San Thome Basilica San Thome Basilica is a
Roman Catholic (
Latin Rite) minor
basilica and one of the three National Shrines in India located in
Santhome,
Chennai city (
Madras), India. It was built in the 1523 by Portuguese explorers, and rebuilt again with the status of a cathedral by the British in 1893. The British version still stands today. It was designed in
Neo-Gothic style, favoured by British architects in the late 19th century. Christian tradition holds that St. Thomas arrived in Kerala & Kanyakumari Dist in 52 AD preached between 52 AD and 72 AD, when he was believed to be martyred on
St. Thomas Mount. The basilica is built over the site where he was believed originally to be interred. San Thome Basilica is the principal church of the
Madras-
Mylapore Catholic Archdiocese. In 1956,
Pope Pius XII raised the church to the status of a Minor
Basilica, and on 11 February 2006, it was declared a national
shrine by the
Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. The San Thome Basilica is a
pilgrimage centre for Christians in India. This church is a very important site in the world for Christians. The church also has an attached museum at back.
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health,Velankanni The
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is located in the small town of
Velankanni in the state of
Tamil Nadu in Southern India. The
Roman Catholic basilica is devoted to
Our Lady of Good Health. Devotion to Our Lady of Good Health of Velankanni can be traced to the mid-16th century and is attributed to three
miracles at different sites around where the basilica currently stands: the
apparition of
Mary and the Christ Child to a slumbering
shepherd boy, the curing of a lame
buttermilk vendor, and the rescue of Portuguese sailors from a violent sea storm. Although all three apparitions ultimately resulted in the erection of a
shrine to our Lady, it was the promise of the Portuguese sailors that was the proximate cause of a permanent edifice being built at Velankanni. The chapel was dedicated on the feast of the
Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary (8 September), the day of their safe landing. More than 500 years later, the nine-day festival and celebration is still observed and draws nearly 5 million
pilgrims each year. The Shrine of Our Lady of Vailankanni, also known as the "
Lourdes of the East," is one of the most important Christian religious sites frequented by Christians in India.
Basilica of Our Lady of Snows, Thoothukudi Basilica of Our Lady of Snows, Thoothukudi is located at
Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India. It is one of the Catholic
pilgrimage centers in India dedicated to the
Our Lady of Snows, a title given to
Mother Mary. The
Shrine name refers to the
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome. The site is known for Portuguese architecture and Portuguese prayers and now it is recognised as a Tamil Nadu notable pilgrim site.
St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar, is a
Roman Catholic Latin Rite shrine in
Kottar,
Nagercoil, in the
Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu state, India. While Francis Xavier was doing missionary work in Kottar and its neighbourhood, he averted an invasion of Vadugas with the help of the army of Paravars and Padaiyatchis of
Kottar, at Vadasery, thus protecting the people of the Venad kingdom from that attack which was appreciated by the king, Unni Kerala Varma, who became closer to the priest and befriended him from then on. In recognition of Xavier's services, the king allotted him a piece of land to construct a
Catholic church, as a gesture of goodwill, as per the church records. There was already a small church, in the same place where
St. Xavier Church stands at present, dedicated to Mary the Mother of God, since AD 1544. Church records indicate that
St. Xavier Church was built in 1600. In 1865, the Shrine of
Mary was renovated and enlarged. In 1930, the church was raised to the status of a cathedral. The annual festival is celebrated during November – December, lasting for 10 days. ==Popular Church of South India (CSI) churches in Tamil Nadu==