Vatican City: The Catholic Church in India is set to witness a historic spiritual milestone as Pope Leo XIV, through the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, has officially declared Saint Devasahayam Pillai as the Patron Saint of the Laity in India. The decree comes following a petition from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), which sought Vatican approval to recognize the saint’s enduring legacy as a beacon of faith for lay Catholics.
The official proclamation will be celebrated during a solemn Holy Mass on October 15 at St. Mary’s Cathedral in Varanasi, coinciding with the annual national gathering of diocesan representatives under the CCBI Laity Commission. Cardinal Philip Neri, President of the CCBI, has called on bishops, clergy, religious, and the faithful across the nation to join in thanksgiving and to promote greater devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary, linking the historic recognition to deeper lay participation in the life of the Church.
Devasahayam Pillai, born Neelakantha Pillai on April 23, 1712, in Nattalam, Kanyakumari, served as a trusted official in the Travancore royal court under King Marthanda Varma. His life took a decisive turn when he encountered the Dutch general Eustachius De Lannoy, from whom he first learned about Christianity. On May 17, 1745, he was baptized by Jesuit missionary Fr. Giovanni Battista Buttari, taking the name Devasahayam meaning Lazarus “God has helped”.
Pillai’s embrace of Christianity unsettled the royal establishment. His open preaching in villages like Ramapuram, Vadakkekkulam, and Neyyattinkara drew suspicion and hostility. Accused of treason, he endured horrific tortures beatings on his feet, humiliation on a buffalo’s back under the blazing sun, and the burning sting of chili powder pressed into his wounds. Despite imprisonment and unrelenting persecution, Pillai remained steadfast in his faith.
On January 14, 1752, royal soldiers led him to Kattadi Hill, where he was executed by firing squad. Before his death, chained to a rock, he prayed one final time, a moment that has since become an emblem of courage and Christian witness in India. His remains were interred at St. Xavier’s Church, Kottar, Nagercoil, which continues to draw pilgrims to this day.
The path to sainthood was long and marked by decades of devotion. In 2004, the Tamil Nadu Bishops’ Council formally proposed his cause to the Vatican. Pope Benedict XVI recognized him as a martyr in 2012, leading to his beatification on December 2, 2012. A decade later, on May 15, 2022, Pope Francis canonized him as India’s first lay martyr, honoring his witness as a man of faith from outside the clergy who gave his life for Christ.
Today, as Devasahayam Pillai becomes the official Patron Saint of the Laity in India, the Church underscores not only his sacrifice but also his enduring relevance as a symbol of courage for ordinary faithful navigating challenges of faith in society.
The October 15 celebration in Varanasi is expected to draw lay leaders and clergy from across India, marking a new chapter in the Catholic Church’s recognition of the essential role of the laity in its mission and life.