Catholic christian community celebrated the birth anniversary of Mother Mary. This festival is celebrated every year on September 8 after the feast of Mary Immaculate conception of Blessed virgin Mary. Due to COVID-19 Catholics in Bhopal city celebrated the feast day without any pomp show. On the contrary the people gathered in some churches in small by maintaining social distance and others celebrated through online prayer service.
The feast day began with 9 days novena and ended with solemn holy mass on 8th September 2020. This year the social gathering was missing in all the churches. The history reveals that Mother Mary appeared to people in different places like Fatima, Lourdes Nagar, Velankani, communicating the message of God's mercy and compassion to the children, youth, sick and marginalized. In India it was celebrated as Mother for Good health as thousands march to a village Velankani, southern state of Tamil Nadu to get healed of various diseases every year.
This day is also celebrated as a day of girl child to create awareness on the welfare of girl children. "The human tendency to destroy the girl child should be defeated" said Fr Maria Stephen, PRO of the Archdiocese. The present society should be the source of motivating the women not to become over ambitious but to inculcate the values of love, service and tolerance to transform her children into better citizens of the country he added. Special prayers were also offered to overcome the present pandemic.
Vellankanni is a famous pilgrim centre in the world. It is believed that Mother Mary appeared to Portugal sailors during storms in the sea and reached them safe at Velankani village in southern state of Tamil Nadu. They built a small grotto in honour of Mother Mary at sea shore of Velankani.
It is also believed that she appeared to a milk selling boy and paralyzed youth to overcome their crisis. Since then millions of people from all regions flock to Velankani to obtain graces for various reasons. The eye witness says that there are many miracles taking place till today.
