My name is A. Antonisamy. I was born in 1924 at Kumbakonam. Having lived for about 20 years in Kumbakonam, I got job in the Postal and Telegraphic department. I had to work at several places in Tamil Nadu in this department. Finally in 1955 I settled permanently at Thriuvottriyur, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India. I belong to St. Paul’s parish, Thiruvottriyur and I am a catholic by birth. What I am witnessing is not a fable; it is a real story of mine which happened to me in the recent past. There is no exaggeration in what I am writing.

In 1969, I was affected by rheumatic pain and was suffering from it since then. I approached the doctor for treatment. Though at times the pain seemed to lesson, I was never cured from it. I had undergone first allopathic treatment but there was no symptom of improvement. The pain reached its zenith on 10th August 1969. I underwent treatment of Siddha medicines. But there was no improvement either. My condition became bad on 22.08.1969. As I had severe back pain, my health condition became worse. I was not able to go to the office to work. On 25th August 1969, I could neither stand, nor work, nor sit or get up. I lost hope in medical treatment. I lost also my religious faith and hope and I was paralyzed and was lying down at home.

Seeing my pitiable condition, my wife took me the Pujari (Hindu Priest) of Kali-Temple in the neighborhood. She asked him to bless me by offering him Rs. 50/-. I who was at the verge of death accepted to be blessed by the Temple Pujari because then I thought getting cured was important for me. I should say that I committed a blunder by submitting myself to be blessed the temple Pujari. As a result, I felt that the betrayal of my God brought me a terrible suffering that I never experienced in 45 years of my life.

People usually curse God when they undergo suffering. But what I learnt from my religion was that “praising the name of God” might bring consolation. So I began to praise “Jesus” and shed tears. I thought within myself that if he wants, he can cure me, forsaken by medicines.

On 28th August 1969, I had a sleepless night. At that time I began to hear an inner voice asking me to go to Poondi and surrender at the feet of Our Lady. Hence I planned to make a journey to Poondi. My parish priest and many others were wondering whether I would be fit to make this journey. However, with firm trust and hope I decided to travel to Poondi

On 29th August 1969, I travelled from Chennai by Fast Passenger Train that leaves to Trivandrum. This was a journey of hope: whether I will live or die was the thought that was haunting my mind. However, a thought that I will get cured, I will be strengthened was blossoming in my mind. At 9.45 a.m. of 30th August we reached Budalur Station. Then we proceeded to Tirukkattupalli at 11.30 a.m. and reached Poondi at 12.15 p.m. As soon as we reached Poondi, we went to the Church and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament and then went to the Statue of Our Lady of Poondi and submitted there my petition.

I was able to meet the Parish Priest Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier only in the evening. Limping and helped by my wife, I reached Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier. Looking at my limping he took pity on me. Listening to my life struggle, he gave me holy oil of Our Lady and asked my wife to apply the painful area of my body. Encouraged by the spiritual vibration and kindness of Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier, my wife faithfully followed the direction given to her. He also asked us to stay in room no. 8, which was located just opposite to his residence.

People of different faith from all over Tamilnadu had come to the Shrine of Poondi for a special prayer on this particular evening. Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier announced to those gathered that they would see the power of God through the intercession of Our Lady of Poondi that very night. Among the people some had come there to see the miraculous happenings; some of them had doubts about it and had come to see the fun. None of them took notice of me suffering and screaming due to pain. However, Our Lady of miracles hearkened to my cry and petition.

At 2.00 in the early morning of 31 August, I was shouting with the words “Amma, Amma”, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”. My ears heard the speaking of the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier. Whatever he was ordering me to do, I was obeying. My voice was so loud that it disturbed everyone’s sleep and many gathered in front of my room. They were annoyed at the noise I was making. I was uttering the words, “O foolish world, what do you see here? From where did my tongue get the strength which was unable to speak? The Priest was speaking through me”. Since the people did not hear what my ears alone heard, one of the ladies from the crowd gathered in front of my room yelled at me saying, “ You are like a mad man, keep quiet, go to bed and don’t disturb our sleep”. The Priest continued to responding through me, “Foolish woman, you are speaking without knowing what is happening here. It is not he who is speaking rather it is I who am speaking through him. He does the function of a machine called “Repeating coil” in his telephone office, which does not function on its own rather it exactly repeats the words of the owner”. At that moment, I realized that my tongue was speaking but the voice was of the Priest who did not appear to anyone nor seen by anyone. His voice heard only to my ears.

He said to those gathered, “In spite of his suffering, with strong faith he invokes the name of Blessed Mother and the name of Jesus. Like Adam who disobeyed God by listening to Eve, so also this man betrayed the Living God listening to his wife and committed sin. Since he feels sorry for his mistakes, we are obliged to forgive him. Therefore I ask you to tell me whether to heal him or not”. The people who knew me since in the evening were in a shock not knowing what was happening. The Priest continued, “The people present here will not believe what is happening at this moment because they are incapable of believing, yet I will do what I am supposed to do”. Then I heard the voice of Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier commanding me to come to his room. I told him that I was not able to walk. People heard my response but not the voice of the Priest.

My wife ran to his room begging him to come and do something. He sent a boy with holy oil along with my wife directing him to apply it both in the chest and paralyzed leg. Looking at my appearance, the boy got scared and ran away from my room leaving the oil. My wife applied the oil as directed. All of a sudden, I could see my paralyzed leg started moving. I felt that a miracle was happening to me. I was wonder struck. It was an awesome feeling of being touched by our Blessed Virgin Mary and I experienced a miraculous healing of my illness. Then I heard a commanding voice of Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier to come to his room immediately. He also said to me to spit my saliva out three times on my way to his room.

Upon his command, I began to walk towards his room with the help of my wife. With great difficulty I knelt down with one leg. Then the Priest said, “Now you have to sweat in front of the people at the feet of our Lady as you sweated in the passion play for two years, assuming the role of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane in Thiruvottriyur”. I tried my best to sweat, but no water came out of my body. I informed the father about it. But he asked me to put fingers on my body and wipe the sweat from it and throw it down on the ground. I did so. Then he asked me to repeat thrice the following words, “O miraculous Mother of universal praise of Poondi, intercede for us that the befallen evil be expelled from us, that the desired good be granted to us; that our family be well off in life and thy name be praised by our living witness”. Then he asked the people around me to repeat the same prayer three times. Till now his room never opened and he never came out. I asked him, “Father, please come out and bless me”. He replied to me, “Go to bed and thank Our Lady of Poondi because she has already blessed you and completely cured you from your illness”. Then he continued, “The apparition of our Blessed Mother is happening and I am interceding for many other people like you to get cured and I am not sure where I could get this blessed moment with Our Blessed Mother again”. So he again ordered me to go to bed. I knew that he was praying throughout the night inside his room to Our Lady of Poondi.

I have no words to explain what happened at that time in my life – a miracle. I got up like a warrior. I walked without the help of anyone and reached my room. I was healed from the pain in all the parts of my body. The good health which I could not get from medicine, now I got it from the hands of our Lady of Poondi through the intervention of Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier.

On 31st August I participated in two Holy Masses and received Holy Communion. Then I went to meet the Priest. He said, “Do not go anywhere. Directly go to the Postal-telegraphic office and assume your work”. I obeyed and followed the advice of the Father. I joined duty on 1st September 1969 to the surprise of everyone in the office. They enquired what happened to me. I narrated the miraculous actions of Our Lady to all. I will ever praise her by my thoughts, words and deeds and tell to everyone what happened to me at the Shrine of Our Lady of Poondi. Yours Sincerely in Christ

(sd) A. Antonisamy,

Mechanic, R.R.O.C., Teleprinters,

P&T. Department,

85/87 American Street,

Madras – 1.

N.B: This translation is also based on the witness-letter written by Miss. A. Arockia Mary Daisy Diana, the daughter of her late father Mr. A. Antonisamy.

My name is Christine Martha otherwise known as Mercy. My father’s name is Antony Samy. My father obtained healing of the body through the prayer of Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier at Poondi Shrine of Our Lady. As a gratitude for this, the whole family used to go to Poondi in the month of May every year. In 1975, I was twenty years old. I was not able to sleep at that time. I used to keep vigil the whole night. I told my father on the following morning that I did not sleep the whole night and I felt giddiness. My father and mother took me to the Shrine of Our Lady of Poondi. We prayed there to Our Lady of Poondi and to Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier to remove the difficulty of sleeplessness. I along with my mother slept at the right side of the tomb and my father Antony Samy slept at the left side of the tomb. I slept so well that night that I did not know it had dawned. My mother woke me up. I slept well and got cured. I whole heartedly thank Our Lady of Poondi and Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier. Now I am 70 years old and I am sleeping very well since then. I never had the difficulty of sleeplessness. I put in writing this incident as my witness to the holiness of Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier.

Yours Sincerely in Christ,
(sd)
Mrs. A. Christine Martha (alias) Mercy
100/3, Arumugam Pillai Thottam Street,
Annadanapatti,
Salem – 636 006

One evening in 1970, Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier was talking to the people and blessing them. All of sudden, a man jumped over the compound wall and ran to the Father. To the surprise of everybody, a copra snake was chasing him. The man who ran fell at the feet of Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier and begged him to save him. The snake which chased him took hood and stared at him. Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier looked at the snake and commanded it to remain still. Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier asked the man to rise up and asked him, “What did you do to the snake?” He replied that he did nothing. Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier asked him to reflect and tell. That man acknowledged that he stoned at a snake when he was a small boy.

Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier asked whether the snake died. But the man replied, “No, Father, the snake escaped”. “It is the same snake which you stoned at, is chasing you today”, said Father. And then he continued, “Then you were a small boy, now you have grown up. Similarly the snake was small at the time; it has also grown up today like you. It has come today to take revenge; therefore you put your hands on its head and ask for pardon; it will not do any harm”. That man was trembling and said that he was afraid. However, the snake remained raising its hood. Then Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier laid his hand on the hooh of the snake and asked the man to put his hands upon his hands and say to the snake “forgive me”. The man did so. Then the Father ordered the snake to go back. The snake lowered its head and returned. The man looked at the Father with gratitude. Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier asked him to pray to Our Lady with gratitude. Rev. Fr. V. S. Lourdu Xavier was a great pious man and had the power obtained from Our Lady. May the name of Poondi Father be praised and honored.

Yours Sincerely in Christ, (sd) S. Devadoss

Poondi Madha Basilica,

Poondi (P.O.),

Tirukattupalli (Via)

Thanjavur – 613 105