Sacred Heart of Jesus

A magnificent example of neo-Gothic architecture, the Sacred Heart Church at Pondicherry is a renowned pilgrimage center for Roman Catholic Christians. The rare stained glass panels of the church depict the life of Christ and saints of the Catholic Church. This church was established in 1908; the centenary celebrations were celebrated during 2008-2009.

Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was built by the French missionaries. The Eglise De Sacre Coeur De Jesus Pondicherry, as it is referred to in French, attained the status of basilica in 2011. This Catholic Church is one of the finest churches of Pondicherry.

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Pondicherry

This is the Unique Basilica dedicated to Sacred Heart of Jesus among 50 Basilicas of Asia, 20 Basilicas in India. It is the 6th Basilica in Tamilnadu and the first in Pondicherry. In the year 1895, the then Archbishop Mgr. Gandhi consecrated the Archdiocese of Pondicherry to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Rev.Fr. Telesphore Welter, the parish priest of Nellithope had prepared the building plan and the parish priest of Cathedral Rev.Fr. Fourcaud commenced the construction of the new Church in 1902 at the Southern side of the Pondicherry Town.
The blessing of the Church and the first mass was held at the western wing of the present Church by Mgr. Gandhi on 17-12-1907 and the new parish surrounding this Church has been established on 27-01-1908.

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This 100 years old historical Church is 50m long, 48m wide and 18mts. high, with Latin rite cross shape in aerial view which is in Gothic style. 24 main columns hold the structure in which we see the biblical words on entrance written in Latin “I have consecrated this house that My Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there forever” which reveals the presence of the Sacred Heart of Lord Jesus Christ.