Our Lady of Good Health

Our Lady of Good Health Our Lady of Vailankanni Holy Mother of Good Health

Location	Velankanni, India
Date	16th and 17th century
Witness	Young boy
Type	Marian apparition
Holy See approval	Pending approval by the Holy See
Shrine	Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, Velankanni, India Feast day, 8 September

Our Lady of Good Health (Tamil: ஆரோக்கிய மாதா Ārōkkiya mātā), also known as Our Lady of Vailankanni, is a celebrated Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary believed to have appeared in Velankanni Town, Tamil Nadu, India.^[1] According to traditional beliefs, the Marian apparition is said to have occurred to a young boy delivering milk to the neighbourhood when the Virgin Mary, carrying the child Jesus, is said to have appeared. This apparition has not been approved by the Holy See.

The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health erected by the Portuguese and the Indians stands at this site. 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 .^[2] The basilica is known as a site for pilgrims from all over India and its assembly of multilingual prayers every Christmas.^[3]

History

Statue of Our Lady of Vailankanni wearing the traditional Indian sari costume, with a floral garland and royal sceptre on her right hand.

Though there is no historical document or record about the reputed apparitions of Mary at Vailankanni, only oral tradition ascertain the two apparitions in the 16th century and the saving of the Portuguese sailors from a tempest in the Bay of Bengal in the 17th century.^[4]

Basilica

Main article: Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health

Basilica (Extension) of Our Lady of Good Health

Roman Catholic Mariology

A series of articles on

General articles
Mariology Encyclicals History Popes Saints Societies Veneration of the Blessed Virgin
Devotions
Acts of Reparation Consecration to Mary First Saturdays Hearts of Jesus and Mary Immaculate Heart Rosary Scapular Seven Joys Seven Sorrows
Dogmas and doctrines
Assumption Co-Redemptrix Immaculate Conception Mediatrix Mother of God Mother of the Church Perpetual virginity Queen of Heaven
Expressions of devotion
Art Churches Hymns Music
Key Marian apparitions
(approved or worthy of belief) Banneux Beauraing Fátima Guadalupe La Salette Laus Lourdes Miraculous Medal Pontmain

A Gothic-styled basilica stands in Velankanni in memory of the apparitions.

Feast day

September 8, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary, is also commemorated as the feast of Our Lady of Good Health. The celebration starts on 29th August and ends on the day of the feast.^[5] The feast day prayers are said in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Konkani, Hindi and English.

Other churches and shrines

Velankanni Shrine, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Annai Velankanni Shrine, Anna Nagar, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Our Lady of Good Health Church, Kottapattu, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
Church of Our Lady of Vailankanni, Farla, India.^[6]
Our Lady of Good Health Church, Mozambique.^[7]
Our Lady of Good Health Church, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Chapel of Our Lady of Good Health, Kampung Pandan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni, Medan, North Sumatra, Indonesia.
Our Lady of Good Health parish church, Ontario, Canada.^[8]
Our Lady of Good Health Sanctuary, Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
A small chapel inside the Crypt Church at Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington, D.C., United States
Shrine of Our Lady of Health, Khairatabad, Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, 500004

Movie

A Tamil language movie was made in honor of Our Lady of Good Health with the title Annai Velankanni in 1971. The movie was directed by K. Thankappan, starring major stars of Tamil cinema including Gemini Ganesan, Kamal Haasan, K. R. Vijaya, and Padmini.^[9]

Gallery

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vailankanni.

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