The Annai Velankanni Shrine in Besant Nagar has been elevated as a minor Basilica by Pope Leo XIV. A celebration to mark the occasion was held on Sunday when 12 Bishops from all over Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh came together at the sea-side house of worship.
It is now the 30th basilica in the country.
The Very Rev. Msgr. Andrea Francia, Charge d’Affaires ad interim, Apostolic Nunciature to India, New Delhi, read out the Papal Decree. Symbols of the Catholic Church, including the Umbraculum and the Coat of Arms of the Vatican were placed during the ceremony.
The Catholic shrine was started as a church in 1972 for local parishioners. It then became a shrine when the congregation was not restricted to those from its parish.
Published – September 22, 2026 11:59 pm IST
