The third appearance of the Virgin Mary was in the 17th century. A Portuguese merchant vessel was sailing from Macau in China to Colombo in Sri Lanka. When the vessel was sailing, it was caught in a storm in the Bay of Bengal. The sailors vowed to build a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary if they could reach land safely. The legend claimed that the sea became quiet and they reached safety on the shore of Vailankanni on the Virgin Mary's birthday, September 8. Because of their vow to the Virgin Mary, the Portuguese sailors put up a chapel at Vailankanni by transforming the last small shrine built by the last Catholic gentleman.