Away from his busy schedule visiting Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi and his wife offered Sunday mass at a little historic church on St Thomas Mount in Chennai.
The church was built in memory of St Thomas, one of the apostles who it is believed came to India and became a martyr in 72 AD.
“This is a symbol of Indian faith and so I wanted to pay my tribute,” said Romano Prodi, Prime Minister, Italy.
Besides the Pope, the Italian Prime Minister is the second high profile international leader to visit the shrine, which is acting as a source of excitement for the local parish.
While the historic site is already a favourite with many Indian and foreign tourists, locals hope such visits by international leaders will elevate it to the status of a global shrine.
“The importance of this place is made more public now and more pilgrims will flow in and get elevated,” said John Bosco, Parish Priest.
It is not often that one gets a chance to worship with a country’s leader and so it was certainly a memorable Sunday for the congregation at the church on St Thomas Mount.
