Prayer service conducted at St Devasahayam's tomb

He was delivering his homily during the National Thanksgiving Prayer Service, conducted from the tomb of St Devasahayam at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral, Kottar on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, according to a report by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI).

“St Devasahayam’s life reminds us that the vocation to holiness extends to all Christians, not just priests and religious. The canonisation of the first married lay martyr from our land is a very significant landmark, particularly in the history of the Church in India,” said Cardinal Gracias.

St Devasahayam is the first Indian lay martyr canonised by Pope Francis on May 15.

Cardinal-Elect Filipe Neri Ferrão, the President of the CCBI and Archbishop of Goa, consecrated all families to Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore and Vice President of CCBI George Antonysamy initiated the prayer service.

All Catholic faithful in India spent one hour as one family and renewed their consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

In a circular, CCBI President Cardinal-Elect Ferrão had requested all religious communities, seminaries, hostels and other Catholic institutions to participate the Prayer Service and intercede for the mediation of St Devasahayam.

CCBI Secretary General and Archbishop of Delhi Anil Couto along with Bishop of Kottar Nazarene Soosai and Sr Annie Kuttikadu, SMI recited the psalmody.

Dr Yesu Karunanidhi, Executive Secretary to the CCBI Commission for Bible, along with seven lay faithful from different parts of India led the prayers of the faithful in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali and Badga, languages.

Archbishop of Trivandrum Thomas J Netto recited the prayer to St Devasahayam, Archbishop of Madurai Antony Pappusamy recited the concluding prayer and Apostolic Nuncio to India Leopoldo Girelli gave the Eucharistic Benediction.