The Our Lady of Vailankanni Shrine at Kalmady, famous for its distinctive boat-shaped church, is preparing for its annual feast on August 15 with grand celebrations. This year’s festivities will mark several significant milestones in the shrine’s history.
Novena prayers will begin on August 6 and continue daily at 4:00 pm until August 14. The vicar general of the Mangalore diocese, Msgr. Lawrence Maxim Noronha, will inaugurate the festivities by hoisting the shrine’s flag on August 6 at 3:45 pm, followed by novena prayers and a Eucharistic Mass at 4:00 pm.
On August 11, Dr. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, the bishop emeritus of the Mangalore diocese, will launch the chariot procession of Our Lady of Vailankanni, a beloved tradition that symbolizes community devotion and unity.
The main feast day on August 15 will feature a Holy Eucharistic Mass celebrated by Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, the Bishop of the Udupi diocese, at 10:30 am. Additional Masses will be held at 7:30 am and 4:00 pm in Konkani, and at 6:00 pm in English. Following the 10:30 am Mass, a fellowship meal will be served, fostering camaraderie among pilgrims and visitors.
The shrine’s iconic boat-shaped church, inaugurated in 2018, continues to draw thousands of pilgrims each year. The statue of Our Lady of Vailankanni, installed on August 15, 1988, remains central to the shrine’s devotion. The shrine was officially dedicated as a diocesan shrine on August 15, 2022, highlighting its spiritual significance.