First Indian Layman to be declared Saint

First Indian Layman to be declared Saint

Subject: History

Section: Personality

Context: Devasahayam Pillai, who embraced Christianity in the 18th century, became the first Indian layman to be declared a saint by Pope Francis during an impressive canonisation ceremony at the Vatican on 15^th May.

Concept:

• Devasahayam Pillai was born in 1712 as Neelakanta Pillai into a Hindu Nair family, at Nattalam in Kanyakumari district (erstwhile Travancore kingdom), Tamilnadu.
• He was an official in the court of Travancore’s Maharaja Marthanda Varma when he was instructed into the Catholic faith by a Dutch naval commander in 1745.
• He took the name “Lazarus”, or “Devasahayam” in Malayalam, which translates to “God is my help”.
• While preaching, he particularly insisted on the equality of all people, despite caste differences. This aroused the hatred of the higher classes, and he was arrested in 1749. After enduring increasing hardships, he received the crown of martyrdom when he was shot on January 14, 1752.
• Devasahayam was recommended for the process of Beautification by the Vatican in 2004 and was declared Blessed on December 2, 2012, in Kottar, 300 years after his birth.