Star of South shines brighter than ever before

SEPTEMBER 7 witnessed Catholics from all parts of the island travelling in buses, vans, cars and even in lorries visiting St. Mary's Church Matara to celebrate the feast of "Our Lady of Matara."

It is no exaggeration to say that the entire Beach Road extending from the Matara Rest House to the District Judge's Bungalow and beyond will be lined with vehicles till the feast is over. Even the cross roads are lined with vehicles.

In the early 1940s only a few pilgrims came from Galle for the Annual Feast and it is incredible how the number of pilgrims has risen to over 200,000. This is no doubt due to the many favours obtained through Her Powerful Intercession.

The great writer who made a vast contribution to Catholic Literature, the late Papal chamberlain J. P. de Fonseka of fragrant memory visited the shrine of Our Lady of Matara for the Feast in the year 1947 and put down in writing his Prophetic conviction that the few hundreds who had gathered there will increase to several thousands in the years to come.

And so it has been proved to the very hilt as now over two hundred thousand Catholics from all parts of the island gather at this hallowed shrine every year.

During the Dutch persecution, all Catholic churches were razed to the ground and among them was the beautiful church of "Our Lady of Victories", which sheltered this miraculous statue.

Tradition has it that the faithful of Matara fearing that the statue will be destroyed placed it in a wooden box and drifted it to the sea.

Sometime later the wooden box containing the statue was caught in a net drawn by the fishermen of Weligama and as it was of no use to them they prudently handed it over to the nearest Church at Matara.

The statue itself has undergone many vicissitudes down the years, with its numerous "escapes" all mentioned in legend and history; Saved from a vagabond's hand, a ship wreck and a ship fire and finally saved from the Tidal Wave in December last year in our own motherland.

Fame of the statue

The fame of the statue spread far and wide when an epidemic of cholera broke out in Matara. Non Catholics joined the Catholics in taking the statue in procession through the streets of the affected areas and relief was sought through Her intersession. The epidemic was arrested immediately.

This event marked the beginning of intensified devotion to Our Lady of Matara, to whom people flocked from all parts of the Island for favours and blessings.

In 1989 despite subversive activities which were at their height in Matara and news of innocent people being gunned down and various atrocities spread all over the island but yet pilgrims fearlessly flocked in their thousands at this Shrine from all parts of the Island to celebrate the feast.

Their prayers were indeed heard for in a matter of few months subversive activities came to an end and normalcy once again prevailed in the area and the entire South much to the relief of all people.

The statue and the tidal wave

When news was flashed in all newspapers that the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Matara had been washed away by the Tidal Wave, imagine the sorrow that would have crept in to the hearts of all Catholics specially who flocked to Her Shrine every year, and imagine the joy that they would have felt at the news that the statue had been restored unscathed.

The mysteries circumstances which saved the statue from being lost forever definitely shows that Our Blessed Mother wished to be with her children of Matara as the statue was found only 400 metres away from the church instead of it being taken away by the Tidal Wave back in to the high seas and lost for ever.

What is still amazing is that the crown which adorned the head of the infant Jesus which rested in the arms of Our Lady was quite intact denoting that Jesus is the head of the Universe.

Now the desire of all those clients in all parts of the island is to see this miraculous statue so divinely saved from the treacherous tidal wave and I have no hesitation to say that the gathering at the Feast this year will definitely surpass the number of all previous years as to catch a glimpse of this miraculous statue is their only desire.

Msgr Alles' name will never be forgotten and will be written in letters of gold for it was his efforts that led the shrine to be so famous all over the motherland and after the Tidal Wave known to even European Countries.

All other parish priests who came in succession to Msgr Alles did their best to keep up the popularity of the shrine and contribute improvements.

Mention must however be made of the present parish priest Rev. Fr. Charles Hewawasam who is serving his second term.

In his first term he built the beautiful stadium and a life-size replica of the statue of Our Lady of Matara in front of the church premises which incidentally was badly damaged by the Tidal Waves.

From the moment he arrived for his second term he built a Pilgrims Rest and a Parish Hall which came in very useful in accommodating those affected by the tidal wave.

Celebration of the feast

On September 8, which is the Birthday of Our Blessed Mother, there will be a solemn and colourful ceremony at 8.30 a.m. His Excellency the Apostolic Nuncio Most Rev. Archbishop Mario Zenari and Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera, Bishop of Galle will install the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Matara in the main church.

On September 9 there will be the Eucharistic Procession and the chief celebrant will be Very Rev. Fr. Nihal Nanayakkara, Vicar General of the Galle Diocese.

On September 10 at 4.00 p.m. a welcome would be accorded to Bishop of Kurunegala Rt. Rev. Dr. Raymond Peiris and Bishop of Galle Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera and at 5.00 p.m. there will be Solemn Vespers and the procession where the statue of Our Lady of Matara will be carried in an illuminated and beautifully decorated motor chariot along the streets surrounding the church. Thousands of people line the streets to see this colourful and orderly procession.

After it reaches the stadium the chief celebrant will bless the gathering with the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Matara.

On September 11 at 8.00 a.m. there will be the festive high mass presided over by Rt. Rev. Dr. Raymon Peiris and Rt. Rev. Dr. Harold Anthony Perera. At the end of the mass the gathering will be blessed by the miraculous statue of Our Lady of Matara.

As thousands of Catholics gather at this hallowed shrine they will implore from our Blessed Mother to bring a lasting peace on our motherland and that the religious harmony which now exists among the people will not be disturbed in any way.

- K. Michael de Silva