Devasahayam Pillai: first Indian layman to be declared a Saint by Vatican

Culture of India Religious beliefs and Practises

Context: Recently, Devasahayam Pillai was declared as a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, becoming the first Indian layman to be canonised.

He was born as Neelakanta Pillai in a Hindu family in Nattalam village in Kanyakumari district.
He was converted to Catholicism after meeting a Dutch naval commander at the court of Marthanda Varma of Travancore.
He got baptized in 1745 by the name ‘Lazarus’ or "Devasahayam", meaning ‘God is my help’.
He insisted on the equality of all people, despite caste difference, which aroused hatred of the higher classes, and he got arrested.
He was martyred in the Aralvaimozhy forest and his mortal remains were interred inside Saint Francis Xavier’s Cathedral in Kottar, Nagercoil.
He was declared Blessed on December 2, 2012, in Kottar, 300 years after his birth.

The Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city-state located within the city of Rome in Italy.
It is known for its artistic and architectural masterpieces such as the St Peter's Basilica, the largest religious building in the world.
It is the site of the tomb of the Apostle Saint Peter, making it a main pilgrimage centre.
It is an exemplary creation of the Renaissance and of Baroque art.
It is an important archaeological site of the Roman world and one of the major cultural reference points of both Christians and non-Christians.
It is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.

It became independent from Italy by the Lateran Treaty of 11 February 1929.
It was signed by Benito Mussolini and cardinal secretary of state for the papacy.
It recognized Vatican City as an independent state under the sovereignty of the Holy See.
It is the world's smallest independent 'country'.
It is governed as an absolute theocratic elective monarchy.
Chief of State is the Pope, elected by the College of Cardinals during a papal conclave.
Head of Government is the Cardinal Secretary of State, appointed by the Pope.

Of the eleven, Gonsalo Garcia, born in India to Portuguese parents in Mumbai in 1557, is considered to have been the first India-born saint.
In 2008, Kerala-born Sister Alphonsa was declared as the first woman Catholic saint from India.
Mother Teresa had a fast track to sainthood when she was canonized in 2016.