Our Lady of Grace, Shamirpet

The Shrine of Our Lady of Grace is the first of its kind in India. It is a spectacular structure depicting the typical Indian culture, explaining how Christianity has taken deep roots in Indian tradition. It was the result of the vision of Fr Jose Kaimlett, the founder of the Societies of Heralds of Good News, Sisters of Good News and Missionaries of Compassion, located in Aliabad near Shamirpet.

Shrine of Our Lady of Grace, at Ave Maria Nagar in Aliabad, is indeed a masterpiece of Indian architecture. The shrine devoted to Virgin Mary has taken profound inspiration from many architectural sites of India and explains how Christianity has taken deep roots in Indian tradition. It is the only Indian shrine christened as, Our Lady of Grace. The shrine was inaugurated on November 10, 2009. The official opening of the shrine was done by Bishop Delio Lucarelli, from Italy. The ceremony of inauguration, consecration and dedication was attended by eight Bishops.

History:

The events in the life of Fr Jose Kaimlett, who founded the shrine, can indeed be narrated like a story. Fr Jose wanted a place around Hyderabad to erect a shrine. After a very long search, a suitable site was found and everyone, including the Archbishop , the late M Joji, liked and approved it. But at the last moment someone mentioned about the availability of the present site.

Though the price was almost double and non-negotiable, he just wanted to have a look at it. The very first time he set his foot on the plot, he felt within himself a very strong and ardent feeling, “This is the site for the shrine,” he said, exactly the same way as he felt, when he first set foot at Nirmalagiri, where a shrine dedicated to Our Lady was founded by him. With his strenuous mental and physical efforts and with the support of Archbishop M Joji, the shrine was built in 2009.

Architecture:

At the entrance of the shrine is a replica of Pieta, a sculpture of beautiful Madonna with the mortal corpse of Jesus Christ, expressing her profound sorrow and grief. A unique feature of the shrine is the Dhvaja Sthambham. Dhvaja Sthambham, being quite singular for temples in India, has also been adopted by the architects who designed the shrine. The shrine also has a Kuthuvilakku, a typical South Indian lamp. In the main portico of the shrine there is an 8-foot high Kuthuvilakku made out of stone. Mukha Dhvaram, the huge main doors of the shrine are another attraction. These huge doors have pictures of Jesus and Mary engraved on them. Statues of Saint Joseph and Saint Anthony have been installed in the left and right porticos.

Inside the shrine:

The altar in the shrine is carved out of a natural stone. Lecterns-Ambos, in front of the altar was also carved out of a natural stone from where the sacred scripture is proclaimed. The sanctuary has an ornamental tabernacle at the centre and two more small tabernacles on either side for the relics brought from other shrines from different parts of the world. The huge crucifix is made out of a single teak wood tree.

In front, there is a crypt also called as ‘Garbha Gudi’ in Indian tradition. It contains the pictorial representation of “The Annunciation of Angel Gabriel to our Blessed Virgin Mary”. Right on the top of this ‘Garbha Gudi’, one can find a big chandelier hanging with dazzling imported stones set in it and in front of this Garbha Gudi has an imported statue of Our Lady of Medjugorje from Portugal carved out of a single marble.

On the dome of the shrine, the statue of Our Lady of Grace, was installed. According to Fr Jose Kaimlett, “Our Blessed Mother is known under so many varying titles all over the world, but none as popular and as enticing as ‘Hail Mary, Full of Grace!’ So much so, there are 162 major shrines dedicated to ‘Our Lady of Grace, Madonna delle Grazie’.

Just below the dome and around it are installed 24 statues namely, Our Lady of Highways, Our Lady of Medjugorje, Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Guadalupe, Our Lady of Scaffati, Our Lady of Vailankanni, Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary, Our Lady of Presentation, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of Assumption, Our Lady of Angels and Saints, Our Lady of the Universe, Our Lady of the Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Succour, Mary Help of Christians, Our Lady of Salvation, Our Lady of Mercy and Compassion, Mary Mediatrix, Our Lady of Good Health, Our Lady of Sorrows, Immaculate Heart of Mary, Our Lady of Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Sacred Heart.

Every day at 6.30am and 6pm, there is a holy mass. On Sundays, at 8 am, there is a mass in Telugu followed by an English mass at 10am and at 5pm.

As the shrine was blessed on the second Sunday of November, the shrine has its solemn celebration of feast every year on that day. Over 10,000 devotees attend the feast day celebrations. On the feast day there are Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil and English Mass.