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There are many legends associated with this church, the most famous was
in 1752, a Nair lady Meenakshiamma hailing from a noble Nair family
of Palliveetil who along with her infant son, were believed to have been
rescued miraculously from the bottom of the backwaters near the church
after they went missing for three days. The then parish priest, Fr. Miguel
Correa had a dream where the Lady of Ransom appeared and gave him instructions
to rescue the drowning mother and son. After this miracle, Vallarpadam
became a famous pilgrim center. In gratitude, all the members of the Palliveetil
family vowed to remain loyal servants of Our Lady forever and Meenakshiamma
and her son spend the rest of their lives in and around the church.
'Adima' a ritual practice - submitting one's lives to the protection of
Our Lady of Vallarpadam was thus established and now this ritual is the
popular offering in Vallarpadam Church. During this ritual, the priest
lays his hands on the head of the devotee, says a prayer and sprinkles
holy water. It is believed that once the ritual is performed Our Lady
protects the person from all dangers and grant favors in abundance. In
memory of this miracle, the picture of Meenakshiamma and her son seeking
blessings, was added to the original holy picture of the Blessed Mary
and Infant Jesus. Even today, the members of the Palliveetil family, the
house of the Nair lady, bring their children to perform the practice of
'Adima' and also supply curd water to devotees during the festivities
of the church. Taking into consideration its spiritual importance,
His Holiness Pope Leo XIII elevated the main altar of Vallarpadam Church
to the status of 'Altare previlegiatum in Perpetuum Concessum' in 1888.
In 1951, it was declared a major pilgrim centre by the government of India.
The Govt. of Kerala declared the shrine a tourist center in 2002. A
request was submitted by Archbishop Daniel Acharuparampil of Varappuzha
to make the church a Basilica. The Church was declared a National shrine
on September12th 2004 by the Catholic Bishop's Conference of India (CBCI)
and the same year on December 1, His Holiness Pope John Paul II elevated
the Shrine to the status of 'Basilica'. It was officially declared
by the Archbishop on February 12, 2005.
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Pilgrim Centers 
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