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In 1524, Portuguese merchants
headed by Vasco da Gama
enthroned this miraculous picture of
Our lady of Ransom
at the shrine. The church was dedicated to the
Holy Spirit, which was the
first of its kind
in Asia.
The beautiful church was however destroyed by a heavy flood in 1676 and
the picture of Our Lady was floating in the river. Many tried to
recover the picture, but vain.
At this time Paliyath Raman
Valiyachan (Komi Achan), the Prime Minister of the Maharaja of Cochin was
on his way to Chendamangalam in a boat. He found the holy picture of
Our Lady Of Ransom afloat in the waters.
He tried it and it was easily recovered
by him. His faith in
Our Lady Of Ransom was so deep that he donated his land in island to
build a new church for VALLARPADATHAMMA. The magnificent shrine
as you see it now was
built on this land. The
sanctuary lamp he donated has been burning all the while right from 1676. In fact the oil
for the lamp was provided by the palace till 1947. Circumstantial
constraints wear out certain traditions. The Paliyath family, however,
visited the shrine and rekindled the sanctuary lamp on September 23, 1994.
This event was highlighted in the book “Vallarpadam Church and the Paliyam
family”. The 300 year old
sanctuary lamp burns even today.
In 1752
with the grate miracle of saving meenakshiyamma and her child from the
great depths, Vallapadom became a famous pilgrim center. In
1888 taking into consideration to spiritual importance
His Holiness Pope Leo XIII
declared the main Altar to the status of
ALTARE PRIVILEGIATUM in
perpetuum concessuma.
In 1951 The Govt.
of India declared the Church as a major pilgrim centre of country.
In the Year 2002 The Government of Kerala declared the church as important
tourist center in kerala.
In 2004 Sept. 12 as
the first step towards making shrine a minor Basilica with the endorsement
of C B C I standing committee the shrine was declared as a
NATIONAL SHRINE.
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