Deepagam catechetical team, Kalai Kuzhu volunteers and four youth commission staff (from Peravalur) ventured together after six years of hiatus for an outing and pilgrimage on May 04, 2024 Saturday to Pazhaverkadu Marian Shrine. This is the first community overture for the volunteer members who stage-perform Lenten Plays also known as Sound and Light program for the last twenty-years.

Thirty-two volunteers, Deepagam team and Youth Commission members – all adults and some with their kids - formed the community of one-day pilgrimage to Pulicat shrine. While Chennai was reeling in summer heatwave, the outing community had a stop-over at Salesian Theologate – Becchi Don Bosco – at Panpakkam village near the Kavarapettai town. Fr. Jesudoss, Deepagam-Director together with the volunteer members was welcomed by Rev. Fr. Pathiaraj Rayappan SDB, Rector of Becchi Don Bosco. [Now, the Becchi-Don Bosco was inaugurated in the year 2009 in the pristine rural surrounding that was cut through by National Highway inviting industrial plants and trade centers in the vicinity.]

After summer refreshment, the volunteers set out to Pazhaverkadu (also known as Pulicat) in a School Bus arranged by Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School, Egmore.

On reaching the historical Marian Shrine after one-and-half-hour journey, the community gathered at the Parish church. Fr. Gabriel, sfx the Parish Priest welcomed the pilgrim community and allowed us to pray at the altar (of underground Church, which was the original Church), arranged meals and boat-ride. [The Pulicat church was built by Portuguese explorers in 1515 AD, first Catholic presence in present day Tamil Nadu. The Marian shrine had been dedicated to "Our Lady of Joy" by Portuguese five hundred years back, but later on as "Our Lady of Glory" (Mahimai Matha) by Protestant Dutch].

After a brief rest-time, Fr. Jesudoss SDB celebrated Holy Eucharist for the volunteer pilgrims in the Parish Church. During his sermon, the celebrant invited participants to give testimonials of their faith in their struggle to live and witness Christian life. Meanwhile, the shearing heatwave had subsided after the mass. Villagers had arranged three boats to traverse the Pulicat backwaters. After 20 minutes of boating, the volunteers, their children and few villagers with three local boys gathered at an island under a young and fresh Neem tree for the picnic lunch. After which, all walked to the sea nearby and frolicked the blue surf till early evening; in another 20 minutes of rowing back, the outing people returned to the Parish Church. Before departing, the volunteers thanked the parish priest and the villagers who shared refreshments with the picnic party. The return journey to Chennai was quite uneventful. Deepagam team and the volunteers went back to their homes with memorable experience of faith and joy of being together for the first time in an apt manner.

The purpose of this picnic was to bring together all catechetical service teams and build community to nurture personal faith that reflects in lay ministries; and also as an expression of encouragement and gratitude for the commitment to faith formation.

View Photo Album: Photo Album - Picnic to Pulicat