Khammam: Annual feast at Palair shrine draws large gathering of devotees

Bishop Dr. Sagili Prakash of the erstwhile Khammam Diocese urged devotees to embrace compassion and service during the annual feast of Our Lady of Miracles at Palair.

Khammam: Erstwhile Khammam Roman Catholic diocese Bishop Dr. Sagili Prakash called upon devotees to cultivate a service-oriented mindset and a compassionate heart, drawing inspiration from Mother Mary.

He participated in the closing ceremony of the annual feast of the Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles at Palair in the district on Saturday. Led by the Bishop and the Parish Priest of Palair Kommu Anthony, a spectacular procession with the statue of Virgin Mary was taken out while artists performed ‘Kolatam’ and ‘Dappu’ art forms.

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A large number of devotees from Telangana and Andhra Pradesh participated in the procession. Bishop Dr. Prakash appreciated ‘Mariya Dalam’ (Mary’s Squad), noting that it has come forward to render dedicated services across the combined district, with the Palair shrine serving as its central hub.

He emphasised that the path shown by Lord Jesus was a path that everyone should strive to follow. Every individual should cultivate virtues such as forgiveness, peace and altruism besides interacting with their fellow human beings with a compassionate heart and a spirit of affection.

The Bishop noted that the 76-foot statue of Mother Mary at Palair has gained renown across the entire Asian continent and that at this holy shrine Mother Mary has bestowed countless blessings upon the faithful through numerous miraculous deeds.

The Parish Priest Anthony claimed that in a truly miraculous event in recent times Mother Mary blessed a female devotee with a healthy baby after 21 years of waiting. Such miracles have brought deep satisfaction to every devotee visiting the holy shrine.

Later spiritual and cultural programmes were held captivating the devotees. The event was attended by priests Nandigama Mario, Korivi Thomas, brother Bala Raju, clergy members, nuns and believers hailing from various other regions.