Catholic shrine in Tamil Nadu opens breastfeeding room

Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child in her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands (Isaiah 49:15-16).

May 19, 2023

The newly opened breastfeeding room at Our Lady of Periyanayagi Shrine in Konankuppam, Tamil Nadu, India. (GSR photo/Donald Reegan)


By Robancy A Helen
Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child in her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands (Isaiah 49:15-16).

These are the words written in a new breastfeeding room, which was opened recently at Our Lady of Periyanayagi Shrine. The shrine is in Konankuppam, Kallakurichi district of the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, and was constructed by Italian Jesuit missionary Fr Constantine Joseph Beschi (1680-1747).

The special room for feeding babies was inaugurated by Elizabeth, mother of nine, and by Chinnamma, mother of eight children, both from the Konankuppam parish. They were assisted by Fr Jayaseelan, a Jesuit who does pastoral ministry at the shrine.

It is indeed a turning point to see the needs of these women met.

“When I was a young boy, I used to notice that my mother and other women used to go to the toilet at night or at dawn, when there were no toilet rooms either in the village or at home,” said Fr Devasagayaraj M. Zackarias, the rector and parish priest of the Our Lady of Periyanayagi Shrine.

Breastfeeding babies in the one-room houses of people living in poverty is an equally difficult situation for mothers. When there is only one room in the house and neighbours are visiting the house, it is an embarrassing situation for the breastfeeding mother, commented Fr Zackarias.

Inclusion is important in churches in India. “We thought they needed privacy to breastfeed the babies. We are sure that this will be useful for breastfeeding mothers,” said the rector.

The 303-years-old church draws a million pilgrims every year. It has 200 rooms for the pilgrims to stay in, a canteen, drinking water, a conference room, and a higher secondary school for hearing-impaired children. A soup kitchen was started during COVID-19.--Matters India

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