Our Lady of Snows Basilica
Encyclopedia
Our Lady of Snows Shrine Basilica is located at Thoothukudi
, Tamil Nadu, India
. It is one of the Catholic pilgrimage
centres in India
dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
consecrated it to Our Lady of Snows. In 1542 St. Francis Xavier visited the shrine to catechise the Paravas
, the indigenous people of the Pearl Fishery Coast
, and to strengthen them in Christian faith. The history of the shrine is closely connected with the mass conversion of the paravar community, numbering about 30,000.
In 1982, when the Church of Our Lady of Snows celebrated its 400th anniversary, Pope John Paul II
raised it to the status of Basilica
through his apostolic letter Pervenute illa Dei Beatissimae Genitricis Effigies.
which is used to carry the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Snows around the town during her feast day. The Golden Car first appeared in procession on 2 February 1806 and since then on 5 August of every year. A big star rests over the royal crown on the top of the car, signifying the name of Our Lady as the Star of the Sea (Stella Maris). The statue is one of three works of religious art originally brought by explorer Ferdinand Magellan
to the Philippines
, the others being the Santo Niño de Cebu
and the Manapad
altar crucifix
.
Golden Car History : *About Golden Car
Thoothukudi
Thoothukudi , also known as Tuticorin, is a port city and a Municipal Corporation in Thoothukudi district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thoothukudi is the headquarters of Thoothukudi District....
, Tamil Nadu, India
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
. It is one of the Catholic pilgrimage
Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
centres in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
History
The church was built during 16th century, and dedicated to St. Peter. Later JesuitsSociety of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
consecrated it to Our Lady of Snows. In 1542 St. Francis Xavier visited the shrine to catechise the Paravas
Paravas
Parava or Paravar , also known as Parathavar , Bharathar , Bharathakula Pandyar or Bharathakula Kshathriyar is a caste in southern India that in ancient times were subordinate Tamil chiefs and coastal fishermen, as well as, according at least to one modern writer, "ferocious...
, the indigenous people of the Pearl Fishery Coast
Pearl Fishery Coast
The Pearl Fishery Coast refers to a coastal area of southern India, extending along the Coromandel Coast from Tuticorin to Comorin.The coast took its name from the presence of pearls on the coast, and the numerous fisheries that operated to exploit them....
, and to strengthen them in Christian faith. The history of the shrine is closely connected with the mass conversion of the paravar community, numbering about 30,000.
In 1982, when the Church of Our Lady of Snows celebrated its 400th anniversary, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
raised it to the status of Basilica
Basilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
through his apostolic letter Pervenute illa Dei Beatissimae Genitricis Effigies.
Golden Car
To show their love and gratitude, devotees presented a golden carTemple car
Temple cars are chariots used to carry representations of Hindu gods. The car is usually used on festival days, when many people pull the cart....
which is used to carry the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Snows around the town during her feast day. The Golden Car first appeared in procession on 2 February 1806 and since then on 5 August of every year. A big star rests over the royal crown on the top of the car, signifying the name of Our Lady as the Star of the Sea (Stella Maris). The statue is one of three works of religious art originally brought by explorer Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, the others being the Santo Niño de Cebu
Santo Niño de Cebu
The Santo Niño de Cebú is a Roman Catholic figure of the Child Jesus highly similar to the Infant Jesus of Prague. Like the image's counterpart in Prague, the figure is clothed in expensive textile robes mostly donations from fervent devotees in the Philippines and abroad...
and the Manapad
Manapad
Manapad is a coastal village in India, 60 km from Tuticorin and 18 km south of Tiruchendur, and one of the first places to be visited by St. Francis Xavier in 1542 when he initiated missionary activity on the Fishery coast. Francis Xavier is said to have lived and prayed in a cavern on...
altar crucifix
Crucifix
A crucifix is an independent image of Jesus on the cross with a representation of Jesus' body, referred to in English as the corpus , as distinct from a cross with no body....
.
Golden Car History : *About Golden Car
See also
Other Catholic pilgrimage centres- Basilica of Our Lady of Good HealthBasilica of Our Lady of Good HealthThe Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is located at the small town of Velankanni in the state of Tamil Nadu in southern India. The Roman Catholic Basilica is devoted to Our Lady of Good Health...
, VelankanniVelankanni TownVelankanni , officially spelled as Vailankanni , also spelled as "Velanganni" , is a Parish under Tanjore Roman Catholic Diocese and a panchayat town in Nagapattinam district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu...
, Tamil Nadu, India. - Holy Cross Church, ManapadManapadManapad is a coastal village in India, 60 km from Tuticorin and 18 km south of Tiruchendur, and one of the first places to be visited by St. Francis Xavier in 1542 when he initiated missionary activity on the Fishery coast. Francis Xavier is said to have lived and prayed in a cavern on...
, Tamil Nadu, India. - Poondi Matha BasilicaPoondi Matha BasilicaOur Lady of Lourdes Basilica, Poondi, is a Catholic pilgrimage centre located in Tamil Nadu, South India. Poondi is a small village located in Thiruvaiyaru Taluk , about 35-km away from Thanjavur...
(Our Lady of Lourdes Basilica, Poondi), Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India. - KamanayakkanpattiKamanayakkanpattiKamanayakkanpatti is a small village in Kovilpatti Taluk in Thoothukudi District in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.- Demographics : India census, Kamanayakkanpatti had a population of 2426. Males constitute 50.05% of the population and females 49.05%. Kamanayakkanpatti has an average literacy...
Church of Our Lady of Assumption (பரலோக மாதா திருத்தலம்) - Our Lady of Snow KallikulamOur Lady of Snow KallikulamThe Church of Our Lady of Snow is a Roman Catholic Marian church in Kallikulam, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Catholic pilgrimage centers in India dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary. In recent times it became popular because of vision and apparition of Mother Mary....
(Our Lady of Snow Church, Kallikulam), Tamil NaduTamil NaduTamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
, India. - St. Stephen's Church, Kombuthurai
- MaravankudieruppuMaravankudieruppuMaravankudieruppu ' is a village in the juridiction of Nagercoil Municipality, located three kilometres south of Nagercoil, the capital of Kanyakumari district in the state of Tamil Nadu in India. It is a predominantly a Catholic village, mostly centered around the church of Our Lady of Snows...
, Our Lady Of Snows, NagercoilNagercoilNagercoil is the 12th largest city in the southernmost Indian state of Tamil Nadu and a municipality and administrative headquarters of Kanyakumari District...
External links
- www.snowsbasilica.com
- www.snowschurch.org
- Snows Basilica About Golden Car