Name : Church of Our Lady of the Mount
Location :
St. Thomas Mount (known in Tamil as Parangimalai) is a small hillock located in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, near the neighbourhood of Guindy and very close to Chennai International Airport.
The neighbourhood is served by the St. Thomas Mount railway station on the southern line of the Chennai Suburban Railway Network. Integration of the Metro and MRTS with the suburban station in the neighbourhood, is expected to make the suburb the city's largest transit hub after Chennai Central.
Legend :
According to tradition, the Cross chiselled on a stone
of this hill by St Thomas himself and used by him for his personal
prayer gave strength to him when he was pierced from behind with a lance
as he was praying before it. It is believed that the Cross should have
been stained with the blood of the Martyr. This Cross was accidentally
discovered later by the Portuguese when they dug the foundations for the
new Church in 1547.
According to ancient records, this Cross
sweated blood during the Holy Mass celebrated by Fr. Gasper Coelho on
the 18th December 1558. In the early years, this Cross used to sweat
blood every year, then every two or three years and, later, at longer
intervals. The last occasion on which it was found sweating blood was in
1704.
Popular faith says that innumerable miracles of cures were
attributed to this sacred stone cross through mere contact with it in
faith and it has roused the conversion of many unbelievers. Even today
the natural dampness on its surface is a perennial factor of surprise
and devotion. The image of the Cross itself is unique
It was in
1908 after much disputation that the inscription around the cross was
deciphered as: "Through the Cross, the Messiah borught salvation to the
world".
As per tradition, the oil painting of the Madonna of the
Blessed Virgin was painted by St Luke the Evangelist on wood and was
brought here by St Thomas and used by him for prayer. Hence it is
popularly known as the "Scapular of St Thomas.".
In "Tombs and
Descriptions in the Madras Presidency" ( A Government Publication ), Mr.
J. J. Cotton says : "This is a picture painted by St Luke who was an
artist. The Virgin died when Thomas was away and on his return he had
the tomb opened in order that he might once more look upon her. It was
found that the body had been miraculously removed and Thomas was so
disturbed that St. Luke offered to paint him a portrait of the Virgin as
a consolation. This portrait St. Thomas carried with him on all his
wanderings".
The first written account of this painting is made
in 1559 when the King of Bisnaga took it to his Court in Chandragiri and
later returned it in a palanquin to the Mount.
The wear and the
warp of this sacred species are explained by the efforts of the people
down the ages to bury and hide it in order to protect it from the
onslaught of the invading enemies.
However the Madonna is considered
to be one of the oldest and most venerated paintings in India and
countless favors and blessings have been recorded by devotees who have
stood and prayed before it.
Description :
The ancient Syrian Christian community of India trace the origin of
their church to St. Thomas the Apostle, believed to have been martyred
in St. Thomas Mount . The altar of this Shrine was built on the spot,
where St.Thomas was martyred in 72 AD. The St. Thomas Garrison Church
is located at the bottom of St Thomas Mount. The St. Thomas Syro Malabar
Catholic church is located east of the shrine at North Silver Street ,
foot holds of the mountain Shrine.
A shrine dedicated to "Our Lady of Expectation" (Mother Mary) was built in 1523 on top of the mount. An Arch inside the church bears the title in Portuguese:
"Senhora da Expectacao" (Our Lady of Expectation) with the year of its construction 1523. At the northern foot of the mount, is a gateway of four impressive arches surmounted by a cross bearing the inscribed date 1547. A flight of 160 steps leads up to the summit of the mount. There are 14 stations of the cross erected on the way to the summit.
History :
The Mount was a grant to the church by the Kings of Bisnaga, or Vijayanagar, who called the place in Telugu "Fringy Kondah" meaning "European Hill" The Portuguese called the place Monte Grande (Big Mountain)
St Thomas Mount is a Holy place of international prominence, historical eminence, religious glory and tourist attraction.The ancient Church on the top of St. Thomas Mount has served as the light house for the Portuguese and Armenian ships and vessels in the Bay of Bengal in the 16th and 17th centuries. Interestingly, it is said, when sailors sighted the Church they offered prayers for a safe Voyage and then discharged from their artillery in salutation.
The Mount of Saint Thomas is easily accessed by the devotees who make the vowed climb through the 134 granite steps as an act of penance and sacrifice. An ornate arch with an imposing elegance remains an attraction to all those who happen to glimpse it with a note of the year of its construction, 1726.
The Armenian merchants of old were great benefactors of many Catholic Churches in and near Madras. Petrus Uscan was the greatest among them. He built a brick paved road with granite steps at intervals flanked by a double wall leading from the road below to the top of the mount. In his foresightedness, he also left a sum of money with the Administrator-General of Madras for the upkeep of these steps.
To make possible for modern vehicular traffic fully asphalted road laid by the military from the south- western base of the hill right upto the top in 1962.
The fifteen Stations of the Cross adorn the sides of the steps. The minute precision with which the figures have been moulded and the heaviness of the rare metal used in them add colour and life to the scenes of the Stations of the Cross along the steps of the Mount.They are spots of inspiration and they spiritually dispose the pilgrims who climb the steps for an eventual spiritual experience on the hill top Every year during Lent thousands of people flock the hill to make their Stations of the Cross with the help of these depictions. The annual mammoth gathering of people for the Mass celebrated by the Bishop on the Palm Sunday evening is the culmination of their Lenten pilgrimage.
Fr.Gaspar Coelho, Vicar of the Church in Mylapore in 1545 records that
one Diego Fernandes, a Portuguese, built a small oratory on top of the
hill over the foundation of a very ancient church in 1523 AD. The spot
was already a place of pilgrimage.
Since this oratory dedicated to the Mother of God was very small and since the number of pilgrimage was increasing, Fr. Coelho laid the foundation for a bigger church on March 23, 1547 and completed the existing church within a year. It was then known as the
Church of Our Lady of the Mount.
Fr. Gaspar Coelho, who had built the church was buried in it and there
is an inscription over his grave at the very entrance of the church.
The
welcoming gate of the Hill Shrine with its Indian lamp conveys the
message that Jesus Christ is the Light of the World. The two lampstands
with seven wicks each symbolize the witnessing life and death (Rev 11:4)
of the Prophet Martyrs like StThomas. An osmosis of light at the
entrance reminds us that a city built on the hill top cannot be hidden
(Mt 5:14) but that it will shine.
The shrine church entombs a
piece of the Bone of St Thomas casketed in a beautifully ornamented
monstrance. People have witnessed to many miracles that have been
effected through the efficacy of this holy relic.
This Sanctuary
is said to be the spot where St Thomas was martyred. Any one standing on
this surface will certainly feel the vibrations of the hidden current
that floods this main altar area. The excellent artistic background
elevates the inner soul.
The framed oil painting of St Thomas
being pierced with a lance from behind in his praying posture on the
wall behind the high altar is the high point of awe and devotion for all
who climb the hill to reach this sanctuary.
The artistic finale
exhibited in the attractive wooden podium of the fifteenth century is a
monumental piece of ancient art. It bespeaks the importance attached to
the Breaking of the Word in the liturgy of the early centuries. The
ornamental wood carving in unison with the main altar is a banquet for
the eyes of the beholder. This is another gift of Petrus Uscan. The
Italian marble laying, the dim lighting effects, the antique hanging
lamp, and the Portuguese styled ancient altar add to the serenity of the
place and the sanctity of the Chapel.
The votive shrine that
shelters the colourful Statue of Our Lady in the sitting posture is of a
later fashioning and it exhibits a graceful look and maternal
benevolence.
The huge framed paintings of antiquity screening
before us the images of the twelve Apostles and that of Christ and of
St. Paul are marvelous treasures of art and faith. They not only adorn
the church but they also elevate our spirits. Though such pictures of
the Apostles are common in the great Basilicas of the West, the
uniqueness of these consists in their miniature picturesque information
about the way in which each of the Apostles glorified their Master in
their final offering.
The open air stage meant for public worship and the grilled open
space provide an exquisite sight of the whole city of
Chennai. The presence of a huge banyan tree and a green peepul/ pipal tree on the
Hill is a natural gift to the seekers since both the trees are a rare
sacred species in the Indian context.
Festivals :
+Every year the 18th December has become the Annual Feast Day of this Shrine Chapel, which is celebrated with function and devotion.
Timings :
This Adoration Chapel is kept open everyday from 7.00 a.m to 7.00 p.m
Websites :
http://www.stthomasmount.org/
