1745

St Devasahayam baptised here

On 14 May 1745, after nine months of instruction, Fr Buttari baptised Neelakanta Pillai, a Nair officer from the court of Travancore, in the Holy Family Church, giving him the name Devasahayam ("God is my help"); his godfather was the catechist Gnanaprakasam Pillai. The Holy See itself confirms Vadakkankulam as the place of this baptism, the single best-documented fact in the parish's whole history.

DocumentedThis moment rests on 5 sources.
Vatican News
was baptized at the Catholic church of Vadakkankulam village… by Jesuit priest Father Bouttari

Vatican News — the canonisation of Devasahayam PillaiHoly See news service, 2021

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

What this source establishes

The PLACE, from the Holy See's own news service. This is the best-attested fact about this village, and it comes from outside us.