Our Lady of Madhu
Wanni, Sri Lanka (16th c.)
In 1583, Catholics in Mannar to escape persecution went to a safer locale in Maruda Madhu along with a statue of Our Lady of the Rosary and were joined by migrants from Jaffna peninsula in Wanni forests.
These two communities met in Madhu, and built a Shrine which started to attract pilgrims from all over the country. Soon the devotion spread and people believed that they were not harmed by animals and poisonous reptiles due to the miraculous statue, and the soil was used as a remedy for snake bites.
The Madhu Shrine is not only a place of solace for Catholics, but also a symbol of racial harmony where Tamils from the North and East and Sinhalese from the South and other parts of the country meet together like one family to pray.
Text and image used with permission.
Source: "365 Days with Mary" by Michael O'Neill
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