In 2003, while serving as the Parish Priest of Pallam Levidi in the Diocese of Srikakulam, India, I felt inspired to erect a Crucifix on one of the nearby hills. To prepare myself spiritually for this mission, I observed a forty-day fast. On August 15, after the Crucifix had been erected, the parishioners asked me to give the hill a name.
I closed my eyes and prayed for a moment. As the Lord inspired my heart, I named it Mother of Mercy Mountain.
The people were familiar with the many titles of our Blessed Mother Mary, such as Our Lady of Velankanni, Our Lady of Lourdes, Our Lady of Fátima, and others. However, they had never heard the title Mother of Mercy used in this way. They asked me why I had chosen that name.
As I prepared to pray for an answer, our Blessed Mother Mary appeared to me. Her heart was open, beating with great love and mercy, while beneath her feet she crushed the head of the serpent.
At that moment, the Rosary and the Crucifix that I had been holding appeared in her hands. I asked, “Mother, why are you holding my Rosary and my Crucifix?”
She answered, “My son, do you remember the bleeding of Jesus that you witnessed at Vadiakadu on June 18, 1992, at 6:45 in the morning?”
She continued:
“My son, day by day the sins of the world are increasing, and because of this my Son Jesus continues to bleed. If you desire His bleeding to stop, people must turn away from sin. The most powerful way to lead them away from sin is through the frequent recitation of the Holy Rosary.”
As she entrusted me with the mission of encouraging all people to pray the Holy Rosary often, she looked upon me with immense mercy. That expression of love and compassion is the one represented in the image you see here in this website.
My dear friends, just as I have experienced the tender mercy of our Blessed Mother, it is my heartfelt desire that you may experience that same mercy in your own lives. This is why I have placed this image of Mother Mary here, so that all who see it may be reminded of her loving intercession and maternal care.
May Our Lord God Bless you abundantly.
Rev. Fr. John Peter Santhappan, HGN.
