INDIA Prayer for peace at the Periyanayagi Madha shrine in Tamil Nadu

Il card. Anthony Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad, presided at the Periyanayagi Madha Shrine in Konankuppam at the bicentennial celebration of the Great Bell Tower. “Let us pray for peace in the world, but also in our families and in our towns, learning from Our Lady the path of unity.”

Konankuppam () – In the district of Cuddlore, Tamil Nadu, the feast at the Konankuppam Marian shrine a few days ago brought together several thousand Indian pilgrims to join Pope Francis in prayer for world peace. This year the celebration was especially solemn because the bicentenary of the construction of the bell tower of the sanctuary was commemorated and a statue of the Queen of Peace was placed at its base, to remember the link between this place and the Roman basilica of Santa Maria. the biggest. The Italian Jesuit missionary Costanzo Giuseppe Beschi (1680-1747) was the one who promoted the construction of this sanctuary, which he called “Peiryanayagi Madha” in Tamil, which precisely means Saint Mary the Elder.

To preside over the celebration, together with the Archbishop of Pondicherry-Cuddalore, Monsignor Francis Kalist and other priests – the new Cardinal Anthony Poola, Archbishop of Hyderabad, traveled to Konankuppam. “In Konankuppam – the father tells . ZM Devasagayaraj, rector of the sanctuary – there are between 200 and 220 families and most of them are Dalits; but that does not stop people of all castes and religions from visiting the shrine. This place is famous not only for the graces that the faithful receive here, but also for the unique and friendly interreligious relationship that exists in it due to its history. Together with Fr. Beschi, it was built by a Hindu who was still practicing when the Virgin appeared in a dream”.

In his homily Card. Poola recalled that Mary is never deaf to the people who pray to her, as evidenced by the thousands of pilgrims who flock to Lourdes, Fatima, Veilankanni and even Konankuppam. Mary was the “second Eve”, who “transformed the curse of humanity into a blessing by saying Yes to the will of God. With that same confidence and conviction we come to ask her to intercede for us and, accepting the invitation of Pope Francis, We also ask him for peace in the world, especially in Ukraine and Russia devastated by war”. “But we must also ask him – he added – for peace among us, in our families, in our towns, in our archdiocese and in our country, since we ourselves are divided. She is a model of love, obedience and unity and we are called to imitate her, because that is the will of God”.