2022

The turban and the chains

On 15 May 2022 Pope Francis canonised Devasahayam Pillai, baptised in this church on 14 May 1745 — the first Indian layman ever raised to the altars. What this church holds of him, it has held a long time. At Christmas 1888 a visiting priest wrote that the most precious memory of his day here was the martyr: “Vadakenkoulam possesses the turban he wore, and the chains taken off at his death.” Fr Pouget opened the reliquary and let them look. That head-cloth, worn by an officer of the Travancore court, is kept here still, and every 15 August it is set out in a glass case for the pilgrims to venerate.

DocumentedThis moment rests on 8 sources.
Diocese page
the head-cloth he wore as a Travancore court official is preserved at Holy Family Church

What this source establishes

The head-cloth — the diocese's account, and the page now attributes it to the diocese rather than asserting it.

This is as much of it as we may lawfully print. The rest is at tuticorindiocese.org.

Diocese of Thoothukudi — parish pageHoly Family Church, Vadakkankulam

A published web source. We quote it and link to it.