At the Shrine of Our Lady of Graces, SARDHANA, Meerut

A Visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Graces, Sardhana (Meerut)

In Front of the Shrine of Our Lady of Graces

The front view of the Shrine

When I was young I used to be taken by my mom and dad to St. Lawrence Church, Attur in the Diocese of Mangalore, Karnataka for the yearly feast and pilgrimage. More than the church ceremony- the purchasing of religious articles and relics, sweets and fruits (mostly the water melon) and the fun of a fair (mela)- were the main attractions! Later as a minor seminarian, I had the good fortune of visiting St. Jude’s Shrine in Jhansi. Though he is a saint for desperate cases, I only had placed the intention to make me a good and committed priest one day. Then, as a young priest, when I was kidnapped by the militants in Assam, out of desperation, my elder sister Lilly had vowed that she would take me to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni (Tamil Nadu) if Mother Mary intervened for my safe return. After my release, my sister did take me to the shrine of Our Lady and fulfilled the vows. The tradition of making vows, visiting the shrines and doing the offerings were thus inherited. And now, as my mom is down with paralysis for over three years- unable to move, speak and even eat solid food; it was my turn to have recourse to Our Lady of Graces at Sardhana Shrine, Meerut- to intercede for the earthly mother.

Though there are different versions, yet this shrine is one of the oldest and the most magnificent one indeed. The Building which had commenced in 1809 and was completed and dedicated in 1822 has the following inscriptions in Latin at the entrance:

The main altar in the Church

D.O.M SUIS CURIS ET IMPENSIS AFUNDAMENTIS EXCITAVIT ET SUB NOMINE, ET PROTECVTIONE DEIPARAE VIRG: MARIAE JUXTA ROM: CATHOLICU: RITUM DICAVIT EXLMA DMA JOANNA SOMBROU PRINCEPS SADHANAE AN: DMI MDCCCXXII. ( The English version would be: ``To God most good and great, the most illustrious Lady Joanna, ruler of Sardhana, raised (this church) from its foundations at her own expense, and dedicated it according to the Roman Catholic rite, under the title and patronage of the Virgin Mary, the Mother of god, in the year of the Lord 1822”)

And the queen had written to Pope Gregory XVI, on 21-1-1834 stating, ``I am proud to say it (the Church) is acknowledged to be the finest, without exception, in India''.
 (Source: http://sardhanachurch.org/TheChurch-Basilicaof.aspx)

The statue of Our Lady of Graces

Along with my cousin Mark Pereira, his wife Teresa, their friends Leena Lobo,  Lata Prabhu and her daughter Priya, we started off our journey at 7.00 AM from Delhi on Sunday, the 15^th April, 2012. The 80 odd Kilometres journey was pleasant with jokes, songs, chats and a lot of fun. Our host at Meerut was Fr. Nitisha IMS who had kept the breakfast ready and was there to welcome us into IMS Gurukul, their minor seminary. The well-maintained farm with dairy, rabbits, vegetable garden, etc. were worth seeing. After several photo sessions with rabbits and the pet dogs, we proceeded to the Shrine- to fulfil the purpose of our trip. The Holy Eucharist for pilgrims was at 11.30 AM, celebrated by Fr. Mathew SDB and I joined him as concelebrant and also did the preaching in Hindi and English language.

It was one of those memorable Holy Masses that I ever have celebrated: with deep faith, fervent prayers, and many intentions and fully involved. The fire of faith seen in the eyes of the pilgrims was indeed a great motivating factor for me too. I offered my mom into the hands of my heavenly Mother, trusting in her strong intercession and the providence of God the Father.