Our Lady of Good Health facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Our Lady of Good Health |
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| Location | Vailankanni, India |
| Date | 16th and 17th century |
| Witness | Young milk delivery boy |
| Type | Marian apparition |
| Approval | Pending approval by the Holy See, endorsed by Catholic Bishops' Conference of India |
| Shrine | Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health |
Our Lady of Good Health is a special name for the Virgin Mary. Many people believe she appeared in a town called Vailankanni, Tamil Nadu, India. She is also known as Our Lady of Vailankanni. In the Tamil language, her name is Arokia Matha.
The special day for Our Lady of Good Health is September 8. This is also believed to be the birthday of the Virgin Mary.
Contents
Amazing Stories of Her Appearance
There are no old written records about these events. But people have told stories about them for a very long time. These stories say that the Virgin Mary appeared three times. Two times were in the 1500s, and one time was in the 1600s.
First Appearance: The Milk Boy
The first story happened in Vailankanni, Tamil Nadu. A Hindu boy was resting under a tree near a pond. A woman with a baby came to him. She asked him for some milk.
The boy agreed and quickly went to get the milk. When he came back, he said sorry because he was late. He also said some milk had spilled. But when he looked, the pot was full! He knew something amazing had happened.
The boy and another Hindu man went back to the pond. The Lady appeared again with her child. People learned it was the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. The local Catholic community was very happy. They named the pond Matha Kulum, which means Our Lady's Pond.
Second Appearance: The Boy Who Was Cured
Later, in the late 1500s, the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared again. This time, she appeared to a boy who had trouble walking. He was the son of a widow. This happened in a place called Thittu, also in Vailankanni.
The boy offered the Virgin Mary some buttermilk. After this, he was cured and could walk well! Mary then told the boy to go tell a Catholic man in the nearby town of Nagapattinam. This Catholic man then built the very first small church, called a shrine, for her.
Third Appearance: The Sailors' Promise
The third story happened in the 1600s. A Portuguese merchant ship was sailing from Macau in China to Colombo in Sri Lanka. A big storm hit the ship in the Bay of Bengal.
The sailors made a promise to the Virgin Mary. They said they would build a special place for her if they reached land safely. The story says the sea became calm. They landed safely on the shore of Vailankanni on September 8. This was the Virgin Mary's birthday. Because of their promise, the Portuguese sailors built a chapel in Vailankanni. They made it from the small shrine that was built before.
Images for kids
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Velankanni Main Basilica and Flag during Feast
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Velankanni Basilica - Extension - Front View
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Veilankanni Basilica - A Panoramic Side View - Church and Church Extension seen at a stretch
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Veilankanni Basilica - Left side view
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Veilankanni Basilica - Right side view
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Veilankanni Basilica at Dusk
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Veilankanni Church Pond
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Pilgrims walking on their knees towards the Pond
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Veilankanni - Adoration Center
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Velankanni Basilica
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Chapel in Nadu Thittu where Mother Mary appeared for the first time
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A Chapel for St. Sebastian at Velankanni
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Velankanni Church Office housing office, priests' residence and a shop
