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Kottar diocese of the Roman Catholic Church is gearing up for one of the most significant events of its history on December 2 when Devasahayam Pillai from the diocese will be pronounced 'Blessed' by the Vatican headquarters.
Neeakanda Pillai, Devasahayam Pillai

Devasagayam Pillai, the Servant of God, was born in 1712 of Vasudevan Namboodri and Devakiamma in Nattalam, formerly of South Travancore, now in the Kanyakumari Civil District of Tamil Nadu. He was called Neeakanda Pillai, and "Pillai" signifies his caste affiliation, Nair, and it is in the Hindu social order among the high castes.

Born-April 23, 1712

Nattalam, Kanyakumari District, India

Died-January 14, 1752 

Aralvaimozhy

Honored in-Catholic Church

Beatified-2 December 2012, Church of Saint Xavier, Cathedral of Kottar (On behalf of Benedict XVI) Tamil Nadu by Angelo Amato.

Major shrine-Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier

Feast-14 January

A man of character and well-educated, Nilakanda Pillai began his career as a soldier and then became a Kingdom treasury official in charge of the Palace. During his tenure as Treasury official, the Kingdom suffered due to lack of revenues and loss of property. Neelakanda Pillai shared his sufferings and difficulties with the captured Dutch captain Eustachius Benedictus De Lannoy, who was then acting as King Marthandavarma 's army advisor. He was counseled by a fervent catholic, De Lannoy, quoting the Book of Job. Neelakanada Pillai, taken up by his description, desired to become a Christian. On May 14, 1745, Fr. Giovanni Battista Buttari, a Jesuit missionary living in Vadakkankulam, baptized him as Devasagayam, Lazarus. Devasagayam Pillai converted many people after his conversion including his wife Bhargaviamma. Convinced of the equality of all as God's children (Gal. 3:28), he decried caste distinctions and superstitions. The King forced him to reconvert to Hinduism at the behest of the infuriated Hindu Priests. But Devasagayam Pillai was firm in his faith and so the King ordered his arrest. He was arrested on Feb. 23, 1749, and imprisoned and paraded in chains to various locations for three years, including Pukliyurkuruichi, now a parish in the Diocese of Kottar. A defiant Devasagayam refused to leave Christ and he was shot to death in Kattadimalai forest, Aralvaimozhy, in January 1752. His mortal remains were found by the Christians who took them to Kottar and buried before the main altar of St. Francis Xavier, Kottar, which in turn became the Cathedral of the Diocese of Kottar.

Attempts were made to present his cause to the Holy See, beginning with Report-1756 of the visit of Ad Limina. Recently in 1993 the Cause was canonically instituted in the diocese of Kottar. The Diocesan Enquiry was properly sent to the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, and on 18 March 2010, the legitimacy of the Diocesan process was confirmed. The POSITIO was unanimously accepted by the Historical Commission (2011) and the Theological Commission (2012) in Rome and the fact that the Servant of God endured death for his faith. On 28 June, Pope Benedict XVI approved the decree beatifying the Servant of God Devasagayam Pillai(Lazarus) from the Diocese of Kottar by the Pontifical Commission for the Causes of Saints.
Read more
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devasahayam_Pillai
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