By Verghese V Joseph –
Mahe, (Kerala): – In a momentous ceremony held on Saturday, February 24, 2024, St. Teresa’s Church in Mahe in South India was officially declared a Basilica, marking a historic occasion in the northern region of Kerala. The announcement was made during a solemn Eucharistic celebration presided over by Most Reverend Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal of the Calicut diocese of the southern state of Kerala.
The declaration, a significant milestone for the church, was made in the presence of a large congregation, with Reverend Dr. Vincent Pulicken, the Rector of the Basilica, reading the formal decree in Latin, and Father Sajeev Varghese providing its Malayalam translation.
Mahe also known as Mayyazhi in Malayalam is a small town in the Mahe district of the Puducherry Union Territory. It is situated at the mouth of the Mahe River and is surrounded by the State of Kerala. The Kannur district surrounds Mahe on three sides and Kozhikode district from one side.
Formerly part of French India, Mahe now forms a municipality in Mahe district, one of the four districts of the Union Territory of Puducherry. Mahe has one representative in the Puducherry Legislative Assembly.
Leading clergy members, including Most Reverend Dr. Joseph Kalathiparambil, Metropolitan Archbishop of Verapoly, and Reverend Mar Joseph Pamplaniyil, Archbishop of the Thalasseri Syro Malabar Archdiocese, contributed to the celebratory Eucharistic mass, emphasizing the spiritual significance of the occasion.
Archbishop Pamplaniyil, in his homily, praised the pivotal role of the Calicut diocese as a nurturing force for other northern Kerala dioceses, acknowledging the leadership of past prelates and their contributions to the Catholic community.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General of CCBI, shed light on the meticulous process involved in elevating a church to Basilica status, a journey that began with approval from the CCBI Boundary Commission and culminated in the Holy See’s endorsement in 2023.
Post the Eucharistic celebration, a facilitation meeting was held with dignitaries such as A. N. Shamseer, Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, and M. Mukundan, a prominent Malayalam writer, in attendance. Thousands of devotees and clergy members from across Kerala participated in the ceremony, underscoring the profound spiritual and cultural significance of St. Teresa’s Church.
Established in 1736, St. Teresa’s Church has long been a revered pilgrimage site, embodying religious harmony and cultural richness. Situated in Mahe, within the Union Territory of Puducherry, the church continues to attract pilgrims from diverse backgrounds, symbolizing the enduring power of faith and tradition in the region.
According to church records, an Italian Reverend Father Dominic of St. John of the Cross came to Mahe and established the Mahe Mission in 1723 during the reign of King Bayanor, the Raja of Kadathanad near Vatakara. A small community of Christians gradually grew up at this place and in December 1736 the shrine was dedicated to this reformer Reverend Father Dominic of St. John of the Cross according to the solemn ritual of the Roman Catholic Church. Before becoming an established place of worship in 1736, the shrine was constructed with thatches which were later modified several times.
The Carmelite Missionaries helped in the early and later formation of the church and the spiritual growth of the people of the place. More than 2000 adults, excluding children were baptized and received into the Church by them. However, in 1736 the shrine is believed to have suffered some damage due to the wars between the French and the British. In March 1779 the shrine was damaged a greater extent or perhaps destroyed. But according to a government record about 1788 Abbe Duchenin renovated the shrine and gave it the form in which it is seen today. Afterwards the tower of the church was renovated in 1855 and a clock on the tower presented by the French Marines was fixed in the same year. In 1956 the shrine was once again renovated and was also electrified. During the subsequent years, Avila Pilgrim Centre, Avila Bhavan (Sisters of Charity), St Teresa’s Nursery and Primary School, Parish Hall and a New Presbytery were constructed. Many modifications to the Shrine have followed and a major renovation of the Shrine was undertaken in 2010.
Regarding the origin of the statue of St. Teresa there are two prominent beliefs. One is that this miraculous statue was carried in a ship along the West Coast and the ship was stopped at present Mahe and did not move afterward, whereupon the crew understood that it was the will of St. Teresa of Avila that this particular statue was to be enshrined at Mahe. The other tradition has it that this miraculous statue was caught in a fisherman’s net in the sea near Mahe.
The feast of the Shrine is one of the important events of the place and it starts in the second week (5th) to fourth week (22nd) of every October with 14th and 15th being the main days of the feast. It is considered a festival of Mahe in which people from all over Kerala and from neighboring districts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu take part irrespective of religion and caste.