Feast of Blessed Devasahayam Pillai

IMPORTANT FACTS:

He was rich and possessed rich wealth in terms of landed properties.He was very friendly with people

and it was during their influential roles under the King of Travancore that Devasahayam Pillai and 

De Lannoy became good friends.De Lannoy’s Catholic Faith interested Devasahayam and De Lannoy enlightened him on the faith,leading to his conversion in 1745. 

For 9 months, Devasahayam travelled to Vadakkankulam and learned the truths of Catholic faith

and visited the community of Christians in the neighbourhood.His God-Father at baptism,

Chithambram Pillai,was with him briefly in Travancore and he also helped him to see Catholic 

communities for himself. This enabled him to get to know the customs and the life of the ordinary

Catholics of those times.It seemed that the baptismal transformation was already in him because he

could not be stopped any more.He wanted to be baptized out of a deep personal conviction.

He once again assured the priest:

“Father, no one compels me to become a Catholic.If I have come to you, 

it is because I have such a strong Faith, that nothing could tear it out of my heart,

 and I am ready to sacrifice for it, all that still remains of my former wealth,

 my position, my family and even my life.”

At baptism he received the name "Devasahayam" which is a Tamil rendering of the biblical name Lazarus,which means "God has helped".After baptism,he made it a habit to go for daily Mass,to receive Holy Communion and went often for Confession.He prayed the Rosary daily which made him draw closer to Mother Mary.His great desire was after baptism was to bring others to the Catholic Faith.His preaching on the Catholic Faith was so strong that his wife who was against his baptism soon was baptized and given the name "Gnanapoo" which meant "Theresa".

He thanked God daily for the grace of his conversion to the Catholic Faith.He read the Catholic books 

and followed the practice of virtues and faith properly and mainly with full of love.He read aloud books
of piety, especially the lives of saints, for the benefit of the bystanders, too. In addition to the fast
prescribed by the church,Blessed Devasahayam fasted on all Fridays and Saturdays in homage to the
dying Christ and to the Mother of God.

Once he was arrested,a priest brought him communion secretly and listen to his confession (during the day). Blessed Devasahayam received it with great love and devotion.He treasured Jesus like a precious pearl
in his heart.He desired to receive this Sacraments often,but it was not possible.Sadly,access to him was difficult for priests but Jesus continued to pour down special graces upon Blessed Devasahayam each
time he had the chance to receive Jesus because when Blessed Devasahayam had the chance to receive,
his heart was wide open to receive the Lord Jesus.

At Puliyoorkurichy :
Blessed Devasahayam was brought to a small place called Puliyoorkurichy where he was placed on
a rock. He was overcome by thirst and asked for water but they gave him sewage water.Being
refused water to drink he prayed to God weeping in deep sadness,and hit the rock with his elbow,
which gave forth water in a miraculous way he could drink.The miraculous rock fountain at
Puliyoorkurichy is a constant reminder of this kind of torture(and God’s grace of miraculous water 
from the rock).  

Preview : The Sound of the Bell Rock

This rock continues even today to give water and even 

now people visit this fountain in large numbers. 

The Bone Relics of Blessed Devasahayam :

Some people believe that the soldiers went up the forested hills and tried to shoot Devasahayam,but 

were unable to fire; after which he took the gun in his hands, blessed it and gave it back to the soldiers 

to shoot him to death, if they wished to. The soldiers took the gun back and fired at him five times.

His body was then carelessly thrown out near the foothills at Kattadimalai.

Venerable:

June 2012, Pope Benedict XVI officially recognized a decree from the Congregation for the Causes 

of Saints stating that he lived a life of "heroic virtues" – a major step towards beatification – and Pillai

was then referred to as "Venerable".

During The Beatification: 

The STATUE of Blessed Devasahayam 

Pillai being blessed with incense by Cardinal Angelo Amato.

Beatification and declaration as a martyr:

Devasahayam Pillai was declared a Martyr and Blessed on 2 December 2012, at a solemn ceremony 

held in the Diocese of Kottar.

PRAYER TO BLESSED DEVASAHAYAM:
O Glorious Martyr,Blessed Devasahayam pray for those hardened sinners who have gone astray and
for those who do not know Christ.May their hearts be soften with thy powerful prayers and grant them
the grace to experience the joy of knowing the love of Jesus and Mary like how thou experienced it
during thy lifetime.Guide poor sinners to the light of Christ and may they be converted to the Catholic
Faith through thy intercession.Amen.
Blessed Devasahayam,Martyr of the Prince of Peace,intercede for poor sinners to be converted to the Catholic Faith!