Devasahayam Pillai, a Hindu converted to Christianity in the 18th century, will become the first Indian layman - a non-ordained member of the Church - to be conferred sainthood.
Pope Francis will canonize Blessed Devasahayam Pillai, together with six other Blesseds, during a Canonization Mass in St Peter's Basilica in Vatican on May 15, 2022, Church officials said in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.
The announcement was made by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in the Vatican on Tuesday.
With the completion of the process, Pillai, who took the name "Lazarus" after embracing Christianity in 1745, will become the first lay person from India to become a saint, the church said.
"Lazarus" or "Devasahayam" in the local language, meaning "God is my help".
"While preaching, he particularly insisted on the equality of all people, despite caste differences. This aroused the hatred of the higher classes, and he was arrested in 1749. After enduring increasing hardships, he received the crown of martyrdom when he was shot on 14 January 1752", a note prepared by the Vatican said.
Sites linked with his life and death are in Kottar Diocese, in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu.
Devasahayam was declared Blessed on December 2, 2012, in Kottar, 300 years after his birth.
He was born into a Hindu Nair family at Nattalam in Kanyakumari district, which was part of erstwhile Travancore kingdom, on 23 April, 1712.
18th Century Indian Who Fought Casteism Declared Saint By The Vatican Coimbatore BJP Leader Arrested In Attack On Christian Prayer Hall: Cops 'Italy May Out PM Modi Meeting If...': Agusta Middleman's New Claim To NDTV "Jindal Group Executive Showed Porn, Groped Me On Flight": Woman To NDTV Over 300 Indian Students Return Home As 105 Bangladeshis Killed In Protests Massive Worldwide Microsoft Outage: Flights, Markets, Stock Exchange Down 1,100 Flights Cancelled In US As Microsoft Outage Disrupts Operations Elon Musk Congratulates PM Modi On Becoming Most Followed Leader On X With Shadow Cabinet, Naveen Patnaik Makes His Intentions Clear Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.