Vallarpadam basilica

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Facade of the basilica
inner space

The Basilica of Vallarpadam , also  Basilica of Our Lady of the Ransom of Prisoners ( English Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom ) is a Roman Catholic national shrine on the island of Vallarpadam near Kochi in the Indian state of Kerala . A large pilgrimage center, which belongs to the Archdiocese of Verapoly , was built around the site of the only recognized Marian apparition in India . The church with the patronage of Mary from the ransom of the prisoners bears the title of a minor basilica .

Location

Vallarpadam Island lies to the west next to Bolgatty Island and is linked to the mainland of Ernakulam by the new Goshree bridges . It is about 3.5 kilometers long in north-south direction and has a population of 10,000. Vallarpadam is about a kilometer from mainland Ernakulam.

history

The image of Mary with the baby Jesus, today part of the main altar of the basilica of Vallarpadam, was brought to India by Portuguese merchants under the direction of Vasco da Gama in 1524 and hung in the Church of the Holy Spirit dated that year. This is said to have been destroyed by the Dutch or a flood. The current church was completed in 1676.

The Mother of God is ascribed many miracles, most of which are about salvation from maritime disasters. In May 1752 the noblewoman Meenakshi Amma is said to have sailed to Mattancherry with her son. When the boat capsized in a storm, Meenakshi Amma promised the Virgin Mary under the name Vallarpadathamma that they would be her adimas (servants) until her death if they were saved by her, which happened then. Meenakshi Amma and her son were baptized as Christians and were named Mary and Jesudas.

The historic Marian pilgrimage site on the island of Vallarpadam was declared an important pilgrimage site by the Indian government in 1951. The Indian Bishops' Conference proclaimed it in 2004 as the Catholic national shrine . Pope Benedict XVI elevated the church to the rank of minor basilica on December 1, 2004.

Web links

Commons : Basilica of Vallarpadam  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom on gcatholic.org
  2. ↑ a b c Vallarpadam Church on indianmirror.com (English)

Coordinates: 9 ° 59 ′ 24 ″  N , 76 ° 15 ′ 0 ″  E