Malankara World

General Interest Reading

Our Lady of Snows Kallikulam Shrine

by Rajakumar

Kallikulam Shrine, Ta,il Nadu, India

Tamilnadu is a holy land having vast number of pilgrimage places of all religions. In this communication, I would like to inform you about one of India's prominent Marian shrine.

Our Lady of Snows Kallikulam is located in Tirunelveli District . In recent days it became popular because of vision and apparition of Our Lady. A strong oral tradition attests to Our Lady’s apparition at Kallikulam. The tradition is built around the following few significant events:

On 1884, the villagers and Jesuit priests decided to build a new church in Kallikulam for Mary. They were undecided and confused about the location of the church.

One day they prayed to Mary and requested her to indicate the location of the new church. In the next morning on a hot summer day of August, they found a snow patch on a particular portion of the land. They believed that Mary only indicated that place to them by a natural sign. On 1886, a magnificent church was constructed in that place and consecrated to Our Lady of Snows.

On 29th March 1939, evening around 6.30 pm, Mary appeared on a hill near to the church. She appeared in the middle of bright white light. Six young people (Gnana Athikkam, S.P. John, M.G. Thomas, D. Thasan, R. Thasan, M.A. Thasan) saw that apparition and informed that to parish priest Rev. Father Marianoos and the village people. Rev. Father Marianoos and the people were uncertain about that apparition and decided to request Mary to confirm that apparition. They prayed to Mary and requested to confirm that apparition by a natural sign. The next day, on that hot summer season, the arid zone Kallikulam got an unusual heavy rain after thirteen years.

Since then, thousands of people of all faiths, from all over India, have visited Kallikulam and have left spiritually strengthened and renewed. Countless unbelievers and physically or mentally afflicted, have been converted and healed. Not only do multitudes of Catholic travel there throughout the year but many non-Christians visit as well. Hundreds of miraculous cures are reported every year. Our Lady of Snows devotions down through the centuries have proved the place to be of divine origin.

For more information about the shrine one can visit the website www.panimatha.com

 General Interest | Church Fathers | Faith | History | Inspirational | Sermons | Library - Home | Baselios Church Home

-------
Malankara World
A service of St. Basil's Syriac Orthodox Church, Ohio
Copyright © 2009-2020 - ICBS Group. All Rights Reserved. Disclaimer
Website designed, built, and hosted by International Cyber Business Services, Inc., Hudson, Ohio