It was only in 2001 that Father Jam

It was only in 2001 that Father James embarked on the construction of the church, following what he called a “miracle”. The money to build the church had been raised by soliciting donations from the community.

Father James had stored these donations in cash at the home of a friend in Medan. But an accidental fire gutted the entire home. The only objects to survive uncharred were the church construction funds, which had been wrapped in plastic, and two copies of the Bible.

Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni eventually opened its doors in 2005 and since then has gone on to become a major regional attraction. “The reason I called it graha, or house, rather than a church, is because I want it to be open to everyone,” Father James explains. He says that head-scarved Muslims, photo-snapping tourists and devout Christians are equally common sights on the grounds.

The church is named after a Tamil village on the Coromandel Coast called Velankanni, a major centre of pilgrimage for India’s Catholics, in India. It is here that a shepherd boy is believed to have seen an apparition of Mary and Jesus in the 16th century.

While the original basilica is constructed in the Gothic style, its Sumatran namesake is architecturally unique. The structure consists of a community hall on the ground floor and a space of worship, designed like a conventional church, on the first floor that is reached by walking up a circular ramp. A seven-storey, multi-coloured tower, in the style of a gopuram tops the building, triangulated by domes that Father James says are inspired by Mughal architecture.

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Barulah pada 2001 bahwa Bapa James memulai pembangunan gereja, berikut apa yang disebut "keajaiban". Uang untuk membangun gereja dibesarkan dengan meminta sumbangan dari masyarakat. Bapa James telah disimpan sumbangan ini dalam bentuk tunai di rumah seorang teman di Medan. Tapi api disengaja memusnahkan seluruh rumah. Satu-satunya benda untuk bertahan hidup uncharred adalah dana gereja konstruksi, yang telah dibungkus plastik, dan dua salinan Alkitab. Graha Maria Annai Velangkanni akhirnya membuka pintunya pada tahun 2005 dan sejak itu telah pergi untuk menjadi daya tarik utama regional. "Alasan saya menyebutnya graha, atau rumah, daripada gereja, karena saya ingin menjadi terbuka untuk semua orang," Bapa James menjelaskan. Dia mengatakan bahwa kepala-scarved Muslim, foto-gertakan wisatawan dan Kristen yang taat yang pemandangan sama umum dengan alasan. Gereja ini dinamai sebuah desa Tamil di Pantai Coromandel disebut Velankanni, pusat utama ziarah bagi India Katolik, di India. Di sinilah seorang anak gembala diyakini telah melihat penampakan Maria dan Yesus di abad ke-16. Sedangkan basilika asli dibangun dalam gaya Gothic, senama Sumatera adalah arsitektur yang unik. Struktur ini terdiri dari balai desa di lantai dasar dan ruang ibadah, dirancang seperti sebuah gereja konvensional, di lantai pertama yang dicapai dengan berjalan ramp melingkar. Sebuah tujuh lantai, menara multi-warna, dalam gaya gopuram sebuah puncak gedung, Triangulasi oleh kubah bahwa Bapa James mengatakan terinspirasi oleh arsitektur Mughal.