St. Philomena Church

The garden city of Mysore is home to many stunning churches, St. Philomena Church being one of them. Considered as the second largest Catholic Church in the entire Asia, it flaunts the spectacular Neo Gothic architecture, borrowing a lot from Cologne Cathedral located in Germany and also from St. Patrick’s Church in New York. It is dedicated to Saint Philomena, who was a teenage Green Princess believed to have martyred in the 4th century. The present day church was built between 1933 and 1936 at the location where an old church of 1843 stood. Apart from the twin spires (each measuring about 175 ft.), it is the floor plan of the church in the shape of a cross which attracts the visitors. With the longer part serving as nave and the arms of the shorter as transepts, the crossing accommodates the altar and the choir. Scenes depicting Christ’s birth, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, The Resurrection and Ascension of Christ on the stained glass windows add to the church’s grandeur. Daily Holy Mass is performed in three languages - English, Kannada and Tamil. It is interesting to see some of the statues clad in the traditional Indian sarees inside the church. The relic of Saint Philomena, preserved in a catacomb below the altar and the crypt with the saint’s statue are the other highlights.

September-March