Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica
Santa Cruz Cathedral Basilica is among the
oldest churches in India and is also one of the eight Basilicas in India.
It was built by the
first Portuguese viceroy, Francesco de Almeida, when he arrived in Kochi way
back in 1505. On 3 May that year, during the feast of the "Invention of
the Holy Cross", the foundation stone of this church was laid and upon
completion, it was christened as Santa Cruz Cathedral.
Later on, when the
Dutch conquered Cochin in 1663, they ruined all Catholic establishments except
this particular cathedral and the famous church of St. Francis. In those days,
the Santa Cruz Cathedral was used as an armory. It was, however, later
shattered in 1795, after the British took over the city. An elaborate granite
pillar of this monumental cathedral was what remained after the destruction of
the Santa Cruz Cathedral. The pillar is still kept on the southeastern corner
of the present Basilica.
When Bishop Dom Joao
Gomes Ferreira was appointed as the prelate of Cochin in the year 1887, he took
up the initiative to rebuild this Santa Cruz Cathedral. His efforts, however,
could only be realized during the reign of his successor, Dom Mateus Oliveira
Xavier. Dom Sebastiao Jose Pereira, the Bishop of Damao, sanctified the new
cathedral on November 19, 1905. Recognizing its historic significance, Pope
John Paul II raised the status of Santa Cruz Cathedral to a Basilica, on 19th
December 1984.
Recently in 2004,
this cathedral completed its five centuries of existence. The architecture of
the basilica is a blend of the Indo-European and the Gothic style. The making
of the pulpit and the wooden paneling of this cathedral is very impressive.
Moreover, the Italian paintings dating from the time of the original foundation
of the church adorning the interiors of the Santa Cruz Basilica give it a
completely magnificent look.
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