Our Lady of Good Health

Accounts of the apparitions of Mary at Velankanni have been passed down through oral tradition from the 16th century; as well as the rescue of the Portuguese in Goa and Bombay-Bassein, who were sailing through a deadly storm, off the coast of the Coromandel region in the 17th century.[2]

According to tradition, the first apparition is said to have occurred to a young boy delivering buttermilk to a man, who lived far away. During his travels, the boy stopped to rest beside a lake that was shaded by a Banyan tree. A beautiful woman, carrying a child, is said to have appeared, and asked the boy for some milk to feed her child, which he gave. When he reached the home for his milk delivery, he apologised for the delay and that there would be less milk in his pot. But when they opened the lid of the milk pot, the container was brimming with milk.[2]

The second apparition is alleged to have occurred a few years later. A lame boy would sell buttermilk to passing travellers, who would pause in the shade of a large Banyan tree, to escape the heat of the day. However, he had no customers. According to the account, suddenly, an ethereal woman, holding a child appeared before him, and asked for a cup of buttermilk. He gave her a cup, which she fed to her child. The woman asked the boy to go to Nagapattinam, and find a certain Catholic man in the town, and tell him to build a chapel at Vailankanni in her honour. Apparently cured, the boy ran to Nagapattinam, where he found the man and told him his story. The Catholic men of Nagapattinam subsequently built a thatched chapel at Vailankanni, dedicated to Mary under the title of "Our Lady of Good Health".

In the 17th century, a Portuguese merchant vessel sailing from Macau to Ceylon was caught in a severe storm in the Bay of Bengal. The sailors prayed fervently for Mary, Star of the Sea to save them, and promised to build a church in her honor wherever they could land. The sea became calm, and their ship landed near Vailankanni on 8 September, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary. To honor their promise, the Portuguese rebuilt the thatched chapel into a stone church. The church was later renovated twice in the early 20th century.[3]

Although these alleged apparitions have not been formally approved by the Holy See, they were implicitly approved by Pope John XXIII's 1962 elevation of the Vailankanni church to minor basilica status. The Pope's apostolic brief noted that pilgrims in large numbers had been visiting the shrine for a long period of time, and that it was hailed as the "Lourdes of the East".[3][4][5]

Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health

A Gothic-styled basilica stands in Velankanni in memory of the apparitions. The basilica erected by the Portuguese and the Indians stands at the site where the buttermilk seller saw Mary and Jesus.[6] The iconic depiction of the Madonna is unique in that it is one of two only icons where Mary is portrayed wearing an Indian Sari, while the other statue is said to have been buried with Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor.[7] The basilica is known as a site for pilgrims from all over India and its assembly of multilingual prayers every day.[8]

8 September, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, is also commemorated as the feast of Our Lady of Good Health. The celebration starts on 29 August and ends on the day of the feast.[9] The feast day prayers are said in Tamil, Marathi, East Indian, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Konkani, Hindi and English.[10]

The following churches and shrines in locations around the world are dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health.

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Mariology of the Catholic Church
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Overview Prayers Antiphons Titles Hymns to Mary Devotional practices Saints Societies Consecrations and entrustments Veneration
Prayers Angelus Fátima prayers Flos Carmeli Hail Mary Hail Mary of Gold Immaculata prayer Magnificat Mary, Mother of Grace Mary Our Queen Memorare Sub tuum praesidium
Antiphons Alma Redemptoris Mater Ave Regina caelorum Regina caeli Salve Regina
Titles of Mary Theotokos (Mother of God) Mediatrix Mother of the Church Our Lady of Good Counsel Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Sorrows Our Lady of Victory Our Lady, Star of the Sea Queen of Heaven Queen of Peace Queen of Poland Refugium Peccatorum (Refuge of Sinners) Untier of Knots Virgin of Mercy
Hymns to Mary Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star Immaculate Mary Avé de Fátima Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming O sanctissima Regina Caeli Stabat Mater
Devotional practices Acts of Reparation Consecration to Mary First Saturdays Rosary Seven Joys of the Virgin Seven Sorrows of Mary Three Hail Marys
Movements and societies Sodality of Our Lady Congregation of Marian Fathers Company of Mary (Montfort) Marianists (Society of Mary) Marist Fathers Marist Brothers Schoenstatt Movement Legion of Mary World Apostolate of Fátima (Blue Army) Mariological Society Our Lady's Rosary Makers Marian Movement of Priests Fatima Family Apostolate Queen of Angels Foundation
Apparitions Approved, with widespread liturgical veneration endorsed by the Holy See: Fátima Three Secrets of Fátima Guadalupe Knock La Salette Lourdes Miraculous Medal Walsingham Dowry of Mary
Key Marian feast days Mother of God (1 January) Candlemas (2 February) Annunciation (25 March) Assumption (15 August) Nativity (8 September) Holy Name (12 September) Presentation (21 November) Immaculate Conception (8 December)
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The Tamil language film Annai Velankanni was made in honor of Our Lady of Good Health with the title Annai Velankanni in 1971. It was directed by K. Thankappan, starring Gemini Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, K. R. Vijaya, Jayalalitha and Padmini.[14]

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  Velankanni Main Basilica and Flag during Feast
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  Velankanni Basilica - Extension - Front View
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  Veilankanni Basilica - A Panoramic Side View - Church and Church Extension seen at a stretch
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  Veilankanni Basilica - Left side view
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  Veilankanni Basilica - Right side view
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  Veilankanni Basilica at Dusk
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  Veilankanni Church Pond
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  Pilgrims walking on their knees towards the Pond
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  Veilankanni - Adoration Center
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  Velankanni Basilica
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  Chapel in Nadu Thittu where Mother Mary appeared for the first time
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  A Chapel for St. Sebastian at Velankanni

There is a comparable devotion to Mary under the title Nuestra Señora de la Salud. In Pátzcuaro, in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Morelia the Basílica de Nuestra Señora de la Salud is named in her honor, as well as a church in San Miguel de Allende.[15]

There is a shrine to "Nuestra Señora de la Salud" at San Nicolas de Tolentino Parish Church (Quezon City).[16]

In Venice she is celebrated on November 21 under the title Santa Maria della Salute.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Our Lady of Health.

• Catholic Church in India
• Velankanni Town
• Holy Infant of Good Health

• Sanctuary of Our Lady of Vailankanni – Official website
• Marian Shrine of Vailankanni TV – Live streaming