THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Devasahayam Pillai, a Hindu who converted to Christianity in the 18th century, will be the first layperson in India to be named a saint. Blessed Pillai, an 18th-century Indian layman, will be canonised by Pope Francis during a Canonization Mass in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on May 15, 2022, according to Church officials.

The Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints made the announcement on Tuesday. Pillai, who adopted the name "Lazarus" after converting to Christianity in 1745, will become the first lay person from India to be named a saint once the process is completed, according to the church. In the local language, "Lazarus" or "Devasahayam" means "God is my help." During his sermons, he emphasised the equality of all people, regardless of caste differences.

Pillai, who adopted the name "Lazarus" after converting to Christianity in 1745, will become the first lay person from India to be named a saint once the process is completed, according to the church. His life and martyrdom are commemorated in the Kottar Diocese of Tamil Nadu's Kanyakumari district. Devasahayam was blessed 300 years after his birth on December 2, 2012, in Kottar. On April 23, 1712, he was born into a Hindu Nair family in Nattalam, Kanyakumari district, which was part of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom.

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