Our Lady of Velankanni

Our Lady of Velankanni

Address:

Our Lady of Velankanni Church
Irla
Society Road,
Mumbai 400 056
Telefax: 2670 0549 / 2671 3719
Email: irlach@vsnl.net

Website

http://velankannichurchirla.org

  • Weekday Masses
    • Morning 6:30 AM
    • Evening 7:00 PM

 

  • Saturday Novena Masses
    • 6.30 a.m. English
    • 8.00 a.m. Tamil
    • 2.30 p.m. Marathi
    • 3.30 p.m. Marathi
    • 4.30 p.m. Konkani
    • 6.30 p.m. English

 

  • Sunday Masses
    • 7:00 a.m. Parish Mass in English
    • 9:00 a.m. Children’s Mass in English
    • 6:30 p.m. Youth Mass in English

 

  • Special Devotions
    • Rosary Recitation : Everyday before 7 p.m. Mass
    • Half hour Adoration : First Friday of the month after 7 p.m. Mass

Sunday Catechism School : 7.45 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Bus Routes To The Shrine stopping at
Irla/Cooper Hospital : 33,38,79,224,229,241, 255, 455,627,707
Irla/S.V.Road : 4, 84 ,202 , 201, 225, 253, 291, 324, 336, 422 & A1

About The Parish

It is well known that the history of the devotion to Our lady of Velankanni is traced back to a small town of Vailankanni located near Nagapattinam to the South of Chennai. It is believed that, Our Lady dispensed miracles to mankind through three significant appearances to ordinary people at different locations in and around Vailankanni. Her first appearance with baby Jesus was to a Hindu boy carrying milk. In the second event, Our Lady appeared and cured a crippled boy selling butter milk, after which people started calling Our Lady ‘Mother of Good Health’. In her third appearance, Our Lady rescued Portuguese sailors from a violent storm. On being taken to the thatched chapel at Vailankanni by the local fishermen, as a gesture of thanksgiving to Our Lady, the sailors set up a small permanent structure which today has grown into a huge sprawling township.

Irla, situated just off S.V. Road between Vile Parle and Andheri is a well known landmark, thanks to the Shrine of Our Lady of Health of Velankanni. It was in October 1967 that the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) touched base in Irla. At the midnight Mass on December 25, 1968, Rev. Fr. Bruno Venturin (PIME), announced that he would build a Chapel for the people of Irla and the Chapel (now named the Prayer Hall) was officially inaugurated on 14th April 1968 (Easter Sunday).

The opinion of the then Parishioners was divided on dedicating the Chapel either to Infant Jesus or to Our Lady of Velankanni. One of the late parishioners, moved by the devotion and miraculous powers of the Shrine in Vailankanni, prevailed on the others and Rev. Fr. Venturin hoisted the flag to mark the commencement of the first Novena Devotion in honour of Our Lady of Velankanni at Irla on August 30, 1968, which was followed by official declaration of the Shrine as a quasi Parish on September 8, 1968 i.e. the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady. Foundation was laid for a new church building in January 1975 and the quasi Parish status was upgraded to a full-fledged Parish on September 10, 1978.

We conduct Novena in honour of Our Lady of Health of Velankanni (OLHV) on every Saturday in English, Marathi, Konkani and Tamil. Annual Novena from 30th August to 7th September, followed by the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lady on 8th September, is a grand celebration of the faith of the devotees in OLHV. Devotees from in and around Mumbai as also from overseas including those of other faiths visit the Shrine throughout the year and thousands gather to attend the Annual Novena. Two major highlights of the devotion to OLVH at Irla are the ‘Healing and blessing of the sick’ and the ‘Solemn Procession’ that are held on Saturday and Sunday respectively during the Annual Novena.

Testimonies pour into the Shrine on the miraculous power of OLHV. Health related issues have found miraculous cure through the intercession of OLHV. The generosity of the devotees helps the Shrine to give medical aid to the sick and needy, subsidize education as well as finance missionary and welfare causes. Petitions of the devotees find a special place during the Novena prayers. May God bless and our Lady of Velankanni intercede for all those who seek her protection.