TURN BACK TO GOD

Once the place of worship of the East India Company, the Anglican St Thomas’ Cathedral is believed to be the oldest British building in Mumbai. It was completed in 1718 in a Neoclassical/Gothic style and contains the tombs of many British parishioners.

History of St Thomas’ Cathedral

The Cathedral of St Thomas (named for the first apostle to India) was begun by Governor Aungier in 1676, but after his death the project was abandoned. The church stood neglected with walls 5 meters high for around 40 years until it was adopted by an East India Company chaplain around 1710.

St Thomas’, the first Anglican church in Mumbai, was finally opened on Christmas Day 1718. The cathedral was given the essential “cannon-ball-proof” roof and was originally divided into sections for different classes of society, including one for “Inferior Women.”

What to See at St Thomas’ Cathedral

St Thomas’ Cathedral is a blend of Neo-Classical and Neo-Gothic styles, with a white exterior.

The interior looks much the same today as it did in the 18th century, whitewashed and furnished with polished brass, wood and stained glass windows.

The walls are lined with ornate memorials to British parishioners, many of whom died young of disease or in battle.

The Basilica of Bom Jesus, “Good” or “Infant” Jesus, is a Catholic basilica in Goa, India. It is best known for housing the tomb of St. Francis Xavier, the Jesuit missionary to India and Japan.

One of the richest churches in Goa, the Basilica of Bom Jesus is covered with marble and inlaid with precious stones and paintings depicting the life of St. Francis Xavier. The basilica is considered the finest example of baroque architecture in India.

For Catholics, the chief importance of the Basilica of Bom Jesus is that it shelters the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier. St. Francis’s body was brought to Goa almost 150 years after his death. It was a gift from Medici, Cosimo III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. It now lies in an airtight glass coffin, placed inside a silver casket fashioned by a 17th century Florentine jeweler.

In 1946, the Basilica of Bom Jesus became the first church of India to be elevated to the status of Minor Basilica.

The chapel attracts large numbers of visitors every year.

The ancient city of Prague hugs the hills rising from the river Vltava. Rows of steeples stacked on onion domes pierce the sky, a spectacle that has earned Prague the moniker “The City of a Thousand Spires.”

Prague has seen many wars and conflicts over its long history, but today it is only hordes of tourists that pound its cobblestone streets. There is much to see of religious interest in Prague, including a Gothic cathedral, countless interesting churches, sites associated with the pre-Luther reformer Jan Hus, and a historic Jewish Quarter that is home to the oldest synagogue in Europe.

St. Vitus Cathedral

Its soaring spires visible from all over Prague, the Gothic St. Vitus Cathedral (Katedrála sv Vita) is one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Europe. Construction on the present building began in 1344 and was not completed until the 20th century.

Above the south entrance to the cathedral (through the Golden Portal) is the Last Judgment mosaic. A remarkable work of art in itself, it is also notable in that mosaics are quite rare in northern Europe. The work dates from the 1370s and is made of 1 million pieces of glass and stone. In the center it depicts Christ in glory, adored by Charles IV, his wife and several saints; on the left, the risen dead and angels; and on the right, Satan surrounded by hellfire.

Inside, the square Chapel of St. Wenceslas (Svatováclavská kaple) holds a 14th century tomb with the saint’s holy relics. St. Wenceslas was prince of Bohemia and the “good king” of Christmas carol fame. He founded the original church of St. Vitus on this site in 925 and was killed by his brother four years later. The chapel was built by Peter Parler between 1344 and 1364.

A small door with seven locks in the south-western corner of the St. Wenceslas Chapel leads to the Crown Chamber (Korunní komora) containing the Bohemian Coronation Jewels. It is not open to the public and its seven keys are kept by seven different people. The Royal Crypt contains remains of various royals, but is primarily interesting for the visual history of the cathedral it provides. On the way down the stairs you can see parts of the old Romanesque basilica and the original rotunda church.

A more notable burial is the Sarcophagus of St. John of Nepomuk. According to legend, when Nepomuk was exhumed in 1721, his tongue was found to be not only preserved but pumping with blood. This tale likely served a political purpose: the Church and the Habsburgs needed a new folk hero to replace the reforming heretic Jan Hus. A few years later, Nepomuk was canonized and buried with great ceremony in the present 3,700-pound ornate silver tomb. His tongue was enshrined in its own reliquary.

The Wallenstein Chapel (Valdstejnská kaple) contains the tombstones of its two architects, Mathias d’Arras and Peter Parler, who died in the 14th century.

Old-New Synagogue

The Old-New Synagogue (Czech: Staronová synagóga; German: Alt-neu Schul) in the Jewish Quarter (Josefov) of Prague is Europe’s oldest active synagogue and one of the earliest Gothic buildings. It is still active today.

The Old-New Synagogue is still an active center of worship for Prague’s Jewish community. It is not part of the Jewish Museum and there are no museum displays inside. It is well worth a visit, however, for its Gothic architecture and historic importance.

The single-story synagogue consists of a central prayer hall for men, with the women’s gallary surrounding it. The Old-New Synagogue is the oldest surviving example of the medieval twin-nave type of synagogue. Above the bimah (prayer/reading area) hangs a remnant of a red flag with the Star of David, the Jewish symbol. In 1357, Charles IV, the ruler of the Holy Roman Empire at the time, allowed the Jews of Prague to have their own city flag.

The tattered red banner hanging next to the Jewish flag was a gift from Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III to the Jews for their help in stopping an invasion by the Swedes in 1648 at the end of the Thirty Years War. On the east wall is the Ark which contains the Torah scrolls.

Lourdes (can be pronounced either “lourde” or “lourdz”) is a small town in the Hautes-Pyrénées département in southwest France. Lourdes is the largest Catholic pilgrimage destination in France, and one of the most popular Catholic shrines in the world.

Lourdes lies 497 miles south of Paris in the foothills of the Pyrenees mountains. The small town of only 17,000 inhabitants receives more than 5 million pilgrims and tourists each year because of a set of visions reported by a young girl named Bernadette in 1858. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes incorporates 52 hectares of property and 22 places of worship, including the sacred grotto, two basilicas, and a variety of buildings for pilgrims and the sick. Outside the sanctuary, many pilgrims also visit the Lourdes home of the young visionary, St. Bernadette.

The Basilica of the Immaculate Conception

The facade of the basilica bears a circular panel with the image of Pope Pius X smiling and holding in his left hand the decree of November 13, 1907, by which the Mass of the Apparition of Our Lady of Lourdes was extended to the Universal Church.

The lower circular panel, above the entrance to the Crypt, represents Pope Pius IX who proclaimed the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception in 1854. At the entrance on the right is a marble plaque containing the complete text of the judgement made by Mgr Laurence, recognising the Apparitions as authentic.

The sanctuary of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception holds 500 worshippers. The altar is directly over the place of Apparition. The stained glass windows recall the story of the Blessed Virgin from the beginning to the declaration of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, in 1854, by Pope Pius IX and of the apparitions of Lourdes in 1858. Every hour, the Basilica’s bells play the “Ave Maria of Lourdes.”

Grotto of Massabielle

The Grotto of Massabielle is the site of St. Bernadette’s visions of the Virgin Mary in 1858. The Blessed Virgin is said to have pointed out a previously undiscovered spring in the grotto and instructed Bernadette to drink from it.

The spring water from the grotto is believed to possess healing properties, and the Roman Catholic Church occasionally officially recognizes miraculous healings. Faithful pilgrims, especially those in need of healing, flock to the Grotto of Massabielle to immerse themselves in the grotto’s 17 pools - 6 for men and 11 for women.

Basilica of the Rosary

The Basilica of the Rosary (Basilique Notre-Dame du Rosaire) is one of several places of worship at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in Lourdes, France. It is located below and in front of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. Designed in a Byzantine-influenced Romanesque style in the shape of a Greek (equal-armed) cross, the Rosary Basilica features two unique elliptical ramps embracing a square that can hold almost 80,000 people. Above the main doors of basilica, two mosaic circular panels made in the workshops of the Vatican depict Pope Leo XIII (left) and Bishop Schoepfer of Tarbes and Lourdes (1899-1927).

When she appeared at Lourdes, the Virgin Mary was described by St. Bernadette as holding a rosary in her hand. The Basilica of the Rosary is dedicated to this theme. Its three arches depict the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries. Catholics meditate on these mysteries (events in the lives of Jesus and Mary) while saying the rosary.

Around the central dome, the transepts and the sanctuary contain 15 Chapels of the Mysteries, which are decorated with mosaics depicting the 15 mysteries of the rosary (the five joyous, five sorrowful, and five glorious).

Last week, I made a pilgrimage to Vailankanni Shrine, Tamil Nadu, India. I took some snaps, the best among those are given here…..Click on any thumbnail for the original image.

About:-

The historic Marian Shrine at Vailankanni stands out as a light in darkness to many, who make their way from countries far and near to obtain blessing and healing from their Mother. Pilgrims belonging to every religion, caste and creed flock to the Shrine of Our Lady who meets their every need. As one family, they gather sinking every trace of disparity, a living example of unity in diversity.

Location:-

Amid the calm surroundings of palm groves on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, nestles the magnificent Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Health, Vailankanni. This Marian Shrine which has acquired international repute is popularly known as the ‘Lourdes of the East.’

The place which Our Blessed Mother chose to make her apparition, Vailankanni, was once a tiny insignificant village on the coast of the Bay of Bengal. Now it resembles a flourishing town and accommodates countless pilgrims who visit the Shrine daily. It lies 10km south of Nagapattinam, a port town. Vailankanni itself was once a port and people here had commercial dealings with Rome and Greece, the ancient commercial centres of the World. However, in course of time, while Nagapattinam continued to flourish as a commercial town, Vailankanni lost its importance in this sphere. The canal which was dug for navigation between Nagapattinam and Vedaranyam, lies to the west of Vailankanni.

The Marian Shrine:-

Vailankanni which has developed beyond all recognition in the past twenty five years, has a population of approximately 12000 people. But this number keeps on increasing day by day due to the influx of new settlers. The place has all the facilities found in a flourishing town, such as a post office, banks, hospitals, Higher Secondary Schools, Home for the Aged and Disabled, Medical Stores, Bus Station, Telephone Exchange and all other conceivable facilities.

When one sets foot on the sacred soil of Vailankanni, there is an instinctive feeling that one is on holy ground. It is an unassailable fact that the entire place throbs with the all pervading presence of Mary. Her’s is truly a silent presence that reflects God’s presence in the world through the ages. And it is to experience this silent but powerful presence of Mary that millions of her devotees, irrespective of caste or creed, flock to her hallowed Shrine at Vailankanni. Wherever they come from, their one cherished desire is to have a dharshan (vision) of the ‘holy land’ of Vailankanni, and more so, that of the Miraculous Mother of Good Health.

Apparitions of Our Lady at Vailankanni:-

It is an indisputable fact that God has always been eager to intervene in human history, especially during turbulent times, in a motherly way and so He comes to us through Mary. Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus; she is the Mother of us all. Even in Her glory in heaven, she is still profoundly concerned about the welfare of her children, and that is why she leaves her eternal throne to come down to man to alert him to the dangers to which he is rushing headlong. When we reflect on the apparitions of Our Lady, one obvious fact is that the recipients of the overwhelming favour of her apparitions are children of homes in grip of poverty, children bereft of great talents and intimately acquainted with suffering, children of no consequence in the eyes of the world. Just as in the cities of Lourdes and Fatima, in Vailankanni too, Mary appeared to lowly shepherds of tender age, the only difference being, the two youths who were privileged to have the vision of Our Lady, were Hindus, not Christians. There are very strong and compelling traditional evidences that point to the apparitions of Our Blessed Mother in this village. Among those, there are three outstanding incidents. They are

1) Our Lady’s vision to a shepherd boy
2) Our Lady’s vision to a lame buttermilk vendor
3) Our Lady rescuing Portuguese sailors from shipwreck

1) Our Lady’s vision to a shepherd boy

Approximately 400 years ago, alongside a street known as Anna Pillai Street, there was a small pond and on its bank was a huge banyan tree. Passersby would slake their thirst with the water from the pond. A shepherd boy from Vailankanni used to carry milk everyday to a rich man in Nagapattinam which is 10km away. On an unusually hot summer day, the boy, after quenching his thirst with water from the pond, rested for a while in the shade of the banyan tree. Soon the boy fell into a deep slumber.

Suddenly he was startled by the vision of a lady of celestial beauty holding a lovely child in her arms. Never had he seen such an awe inspiring yet so captivating a vision. With child-like innocence he folded his hands and reverently paid obeisance to the Mother and Child of such breathtaking beauty. The Lady greeted him with a motherly smile and condescended to ask him for some milk for her child. For a moment the thought flashed through his mind as to how he could part with a portion of the milk he was carrying for his master without incurring his ire, yet it was impossible for him to refuse the request of so noble a Lady. He joyfully gave her some milk for her child and seeing a bewitching smile spread over the face of the heavenly baby, the boy experienced deep satisfaction.

When he reached the home of the rich man he begged to be excused for his unusual delay and for the shortage of milk. But when the lid of the milk pot was lifted, it was brimming over with milk. The boy narrated to the rich man all about the apparition he had of a lady of uncommon beauty with a cherubic child. The master was fascinated by the extraordinary phenomenon witnessed by the boy and hastened to the spot where the Lady had appeared with the child. This whole thing spread like wild fire throughout the neighbourhood. The Christians in Nagapattinam were convinced that the vision was that of the Blessed Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus. From that day onwards the tank at Anna Pillai Street has come to be known as ‘Matha Kulam’ (Our Lady’s Tank). Innumerable miracles are taking place even today by drinking the water from the Matha Kulam or by applying it on diseased persons. A chapel now stands at the place where Mary appeared to the shepherd boy.

2) Our Lady’s vision to a lame buttermilk vendor

At the close of the 16th century, there was a poor widow in the village of Vailankanni with a son who was congenitally lame. The lame boy would sell buttermilk at a place known as ‘Nadu Thittu’. It was a slightly elevated spot where there was a huge banyan tree with outstretched branches. The widow would carry the lame boy and leave him at Nadu Thittu with a pot of buttermilk. The boy sold the buttermilk to weary way-farers who would take shelter from the sweltering heat under the banyan tree.

On an extremely hot day, the boy was waiting for his customers, but as no one turned up, he was a little disappointed. But then, in the twinkling of an eye, he saw a Lady of stunning beauty standing before him, holding a baby of dazzling beauty in her arms. The Mother and Child were attired in impeccable white garments. The Lady looked at the boy with a charming smile and asked him for a cup of buttermilk for the child. Without a moment’s hesitation the lad gave her a cup of buttermilk as he considered it a great honour and privilege to render a little hospitality to his seemingly ethereal visitors. With a sense of deep satisfaction the boy saw the Lady feeding her child with the buttermilk he had offered. The Lady then cast a benevolent look at the lame boy and turned towards her Divine Child in her arms as if entreating him to heal the crippled lad. The Mother’s silent request was instantaneously answered. Without the boy realizing it, a miracle had been wrought on him.

The lady gratefully acknowledged the youth’s generosity and requested another favour of him. The lad was to go to Nagapattinam and apprise a certain rich Catholic gentleman of the Lady’s appearance to him and to inform him of her desire to have a chapel built at Vailankanni in her honour. The boy told the Lady that while he was eager to carry out the mission entrusted to him, his physical impairment rendered him incapable of carrying out the mission. But the Lady bade him get up and walk as he was no longer a cripple. Immediately the lad leaped to his feet. His joy knew no bounds when he realised he could walk. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, all the 10km to Nagapattinam. On reaching there, with youthful exuberance he narrated all this to the gentleman. The gentleman had little doubt in believing the lad as he himself had a similar vision of Our Lady in his sleep the previous night, bidding him build a chapel in her honour. Besides, he could see that the lad, whom he had all along known as a cripple, has been miraculously healed.

With the cooperation of the people of that locality whose enthusiasm had been kindled by the miraculous healing of the widow’s crippled son, the Catholic gentleman of Nagapattinam soon put up a small thatched chapel at Vailankanni. An altar was erected in the chapel and a beautiful statue of Our Lady of Vailankanni holding the Infant Jesus in her arms, was placed on the altar. That marked the humble beginning of the Shrine of Our Lady of Vailankanni. The news of the new chapel of Our Lady of Vailankanni spread far and wide, and Christians as well as Non-Christians flocked to the chapel. So many cures were taking place to those who prayed at the humble Shrine of Our Lady, that the statue of the miraculous Mother with her Divine Infant came to be known as Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni (Vailankanni Arokia Matha). A chapel has been recently built at Nadu Thittu where Our Lady appeared to the lame buttermilk vendor.

3) Our Lady rescuing Portuguese sailors from shipwreck

In the 17th century a Portuguese merchant vessel was sailing from Macao in China to Colombo in Sri Lanka. While it was cruising towards the west to reach the Bay of Bengal, it was caught in a violent storm. The waves rose high and lashed violently at the ship and the fate of the vessel with everyone on board was all but sealed. The helpless sailors instinctively fell on their knees and with all the fervour, their sinking souls could muster, besought Mary’s help. They vowed to build a Church in her honour wherever she helped them land safely. Their earnest petition was instantly heard, for all of a sudden, there was a miraculous lull in the winds; the waves subsided and the sea became calm. Soon the battered ship was pushed to safety to the shores of Vailankanni.

On landing, the first thing the sailors did was to fall on their knees and thank God and the Blessed Virgin Mary for having saved their lives. Local fishermen at Vailankanni led the stranded sea men to the chapel built by the Catholic gentleman of Nagapattinam. The Portuguese sailors being devout clients of Virgin Mary lost no time in planning to fulfill their vow in the best possible manner. They set about immediately to remodel the thatched chapel into a modest brick and mortar construction, stopping by every time at Vailankanni to make further modifications to the chapel. Especially, the Chinese porcelain plates they had brought to adorn the altar, illustrating scenes from the Bible, can be seen even today inlaid in the altar of the Shrine Basilica.

Liturgical Timings in the Shrine:-

Everyday Mass:

05.40 a.m. Kaalai Puhazhl (Morning Prayer)

06.00 a.m. Mass in Tamil

07.00 a.m. Mass in Tamil

09.00 a.m. Mass in Malayalam

10.00 a.m. Mass in English

12.00 noon Mass in Tamil

06.00 p.m. Rosary, Novena Prayer and Mass in Tamil

Sunday Mass:

05.40 a.m. Kaalai Puhazhl (Morning Prayer)

06.00 a.m. Mass in Tamil

07.30 a.m. Mass in Tamil

09.00 a.m. Mass in Malayalam

10.00 a.m. Mass in English

12.00 noon Mass in Tamil

05.00 p.m. Mass in Tamil for the Parishioners

06.00 p.m. Rosary, Novena Prayer, Benediction and Mass in Tamil