village in the Nagapattinam district During this 10day feast the shrine embarks the festival by hoisting a Holy Flag The devotees undergo fasting to celebrate the occasion The Mother Mary is taken in procession around the shrine as millions of devotees parade following the deity by singing Her glory Every year the shrines see millions of worshippers even from other religions seeking the blessings of Mother Mary for good health and wealth