1933, on the central altar was built a dome with 28 meters height. In 1962, the pilgrimage church was given a status of “Basilika” by Pope John XXIII. After
that, this holy multistoried place had been enlarged again for so many times. Some priests were full assigned in this place. They held Eucharist,
novena and special celebration on May as a month of Hail Mary. The religious service was held with various languages depended on pilgrimage people need.
Thus, there were available some rooms for various languages. The priests in Velangkanni assigned for guiding the retreat and manage the school for children
in that region. Three old priests were assigned specially for confession father for the pilgrimage tourists. In 1966, a building was constructed again with a special
library called “Marian Institute.”
The picture of the rescuing of a sailboat is in appendix page 37 in picture 03.
3.2 Mother Mary – The Healing Mother in Tanjung Selamat
In Tanjung Selamat, Medan, since September in 2001, the year of Glory Jubilee, had been built a holy place for honoring Mother Mary of the healing
mother which familiarly called Annai Velangkanni. The holy place is built in Tanjung Selamat for honoring Mother Mary for the same title ‘the healing
mother’ or ‘Our Lady of Good Health’. It is the effort of Father James Bharataputra, S.J., an India origin Jesuit,
who had been worked for more than 30 years in Medan Archdiocese, especially for Tamil people who had come to Sumatera for more than one half of the past
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century. For the beginning, they worked in tobacco field, but then they lived in Medan. When, they still lived in India, they had been familiar with Annai
Velangkanni – Our Lady of Good Health who had been honored in India for more than 350 years.
The father of Medan Archbishop – Mgr. Pius Datubara, OFM Cap., had ever visited that holy place in India a few years ago. He had seen by himself the
greatest faith and the sincerity of the pilgrimage people who came to that holy place from all over India. There are many people come to that place from
different religions. However, they worship God for the blessing pray of Mother Mary who rescued them.
Therefore, the archbishop gave his blessing to father James Bharataputra to construct a holy place for honoring the healing mother – Our Lady of Good
Health which would be fulfilled with the statue of Mother Mary. The statue would be made as the same as the origin statue in India and with the same size too.
Actually, there was no amazing event or even the appearance of Mary in Tanjung Selamat, Medan to make that place to be holy. But the aim of father
James Bharataputra to had Annai Velangkanni brought in to Medan is: so that Mary Annai Velangkanni could make the miracles in Medan such as what Mother
Mary had done in Velangkanni, India. Thus, people who come to the pilgrimage place which owned by Medan Archdiocese could have experience. And now there
are so many people come to this place and feel the miracle. Their prayings were granted because of the power of God and the blessing of Mother Mary.
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Actually, the fund of this place is fully come from the generosity of the donator who honor and love Mother Mary even Catholic or non – Catholic.
Almost 60 from Indonesia, 30 from Singapore, and 10 from Malaysia, India and Dubai.
The construction of this place spent time 4 years September 2001 – September 2005 and also had expensed 4 billion rupiahs.
At the beginning, Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni was planned to construct without any financial capital and committee it had been formed, but
they never worked at all, just rely on Father James Bharataputra. He believed that constructing this holy place sanctuary is a duty and mission from God. Thus, he
believed that God would fulfill everything because it is God Creature’s willing. Therefore, he formed the new committee – the head was God and the
fund section was Mother Mary. With this new committee Father James Bharataputra felt his life was spread with God’s blessing.
Father James Bharataputra confessed that there were some obstacles in effort of constructing this building such as when the license of constructing this
chapel from region government had not been allowed and the order of Mother Mary statue from India had not been arrived, Father James Bharataputra kept
praying for a year to Mother Mary. Thus, God granted his pray – the license paper was given by the government. Then, on September 8
th
2001 in the celebration of Mother Mary’s born day, he prepared for the laying of a cornerstone. However,
the order of Mother Mary statue had been arrived from India with so many reasons given by India’s government. Even though, the statue of Mother Mary had
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been arrived, the laying of a cornerstone had to keep on going. Amazingly, an hour before the event was begun, suddenly the telephone rang from the airport and
said that the order from India had come. Happily, the statue of Mother Mary was picked up from the airport and it was put in the hall of St. Anna, first floor. All of
that happened and Father James Bharataputra believed that it is a miracle by Mother Mary. This is the first miracle for him.
The same moment happened again on October 2002. The story began when Father James Bharataputra brought money 10 million rupiahs as a donation
from Catholic people in Banda Aceh. Because of he had to go to Jakarta to follow the closing day of Rosary month, Father James Bharataputra did not go to the
bank to save the money. He just made the money in a paper and put it on a table in his friend’s bed room. His friend is from India too whom he usually stayed there.
On 2
nd
November 2002, when he was on the way to back to Medan,
Father James got the information that his friend’s house at Jl. Kediri 27, Medan was on fire. He thought that the money also burnt by the fire. After arriving in
Medan, he went to his friend’s room and trying to find the money. Amazingly, the money was whole still existed among the ruins of the building and so was the
bible. And now the proofed bible is kept and showed in Marian Shrine of Annai
Velangkanni. Appendix page 38 in Picture 04.
Father James Bharataputra believed that this was the second miracle of Mother Mary in Medan. Even this moment was released on a magazine
ANALISA so that public people could read it.
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Unworried, Father James Bharataputra believed that God interfered in constructing this place by the role of Mother Mary. Thus, he said that Mother
Mary was the coordinator of “fund section”. It had been proved that for 3 years by Mother Mary helps, the process of collecting the fund in the process of
constructing this building could be realized 3 billion rupiahs. Because of the story of the erection of Marian Shrine of Anna Velangkanni has the faith
inspiration unworriedly, thus in its relief there is a picture of the history of God’s rescue to human that centrally is in Jesus self who was bear by Mother Mary
because of holy spirit. This sanctuary finally called Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni and
officially opened in the celebration of the born day on Hail Mary on October 1
st
2005, the opening day of Rosary month. Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni had officially opened by the Governor of North Sumatera, Drs. Rudolf Pardede and
blessed by Medan Archbishop. Their signs also monumentalized in Marian Shrine
of Annai Velangkanni Appendix page 38 in Picture 05, 06.
Since the official announcement, there are so many people who had come to Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni from all over Indonesian archipelago and
also foreign countries - people from many different religions, culture and also custom – not also Tamil people.
3.3 The Location of Marian Shrine of Annai Velangkanni in Medan
