Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Pondicherry
| Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Pondicherry | |
|---|---|
| Front view of the cathedral with Sacred Heart of Jesus statue visible.
Front view of the cathedral with Sacred Heart of Jesus statue visible.
| |
| 11°55′59″N 79°49′50″E / 11.93299°N 79.83055°E | |
| Location | Pondicherry, Puducherry |
| Country | India |
| Denomination | Catholic |
| History | |
| Former name | St. Paul's Church |
| Status | Cathedral and Parish church |
| Founder | Jesuits |
| Dedication | Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Consecrated | 1791 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Cathedral |
| Style | Herrerian |
| Groundbreaking | 1699 |
| Completed | 1791 |
| Demolished | Three time in the years: 1693 by Dutch Around 1730 1761 by British But church was re-built at the same site every time. |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore |
| Parish | Cathedral Parish |
| Clergy | |
| Archbishop | Msgr. Francis Kalist |
| Priest | Rev. Fr. Alphonse Sandanam |
Immaculate Conception Cathedral (French: Cathédrale de l'Immaculée-Conception de Pondichéry, Tamil: தூய அமலோற்பவ அன்னை பேராலயம்) is the cathedral mother church for the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. It is located in the Union territory of Puducherry. The church is also known as Samba Kovil[1] (Tamil: சம்பா கோயில்), which is a phonetic corruption of "Saint Paul's Kovil" where "Kovil" means church.
History
The Jesuit Fathers came to the French colony of Pondicherry as missionaries in 1689. There they bought a very large garden to the west of the French Fort. In 1692 they, with the financial help of Louis XIV, king of France, erected a church which was demolished by the Dutch in the following year. A second Church was quickly built in 1699 but could not last long.
From 1728 to 1736 a large church was built on the site of the present Cathedral. This third church was razed to the ground by the British in 1761 during the Seven Years' War.
Erecting in 1765 provisionally (fourth in serial) a functional kind of irregularly shaped shed where the Mission Press (official press depot of the archdiocese) is now since the year 1770 the Fathers were earnest in building the present cathedral on the foundations of the 3rd Church. On 20 June 1791, the main work was finished and the Church was consecrated by Bishop Champenois. The Bell Tower was built later. The choir loft was added in 1905. The Sanctuary was remodeled in the year 1970. The esplanade in front of the Cathedral was remodeled in 1987, to allow people to take part in liturgical ceremonies and special functions held outside.
The Fest of this Church i.e., Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary falls on 8 December. Now the church which stands for around 300 years is also the place where the bishop's house is situated. Mass services are conducted in Tamil and English.
It is one of the oldest tourist sites in Puducherry and was visited by Mother Teresa during her visit to Puducherry.
See also
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore
- Roman Catholicism in India
- Christianity in India
- Christianity in Puducherry
- List of cathedrals named after the Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary
- List of Jesuit sites
References
- Back to citation "50 Stars of Christmas: Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Puducherry – reminiscent of French history in india". religionworld.in. 15 November 2017.