Our Lady of Health Basilica – Velankanni

Contact Details:

Our Lady of Health Basilica
Velankanni
Velankanni,
Nagapattinam District – Tamil Nadu.

Parish Priest – Fr. Prabakaran.
Church Established – 16th century.

Brief History:

The Velankanni shrine originated in the 16th century through three documented miracles: a young milk vendor received a vision of Mary with the Christ Child; a lame boy selling buttermilk was healed after a Marian apparition; and Portuguese sailors rescued from a storm vowed to build a chapel upon landing safely at Velankanni on September 8th. The shrine was elevated to Minor Basilica status by Pope John XXIII on November 3, 1962, linking it with the Basilica of Mary in Rome. Today it draws millions of pilgrims annually from across India and is renowned as the Lourdes of the East.