Vailankanni (Virgin of Velai, the town), is a panchayat town in Nagapattinam district. Once a port that traded with Rome and Greece, the tiny commercial center gradually lost its importance to the larger city of Nagapattinam. The town is home to a significant Roman Catholic shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health. The church can be traced to the mid-16th century and its founding is attributed to three miracles: the apparition of Mary and Jesus to a slumbering shepherd boy, the curing of a lame buttermilk vendor, and the survival of Portuguese sailors assaulted by a violent sea storm. The church building was raised to the status of basilica in 1962 by Pope John XXIII. The cancellation depicts St. Mary's Church.