St Teresa's Shrine: The glory of Mother from Avila

 

In Kerala, the town of Mahe is unique in terms of its demographics & way of life. Though the place connects the districts of Kozhikode & Kannur, the administration belongs to Pondicherry. The town is also a French colony & the sights still resemble any of the countryside villages in France. Inside this beautiful town stands the most iconic heritage structure of St Teresa’s Shrine which is also the symbol of life in Mahe. The shrine for centuries has been a place for not just Christians but for all who stayed and passed the town. It is also said that the grace of the mother at the church is such that in a place which traditionally had non – Christians the importance of the church is glorified by the fact that Hindus are said to visit the church more than the Christians. The church celebrates the feast of Mother which starts in the second week of October & ends in the fourth week is a time for people from all over to come to  Mahe & be blessed by the mother herself.  

The origin of the church was unknown for a long time as there were no records to authenticate the early history of the church. It was only when the archives of the Carmelite missionaries were discovered in Rome that the story of the church became known. It is said that Mahe became the base for Carmelite missionaries when the Italian Reverend Fr Dominic of St John on the Cross came to these shore & established the mission of Mahe in 1723. The Kadathanadu Ruler King Bayanor gave the reverend this place to build a small church to spread the word of Christ. The preaching attracted a small group of people & a community who believed in the church built a small church using coconut leaves & bamboo IN 1736. The glory of the church is related to the presence of the wooden statue of St Teresa of Avila who is said to have lived in the 16th century in a small town of Avila in today’s Spain. As a noblewoman, her work among the people made her a social celebrity & reformer. She was canonised as a Saint after her death & was ordained as Doctor of the Church due to her work among people with mental disabilities & healing them. The story of her association with the Mahe Shrine is based on legends. One such story is about how some fishermen along the sea pulled the net out from the sea & found this wooden statue. The fisherman surprised what they found bought the statue to the shores & handed over the same to Rev Dominic who placed the statue inside the church. Another is a story about how a small group of Carmelite missionaries were carrying the statue of Mother along the sea to different parts of the world to preach her teachings. It is said that when the ship came to the Mahe shores, it would not move further & the captain could not understand why. The missionaries understood the phenomenon & realised that mother wanted to be enshrined in Mahe. The stories maybe part of legends but the presence of the statue is the most revered sight at the church. The statue is only taken out for all to see on the biggest day of the feast.

The shrine has seen many renovations over the years & the most important happened after the church was completely destroyed in the fight between French & British armies. The shrine was completely rebuilt in 1788 to the structure as it is now using wood and stones. The roof however was thatched & it stayed so close to 100 years. The major overhaul of the roof was done in 1874 when Mangalore tiles were placed on the roof and it stays so till today. The façade of the church was renovated and the clock tower one sees now was added to the church. The clock here was one that helped all around the church know the time & is said to have been presented by the French Marines. The inside of the church was renovated in the last century by adding new pews inside the church to accommodate more people. The church has two entrances for devotees to enter; the central passage is the one that is considered to be the main entrance where a replica of the mother’s statue is placed for all to worship. The altar of the church is a grand feature & is built in Gothic style with features of local Kerala architecture. The shrine also has added few new institutions like the Parish hall, Primary school, Avila Bhavan, New Presbytery around the church.

The reverence of the church is based on the belief of all that the presence of Mother of Avila will help them overcome all difficulties in life. It is also a matter of faith as when the land was ravaged by epidemics, all those living around the church somehow found themselves saved. It is said that a visit to the shrine on the feast day will convince even a sceptic of the power of the great St Teresa of Avila. On the day of feast one can also witness a unique form of devotion where people are seen rolling along the road in front of the church & some dragging themselves on knees from the entrance of the church to the statue in an act of spirituality towards mother. The presence of countless non – Christians at the church during services & the feast is the reason why St Teresa of Avila is known to be the Mother of Mahe. The shrine thus welcomes all who come or pass her which can be seen when travellers who go past the church stop to light a candle or donate money at the church praying for the safety of their journey. The offering of candles is a very important ritual here at the shrine & any person who enters the shrine should light a candle & pray to mother so she can shed light to your life.

The feast of the shrine & the story of the church is one which makes one recognise the importance of spirituality & faith. The shrine is also a place for many to find a sense of solace from difficulties in life & the mother always fulfils the needs of all her children here.