Image of St. Devasahayam by Jayarathina / Wikimedia Commons
Saint Lazarus Devasahayam, an 18th-century convert to Catholicism and the first layman from India to be canonized, will be officially recognized as the patron saint of lay Catholics in the country.
The designation was confirmed Sept. 20 through the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, following approval by Pope Leo XIV, UCA News reported Sept. 23. The announcement comes after the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) submitted a formal request in July to honor St. Devasahayam in this role.
A national ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 15 in Varanasi, during the annual gathering of the CCBI’s Laity Commission. Representatives from dioceses across India are expected to attend.
St. Devasahayam was born in 1712 in what is now the Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. While serving in the royal court of King Marthanda Varma of Travancore, he encountered the Christian faith through a Dutch naval commander.
After converting from Hinduism to Catholicism in 1745, he faced arrest and accusations of treason for refusing to renounce his new beliefs. He was tortured and eventually executed by gunshot in 1752. His canonization was declared by Pope Francis in 2022.
The decision to name him the patron of India’s lay faithful, Church leaders say, affirms his enduring legacy as a witness to faith under persecution.
“[This] will inspire lay people to deepen their practice of faith and actively serve both the Church and society,” Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, president of CCBI, said Sept. 20.
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Several Catholic leaders also linked the announcement to broader concerns about religious freedom in India. A. C. Michael, convenor of the United Christian Forum, said St. Devasahayam’s conversion from Hinduism made him “a true representative of Indian Christians, who now face harassment in the name of conversion.” He cited data from his organization showing an average of two attacks per day against Christians in India for practicing their faith.
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