Church Festivals in renewing faith: Ave Maria! Our Lady of Snow of Tuticorin Flag Hosting, July 26th, 2012

Apostolic mission of Mary began from the announciation,as she set out to see the Elizabeth soon after the announciation. Our heavenly mother, Mother of God, the virgin Mary, is continuing her apostolic mission through out the world through the Catholic Church. Catholic Church festivals evoke the faith and stimulate and motivate the faithful in their journey in this world. Mother Church intercessions are unified with the intercessions of Mary and offered to her Son our Lord Jesus Christ as interceded at the Cannan festival. Catholic Church festivals and traditions are the testamental miles stones of church active faith life. Festivals boost the faith energy among the people and elevate their meaning of this temporal life. Catholic church festivals are equal to the family banquets where friends and families are invited to share and participate. As mother church gathers her children under her wings through out this earthly journey through various faith filled activities and banquets, festivals are oasis of heavenly grace upon people's simple faith, as the grace blessings, and virtues follow the exercise of faith.

Begining of the last week of July marks the begining of Mother Mary's festivals through out India, especially in Tamil Nadu, which is a state within south India. Today is the begining of Our Lady of Snow festival celebration in Tuticorin Tuticorin  is known for pearl industry, so this city is called as pearl city. Solemn function of flag hosting by the the Bishop of Tuticorin today marks the initiation of festival celebration.The function is announced in news papers, television news through out the state.  This year expected pilgrimage to the church is about 5,000000 people during this festival time, as per the parish priest report to the news. Our Lady of Snow church, where I recieved my confirmation stays close to my heart. This church is situated at the shore of bay of Mannar sea. Tuticorin costal plains were evangelised by St. Francis Xaviour, Fr. Beschi, and many other missionaries. Let us unite ourself with the faithfuls who are celebrating the pilgrimage to this church during this festival time and journey with them in faith saying rosary in the honor of our Lady of Snow of Tuticorin. Ave Maria!

Information on the Church:

Our Lady of Snows, Tuticorin

ST. FRANCIS IN TUTICORIN

Tuticorin is one of the oldest seaports

in the world and was the scene of some of

St. Francis Xavier‘s most felicitous work.

When he arrived in 1542 it was under the

control of the Hindu prince Vettum Perumâl,

but the machinations of the Portuguese

colonial profiteers were also very

much evident (they almost drove St. Francis

to despair). There was already a large

Catholic population in the town as eight

years before 30,000 Paravars (the caste of

Pearl Fishers who lived along the southeast

coast down to the tip of India) had

converted from Hinduism to Christianity.

St. Francis stayed for two years to

catechise these recent converts. He took

many pains to learn the Credo, Pater, Ave,

Gloria, Salve and Confiteor in Tamil (a herculean

endeavour)....

....and, taking a bell, I went ringing it

right through the town to collect as many children

and adults as I could. Having gathered

my audience, I held forth to them, twice each

day until, at the end of the month, they had

learned the prayers. I then arranged for the

children to teach their fathers, mothers, sisters,

brothers and neighbours, the lessons which they

had acquired in my school.

St. Francis repeated this exercise in

the villages north and south of Tuticorin.

During my stay I was besieged by crowds of

people who wanted me to come to their huts

and pray for their sick.; So numerous were their

requests...but I had not the heart to deny any

of their requests ....I told the children who had

memorised the Christian Doctrine to betake

themselves to the homes of the sick, there to

collect as many of the family and neighbours as

possible, and to say the Creed with them several

times ...[and] owing to their faith, God has

shown great mercy to their sick, healing them

in both body and soul.

The high altar of the Basilica of Our Lady of Snows on her feast day (5th August).

The Basilca was built in 1713

The 5th August is a holiday in Tuticorin

where 50% of the population are Catholic..

A holy throng of faithful come to pray to Our

Lady of the Snows on her feast.

5

THE STATUE

The beautiful wooden statue of Our

Lady of Snows in the Basilica was originally

kept in a chapel in a Convent of the

Augustinian Sisters in Manila, Philippines.

St. Francis Xavier had to spend a few days

in Manila on his way to China (1552) and

was very much attracted by the beauty of

the statue.

In his heart of hearts, he desired it for

the newly converted Paravars of Pearl

Fishery Coast as his gift, for he had noticed

their great attachment towards

Hindu goddesses such as Madurai

Meenakshi and Kanyakumari Bhagavathi

Amman and thought this beautiful statue

of Our Lady of Snows would be the best

means of leading them away from these

false gods.

But when he expressed his wish to the

sisters, they turned down his request—

they loved the statue too. Later, however,

when they came to know of the death of

St. Francis Xavier on Sancian Island in the

same year, they remembered his request

and immediately sent the statue to

Thoothukudi by a ship named SANTALENA

(St. Helena). The ship arrived

on 9th June 1555.

OUR MASS CENTRE

The Mass Centre of Tuticorin was the

first Mass Centre to be established in India

(1986). It still resides on the property of

Miss Josephine Caleb. The chapel is now

too small for the congregation and there

have been a number of ingenious attempts

to acquire a new site on which to construct

a chapel, but all without success.

The greatest obstacles are the usual ones:

shortage of priests and money. Two novices

of the Consoling Sisters, Srs. Maria

Celina and Maria Theresa, were members

of this Mass Centre.

Our Lady of Snows, Tuticorin

The beautiful statue of Our Lady of the Snows is almost 500 years old and is still the object of great

veneration. It is wonderful to think that St. Francis prayed before this statue to which many miracles

have also been attributed .

The pious congregation of St. Francis Xavier’s Chapel at Miss Caleb’s house in Tuticorin on

5th August. In the centre is Rev. Fr. Xavier –Ignatius, our long-serving collaborator.