Every year on March 17 – the day when it is considered he died – Ireland and the world celebrates St Patrick’s day, a religious and cultureal celebration of all things Irish. If you have plans of travelling to Ireland like I did, you must check out St Patrick’s Church in Dublin to pay your respects to Ireland’s most famous personality.
St Patrick is one of the most well-known patron saints in the world – thanks in no small measure to his disciples who travelled the world to spread his fame. St Patrick is the patron saint and apostle of Ireland and by bringing the pagan people under the influence of Christianity in the fifth century, he is also known as the ‘Enlightener of Ireland’.
Image of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. Image credit.In India, St Patrick was introduced by Patrician Brothers in 1875 with Chennai being their first port of call. The Brothers had begun from the small Irish town of Tullow on February 2, 1808 and had literally sailed across the world to spread the word of St Patrick before hitting Indian shores. Today, their headquarters, called the Generalate, is located at Mount St Patrick Academy in Pune while another main office called the Provincialate is located in Mount St Mary’s in New Delhi.
In India, the work of three Patrician Brothers named Ignatius, Paul and Fintan who took care of destitute and orphan boys of the Archdiocese of Madras enabled them to set up St Patrick’s High School and orphanage in Madras. The Patrician Brothers used education to spread the word and founded schools and colleges in places from Coonoor to Mussoorie in North India and even Lahore in Pakistan. Today, there are 15 Patrician locations spread across the country that still function as educational institutes.
The crest of the Patrician Brothers who introduced St Patrick to India. Image creditTo celebrate St Patrick’s Day, you can choose from any of the following five churches in India.
St Patrick’s Church, Chennai
The beautiful St Patrick’s Church in Chennai. Image credit: WikimediaThis cathedral has a great viewpoint with its location next to St Thomas Mount. The church was actually built for the British garrison stationed in the area in 1830 by the Vicar Apostolic of Madras named Dr Daniel O. L. Auig. The church holds a special St Patrick’s Mass every Wednesday at 6.30 pm in Tamil. It also holds a St Patrick’s feast in the third week of March to coincide with St Patrick’s Day celebrated around the world.
St Patrick’s Church, Bangalore
The St Patrick’s Church in Bangalore attracts people from all faiths because of its central location. Image credit.Completed in 1844, St Patrick’s Church in Bangalore is situated in the heart of the city. When it was completed, it became hugely popular with the Irish troops who were situated in the area. The Church has been undergoing renovations and restorations ever since and the latest work to bring back the Gothic architecture of the Church into focus was completed in 2012. Today, the church has has a strength of 3500 and is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the country.
St Patrick’s Cathedral, Pune
An inside look at Pune’s St Patrick’s cathedral. Image credit: FacebookThis Gothic church is one of the most well-known St Patrick’s churches in India. An Irish diocesan priest named Father James Carry first envisaged the church in 1849 with the first Mass being held on December 8, 1850. The church, with its pinnacle buttresses and bell towers, recently underwent a makeover and now looks more impressive than ever.
St Patrick’s Church, Thoothukudi
Tuticorin, 600 kms from Chennai, has an endearing St Patrick church. Image creditIf you are looking for offbeat places to ring in St Patrick’s try these next two options. Thoothukudi, earlier known as Tuticorin, is located 600 kms from Chennai and has a St Patrick’s church close to the railway station. What started as a thatched shed in 1839 with 10 families attending the Church service is now a major place of worship for the Christians in the area. After getting land from the government, a church was made in 1868 that today holds about a thousand people.
St Patrick’s Church, Dagshai
Little-known Dagshai in Himachal Pradesh has a St Patrick church. Image creditNot many people know about Dagshai, a small town in Himachal Pradesh that is easily reachable from Chandigarh as well as Shimla. Dagshai claims to be the oldest cantonment town in the Indian subcontinent established in 1847 by the East India Company. Consequently, a church named after St Patrick was established in the area and is one of the must-visit places on a tour through Dagshai.
Have you celebrated St Patrick’s Day in Ireland or anywhere in the world and been to any of these churches? Let me know your experience in the comments below.
Cover image taken from Wikimedia.
