When Commander De Lannoy learned of the situation, he acted swiftly. Fully aware of the court’s true intentions behind the arrest, he hurried to Devasahayam’s residence. Wishing to ensure his friend and fellow officer was spiritually fortified, De Lannoy arranged for him to meet Fr. Barrires before being taken into custody.
“Dear Pillai, it seems God is calling you to bear witness for Him. Listen to this: Sebastien, a French commander, was arrested by King Theoclosian after converting to Christianity. Though offered riches to abandon his faith, he stood firm. The king tied him to a tree and shot him with arrows. Believed to be dead, he was later found and healed by an Areen woman. Sebastien returned to the palace, boldly defending the Christian faith. The king, stunned to see him alive, killed him with a blow to the head. Today, Sebastien is honored as a saint. Go with his courage.”
Devasahayam replied with unwavering faith:
“Even if my chest is torn open, even if I’m impaled or burned, I will never abandon Christ.”
With tears in their eyes, Fr. Barrires and De Lannoy entrusted him to the guards. Clad in his vesti and turban, Devasahayam was led through the streets. Onlookers, seeing his youth and status, pleaded with him to renounce his faith. But he walked on in silence, undeterred.
One of them, Thomman Thirumuthu Pulavar, a renowned Christian poet, endured torture and imprisonment for refusing to compose songs in praise of Hindu deities. That night, he and Devasahayam spent time together in the prison, singing Christian hymns and consoling one another, their fellowship a light in the darkness of suffering.
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