MADU CHURCH - MANNAR - SRILANKA

Our Lady of Madhu is Sri Lanka’s holiest Catholic shrine. The story of Our Lady of Madhu begins in the second half of the 17th century. The statue of Our Lady of Good Counsel, was moved from Mantai — on the Jaffna peninsula — to Madhu. The move was ostensibly to protect the image from the colonial Dutch, who had closed churches and banned priests. Saint Joseph Vaz, an Oratorian priest from Goa, also came to the area during this period and took refuge at Madhu.

The shrine had been established for almost two centuries, when a large church was built in 1872, along with a grotto and presbytery for priests. Madhu Shrine received papal recognition when Pius XI gave permission for a solemn canonical “coronation” of Our Lady of Madhu, which was accomplished in 1924, with the church being formally consecrated in 1944. 

During the Sri Lankan civil war (1983-2009), Madhu Shrine was a neutral area for refugees. Its status as a safe space, however, did not protect refugees from being shelled in during what came to be known as “The Madhu Church massacre.” Also during this period, a claymore mine was also detonated under a school bus in the area, killing 16 adults and children. Our Lady of Madhu was brought out three times for a “penitential pilgrimage” throughout Sri Lanka to end the war. When the Sri Lankan government moved to exert authority over the area, the statue of Our Lady of Madhu was moved into rebel-held areas for safe keeping before finally being returned.

While July 2 is the official festival day for Our Lady of Madhu, the celebration that draws most crowds is the Feast of the Assumption on August 15. On that date, Our Lady of Madhu is brought out for a formal procession. It is said that during the period of the civil war, Sri Lankans would look closely at Our Lady of Madhu’s Crown during the procession—if it fell, it would mean that fighting would resume. There are a number of other legends associated with Madhu Shrine, particularly surrounding snakes. It is said that when Joseph Vaz came to Madhu, snakes fled the area, only returning when Our Lady of Madhu was taken away from the area for safekeeping during the civil war. When Our Lady of Madhu returned, it is said that the snakes were driven away once again.

Madhu Shrine is located in the Mannar diocese, a Tamil speaking area in the northwest part of Sri Lanka. However, Madhu is sacred to both Tamil and Singhalese Catholics, and even Buddhists and Muslims would also come to the shrine to pay respects to Mother Mary. Madhu Shrine hosts pilgrims throughout the year. Usually, pilgrims come for several days, and stay in one of the hostels especially reserved for them. Signs make it clear that alcohol is prohibited along with dancing and “merry-making” of any kind. Pilgrims usually buy medals, scapulars, and images of Our Lady of Madhu, which they have blessed by a priest. 

Madhu Church has a large “Ave Maria” sign, along with its transliterations in Sinhala and Tamil. Inside the church, pilgrims walk on their knees to approach Our Lady of Madhu and present their intentions. Flowers are also offered — which interestingly is also characteristic of worship in Buddhist and Hindu temples. Cut into the floor of Our Lady of Madhu Church is a pit that holds soil from the area in which St. Joseph Vaz said Mass while at Madhu. The soil is reputed to have curative properties, and is especially used as an antidote for snakebite. Madhu soil is mixed in concrete for the foundations of Catholic homes, and the soil is sometimes added to water and consumed by pilgrims. Surrounding Madhu Church is a large Way of the Cross. A panoramic view of the area gives a sense of the space needed to accommodate crowds during festivals.

Our Lady of Madhu is in the middle of the jungle. The Madhu Church Road branches off from highway A14 and is marked by a large gate. Nearby, a hotel (the term for restaurants in Sri Lanka) managed by the Sri Lankan Army sells rice and curry for pilgrims. Another road leads out from Madhu Shrine through an area that has yet to be fully cleared of mines and IEDs. This road emerges at Andankulam junction, where there is a much smaller shrine to the Passion of Jesus Christ.  

This church is Sri Lanka’s most hallowed Christian monument  Its walls shelter Our Lady of Madhu, a diminutive but revered Madonna-and-child statue brought here in 1670 by Catholics fleeing Protestant Dutch persecution in Mannar.

The statue rapidly developed a reputation for miracles – it was particularly revered as offering protection from snake bites – and Madhu has been a place of pilgrimage ever since. The vast Madhu compound also served as a refuge for those fleeing the civil war when refugee camps ringed the complex.

The present church dates from 1872 and is quite plain but has soaring central columns. Outside, the most striking feature is the elongated portico painted cream and duck-egg blue. The church attracts huge crowds of pilgrims to its 10 annual festivals, especially the one on 15 August.

Our Lady is 12km along Madhu Rd, which branches off the Vavuniya–Mannar road at Madhu Junction on the 47km marker. Vavuniya–Mannar buses (and trains from Medawachchiya, a station on the Jaffna–Colombo main line) both stop at Madhu Junction. From here three-wheelers cost Rs 800 return including waiting time

Resembling worshipping hands, the blue and white flags decorating the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Madhu, swayed in the gentle breeze of a brilliant mid winter Queensland day. "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now, and at the hour of our death." The chanting of this simple prayer, mixing with the singing of birds overhead filled the valley with a serenity not often experienced in the busy lives led in the modern world. Our pilgrimage to Marian Valley had transported us to a different world- the world of Virgin Mary - the mother of Jesus. Our Lady of Madhu is Sri Lanka's very own ( interpretation of the) mother of Jesus, worshipped and prayed, seeking guidance in times of despair by thousands of Catholic devotees worldwide. Each year, on the first Saturday in July, Sri Lankan Catholics in Queensland come together to venerate Our Lady of Madhu, a day comparable to the Madhu Festival which celebrates the day of assumption of the hallowed Virgin Mary.

The holy place of Our Lady of Madhu is a Roman Catholic Marian shrine in Mannar district of Sri Lanka. With a record of over 400 years, this shrine acts as a middle for pilgrimage and worship for SriLankan Catholics. The place is considered as the holiest Catholic church in the island and is a famous place of devotion for both Tamil and Sinhalese Catholics. A former Pattini-Kannaki shrine, the church has been a sign of unity not just between Tamils and Sinhalese, but also along with people of different religions. Including Buddhists, Hindus and Protestants. Attendance for the August festival at period touched close to a million people before the outbreak of the Sri Lankan Civil War. It was shelled a number of times. The Dutch invasion and the persecution of the Catholic Church in 1670, led to 20 Catholic families from Mantai, along with the statue of Mary in that church to a safer Madhu. About the similar time another 700 Catholics migrated from Jaffna into Wanni forests. At what time these two communities met in Madhu they installed a new shrine with the statue.

In the year 1870 the new Bishop approved an annual festival to be celebrated on 2 July. But in latest years the August 15th celebration draws the largest crowds because it is one of the most hallowed days for Catholics celebrating the day of assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into paradise and also because the school holidays facilitate whole families to make the tour.

Sri Lanka is known as the pearl of the Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka is also a tropical country which has everything for everyone to live and spend their lives. And this is a country which has a National Flag that represents all the religions under one flag. If you visit Sri Lanka you’ll definitely witness what I am saying because you will see thousands of Temples, Churches, Kovils, mosques in Sri Lanka.

If you observe the National Flag of Sri Lanka you’ll see the Bo Leaves which represent - Buddhism, Green Colour represent - Islamic Minority, Orange Colour represent -Hindu Tamils, The yellow border round the flag represent - The Buddhist clergy and The crimson background represent - Other minor religions.

Madu Church is one of the most sacred Churches in Sri Lanka which is situated in Mannar. The church is situated in a jungle area which is dedicated to Mother Mary. There are thousands and thousands of devotees who go on pilgrims to the Shrine of Lady of Madu. And this church is said to be a Roman Catholic Church, well it is also considered as the holiest Catholic church in the island and is a famous place of devotion for both Tamil and Sinhalese Catholics. There are huge crowds of pilgrims on the month of August during the annual feast of the Shrine of the Lady of Madu.

It is believed that Our Lady of Madu has healing powers of snake bites and there are many other faiths of the pilgrims who visit the Madu Church. As many us know, Mother Mary tramples a snake from her feet while holding the Holy Rosary in her hand... Many people visit the Madu Church and pray for Our Lady of Madu and some people come to pray for Our Lady of Madu to ask for some help for their needs while some people visit the church to fulfill the promises they made to Our Lady of Madu. This church is one of the Churches which is been visited by both Buddhists and Tamils as well other than the Catholics.

වසර 400 කටත් වැඩි ඉතිහාසයක් අැති මඩු දේවස්ථානය, ශ්‍රී ලාංකික කතෝලික බැතිමතුන්ගේ සහ වන්දනාකරුවන්ගේ කේන්ද්‍රස්ථානය වෙි.

මඩු දේවස්ථානය දිවයිනේ අැති ශුද්ධ වු පල්ලිය වන අතර සිංහල සහ දෙමළ කතෝලික බැතිමතුන් භක්තියෙන් යුතුව අදහන පුජනිය ස්ථානයක් ලෙස සැලකේ.

මෙම දේවස්ථානය සිංහල සහ දෙමළ ජාතීන් අතර පමණක් නොව විවිධ අාගමි අදහන අය අතර එක්සත්කමෙි සංකේතය යි.

මිලියනයකට අාසන්න භක්තිමත් ජන සංඛ්‍යාවක් වාර්ෂික මංගල්‍යට සහභාහි වෙි. 

වසර 1870 සිට වාර්ෂික උත්සවය ජුලි මසදි පැවැත්වුවත් මෑතක පටන් අගෝස්තු මාසයේදි සමරනු ලබයි. විශාල ජනකායක් පැමිණෙන නිසාත් , කතෝලික විශ්වාසයක් වන අගෝස්තු මාසය මරිය කන්‍යතුමියගේ අාශිර්වාදය බොහෝ ලැබෙන නිසාත් අගෝස්තුවේ වාර්ෂික මංගල්‍ය සිදු වෙි.