Three wooden statues of Our Lady arrive by sea at Kootapuli from Portugal; one brought to Holy Family Church
1742–43
The statue arrives from the sea
In the years 1742–43 a wooden box stencilled "To Vadakankulam, From Portugal" and holding carved images of Our Lady was carried by the sea currents and cast ashore at Kootapuli. Fishermen brought it to the parish priest, Fr John Baptist Buttari, who kept one image for Vadakkankulam, gave a second to Kamanayakkanpatti and the third into the Bishop's care. The statue kept here, Our Lady of the Assumption, is the very image that would one day weep.
Parish traditionThis moment rests on 3 sources.
What this source establishes
The diocese tells the same story — but the diocese is the parish's own institution, not an outside witness. These chips are one witness family, not three.