Bandra: Mount Mary

Bandra is located above the city of Bombay.

The history behind the current statue of Our Lady goes back to the 16th century when Jesuit priests from Portugal brought the statue to the current location and constructed a chapel. Then it was rebuilt in 1761 and the statue was substituted with a statue of Our Lady of Navigators in St Andrew's Church nearby.

Today's church was built in 1904 in Gothic style. The shrine attracts people from all faiths who pray in front of the statue of Our Lady for thanksgiving or requesting of favors.

The shrine was visited by Paul VI in 1964 and by John Paul II, February 9, 1986, here are the words of the latter:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, (...)

Mary of Nazareth is indeed worthy of our veneration and filial love. "In an utterly singular way she co-operated by her obedience, faith, hope and ardent charity in the Savior's work" (Lumen Gentium, 61).

She changed all of human history by her «Fiat» by her free consent to the will of God. By this act of faith and love, she allowed herself to be transformed by God. Submitting herself totally to God, she agreed to be the Mother of the Redeemer of the world: the eternal Word became flesh, God became man. From the moment of the Annunciation, she dedicated herself to her Son, to his person and to his work, to the mystery of the Redemption which he accomplished. From that day forward and for all time, she assists her Son in his mission of salvation. In every age, Mary is close to the Church, the Body of Christ. And thus, she is rightly called "Mother of the Church." (...)

It is precisely in view of the role of Mary in the work of Christian unity that the Second Vatican Council exhorted the faithful in the following words: "Let the entire body of the faithful pour forth persevering prayer to the Mother of God and Mother of humanity. Let them implore that she who aided the beginnings of the Church by her prayers may now, exalted as she is in heaven above all the saints and angels, intercede with her Son in the fellowship of all the saints. May she do so until all the peoples of the human family, whether they are honored with the name of Christian or whether they still do not know their Savior, are happily gathered together in peace and harmony into the one People of God, for the glory of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity" (Lumen Gentium, 69). Amen.

(John Paul II, Angelus, Feb. 9, 1986, §2.3)

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Taken from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Mary_Church,_Bandra &

www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/angelus/1986/documents/hf_jp-ii_ang_19860209.html