Posted On: 22 May, 2025

GEDILAM. MAY 14, 2025: Don Bosco HSS Gedilam with Deepagam has accompanied thirty-three altar children in their pilgrimage to Churches in Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore, and have concluded Summer VBS from May 13-14, 2025 at Don Bosco HSS, Gedilam.

We were gifted with Altar Children community of thirty three children hailing from three parishes: Thennangudi (7), Maranodai (13) and Tagore Nagar Puducherry (Following the Solemn mass celebrated by Fr. John Christy, SDB (Youth Ministry Delegate) along with Fr. Stanley Lawrence (Gedilam Rector) and Fr. Selva Kumar , we set out on Children Pilgrimage to Churches in Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore on May 13, 2025 The first experience was at Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine, Villianur , where, we all prayed at the grotto chapel; later we were granted permission to pray at Gratia Plena Church (erected in 2011); it was midday and the time for Angelus . Children were seen quenching their thirst on hot summer day. Altar children were given an experience of inner silence and moment of personal prayer in the presence of God at the serene Gratia Plena Church.

We continued our pilgrim journey onward to Holy Spirit Church, Tagore Nagar where we were shown heart-warming welcome by the Salesian parish community. Tagore Nagar Parish Church is the first and only Church dedicated to the Holy Spirit in the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore We thanked, Fr. Gilbert Jeyaraj, Rector (Tagore Nagar Parish) who expressed his joy and satisfaction in seeing the group of children enthusiastic in taking part in the children pilgrimage and thanked the fathers for arranging this summer camp; he said, ’he wishes to applaud himself ’ for having helped in organizing the camp for the altar children. We drove into the heart of the Puducherry city and reached Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Cathedral’ also known as Samba Kovil (Saint Paul s Kovil). The historic Cathedral was opened for our young pilgrims. Our altar pilgrims witnessed in their lifetime the grandiosity of the churches that culminated in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pondicherry. Bro. Gnanam (Maranodai community) led our children in prayer and exhorted them for a fuller participation in the daily holy mass, especially on Sundays and days of obligations. He also highlighted the importance of Eucharist and the priesthood for our salvific life of being Christians. We prayed three Hail Mary and invoked blessings of St. Joseph in the basilica and offered our intentions silently.

Upon returning from our first day of pilgrimage, the evening was expended with few informal competitions prepared for Summer VBS, such as Drawing Competition, Singing Competition and Biblical Recital. Drawing Competition and Biblical Recital were challenging to the children for they weren’t prepared in advance. While, many eagerly participated in the singing by taking initiatives to come to the front. Our Altar kids sang devotional hymns, almost getting engrossed with the songs while they sung. The singers, in a way, prayed twice. The day ended with spontaneous recreation. Children coming together was a new experience of being a community, sha ring meals and living in fellowship.

We began our second day of the camp by setting out to historic Konankuppam (a thirty minute drive from Gedilam). Now, Konankuppam is where Fr. Joseph Constantine Beschi (Veeramaamunivar ) said to have composed Thempavani in 1726 27 AD. We w ere granted permission in the Periyanayagi Madha Shrine (which is more than 300 yea rs old) to celebrate Holy mass At the conclusion of the Mass, Rev. Fr. Devasagayaraj, Rector of the Shrine, spoke to our children and catechized them saying the presence of God is felt in the Shrine founded by Fr. Beschi ”. He went on to explain the folklore of how Marian apparition to local Poligar helped built the humble Church blessed and inaugurated by Fr. Beschi. He passingly remarked the efforts of inculturation in all missionary endeavours of the Tamil Church to our children.

We concluded our children pilgrimage that definitively made lasting imprint in the mind and heart of our altar children of God s benevolent love. Most of our children were quiet and reflective when returning back to Gedilam. It was once again hot summer midday. We had a short informal ceremony of certification for the competitions followed by Fr. Stanley Lawrence, Rector Gedilam who thanked all organizing this two day children pilgrimage and the camp. He said that, “he and his community was waiting eagerly for the coming of our altar pilgrims and was happiest for the presence of the kids”. “He wasn’t disappointed”, he continued, even though he expected large number of children for this summer camp.

Thanks to the rectors of the parishes, shrines, minor basilica and the Cathedral, wherever we went, the churches were open and welcoming our altar Children for the closer experience of Jesus and His presence. The takeaway of this camp may be that our faith must not oscillate from facts to fictions, truths and myths, but be founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ and his commandments.