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"Adoration chapel," Shrine of Velankanni, Tamil Nadu, India. -
The ancient image of Annai Velankanni in the basilica, surrounded by Chinese tiles offered by the Portuguese sailors who say that they say a vision of her that saved them from death in a storm at sea. The ancient image of Annai Velankanni in the basilica, surrounded by Chinese tiles offered by the Portuguese sailors who say that they say a vision of her that saved them from death in a storm at sea. -
Tamil speaking worshipers cram one of the back-to-back masses in the lower chapel extension at the rear of the basilica. -
A small image in a business in Tamil Nadu represents three major faiths that coexist there, Islam, Hinduism and Christianity.
Tamil Nadu, “Tamil country,” a state in the south-easternmost part of India, is home to 72 million people whose native language is Tamil. The state is about 6% Christian, according to the 2011 census. Latin-rite Catholics are said to be the largest of the Christian groups. In cities like Chennai, Catholic churches and institutions are quite prominent.
Local tradition claims that the Apostle Thomas preached in Tamil Nadu and was martyred on a hill in Chennai known as St. Thomas Mount. Syro-Malabar and Syro-Malankara Catholic descendants of the St. Thomas Christians live in Tamil Nadu today. The great majority of Catholics are Latin-rite Catholics. The history of the Latin-rite Church begins with the arrival of the Portuguese in 1523. St. Francis Xavier, the celebrated missionary, preached here for a year and was followed by a number of still-celebrated missionaries.
On the southern coast of Tamil Nadu India’s most important Catholic shrine, Our Lady of Velankanni, where Mary is said to have appeared twice in the 16th century, draws millions of pilgrims a year.
