Post-Pandemic Pilgrim Families at Bandel Shrine

 Joseph and Mary found the Christ-child in the Temple and learned more deeply that He must be about His Father’s work. Hundreds of families irrespective of creed, caste and colour, have started visiting the Bandel Basilica, a Shrine of Our Lady of Happy Voyage and a Church dedicated to the Queen of the Holy Rosary, during the last month, to pray that their families experience a similar rediscovery of our Lord in the Temple, and of their call to pilgrimage.

 Devout faithful are flocking the Church since a month, much after the third phase of the Covid-19 pandemic ended, with the observance of a minimum lockdown protocol.  Some families have waited for too long now to wait to come here annually to pray to God through the intercession of Mary. On the first Sunday of Lent, many families visited this shrine, though they missed the solemn procession and the celebration of the Way of the Cross (held stayed for 3 years due to Covid-19), with the memorable event of Jesus meeting his Mother while carrying the Cross to Calvary – an emotional meeting of the devotees with the suffering Son, Jesus. This ritualistic practice has many personal and family-related expectations tied to it, which they believe to be realized by the grace of Jesus through Mary.  This Annual observance of the Meeting of Jesus with his Mother at the Station of the Cross, started many years ago is a moment of special grace for many. The atmosphere with such ritual practices popularize the people’s ‘pilgrimage’ to Bandel. Many such trips were made by the devoted families in the subsequent years with lots of faith and devotion.

 Besides, many devotees believe that the miraculous statue of OLB at this sacred location motivates them to come to this religious shrine to honour her. The pilgrimage by all sort of people is more than a devotional moment. People from all walks of life reach here amidst hot and humid weather to show their gratitude and feel one with the rest of the pilgrims. People journey long and reach the Shrine to celebrate their faith through the participation in the liturgical celebrations.  They bring along their relatives and acquaintances, and they all return with graces, blessings, peace and fulfilment, with the assurance that God, through the intercession of Mary, is going to take care of them all.  

 This “pilgrim families” not just visit the Bandel Basilica, but they certainly come with gratitude of all the graces they have received in the past. The pilgrimage to Bandel shape them as a families, as it was intended by God. They become aware that they are in effect on constant pilgrimage. And that on this life’s pilgrimage, they will have to live purposeful life. Certainly, they go back, promising to imitate the Holy Family, in being families on pilgrimage. Every family is to be a pilgrim community – with a clear destination, a journey to make, and with neighbours and companions on the way.

 

Coming to Bandel Church, as a destination, the families have a focus and purpose. These families who come with a purpose, go back happier and satisfied, for having fulfilled their life’s promise. They come with a reason. They’re not just a random group of families, wandering around in the campus and inside the Church. They are all brought together for a purpose. The families come from God and is meant to lead to Him through Mary.

Sometimes family life and behaviour expressed externally, do not fit the expectations from a pilgrim people, that we all want to see. Noisy movement, distracted devotions, photo and selfie mania, picnicking attitude,  and an outing attitude,  are just a few of the major distractions that can strain families from being fulfilled through such pilgrimage here, and make their ‘coming’ anything but peace on them, goodwill to the rest. Coming together of parents, children and relatives, effect positively their relationship with each other and influence even their understanding of faith in God. The pilgrimage made as a family often make them feel that life and relationships fall short of God’s expectation. People go back with the ideal worth working for and struggling toward in life for peace and harmony. Sometimes reconciliation and healing do happen here. Persons change, circumstances improve, and they find ways of working through the difficult times with prayer through Mary, and find the support of loving and caring other family members and friends. Coming to Bandel to thank God for the past blessings showered mercifully on the family do bring about changes that can be seen later. They reach out then to others within the extended family inviting others to make such pilgrimages to Bandel.

The Portuguese Church established in 1599 by the Augustinian monks has been under the care of the Salesians of Don Bosco since 1928. Today there are more than 4,000 Catholics in the parish with two communities of Salesians and four women religious congregations catering to the education of some 5,000 students both with English and Bengali medium education.