Church of Our Lady of Rosary of Mangalore ( pt, Igreja Nossa Senhora do Rosário de Mangalore), or Rosario Cathedral is a

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

cathedral in the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore ( la, Diocesis Mangalorensis) is a diocese located in the city of Mangalore in the Ecclesiastical province of Bangalore in India. The diocese falls on the southwestern coast of India. At present, it com ...

, dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. It was the first Roman Catholic church in the Canara region. Historically, this was the only parish church in Mangalore reserved for the high-caste

Mangalorean Catholics Mangalorean Catholics ( kok, Kōdiyālcheñ Kathōlikā) are an ethno-religious community of Latin Catholics in India typically residing in the Diocese of Mangalore in the erstwhile South Canara area, by the southwestern coast of present-day Kar ...

. It is the oldest church in Karnataka.

History

The church of Our Lady of Rosary of Mangalore was originally the church of the old Portuguese factory. It was built by the Portuguese in 1568. Oral tradition states that the image of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother o ...

at the high altar was found by the fishermen at sea; when it got caught in their net. It was later brought to the church and installed there. The church was the main centre of devotion for the ''

Bamonn Roman Catholic Brahmin ( IAST ''Bamonns'' in Romi Konkani, ''ಬಾಮಣು'' in Canara Konkani& ''Kupari'' in Bombay East Indian dialects) is a caste among the Goan, Bombay East Indian and Mangalorean Catholics who are patrilineal descendan ...

'' caste who revered the image of Our Lady of the Rosary on the high-altar. It was mentioned by the Italian traveller

Pietro Della Valle Pietro Della Valle ( la, Petrus a Valle; 2 April 1586 – 21 April 1652), also written Pietro della Valle, was an Italian composer, musicologist, and author who travelled throughout Asia during the Renaissance period. His travels took him to the ...

, when he visited Mangalore in 1623. The church was desecrated and destroyed by Mysorean ruler

Tipu Sultan Tipu Sultan (born Sultan Fateh Ali Sahab Tipu, 1 December 1751 – 4 May 1799), also known as the Tiger of Mysore, was the ruler of the Kingdom of Mysore based in South India. He was a pioneer of rocket artillery.Dalrymple, p. 243 He int ...

in 1784. Reconstruction of the church later began in 1813. In 1910, the structure of the old cathedral was demolished and the present cathedral erected in its place. The church of Our Lady of Rosary is the only church in the

Mangalore Diocese The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mangalore ( la, Diocesis Mangalorensis) is a diocese located in the city of Mangalore in the Ecclesiastical province of Bangalore in India. The diocese falls on the southwestern coast of India. At present, it com ...

which has a dome crowning the spacious sanctuary. The cross on the cathedral's dome was traditionally lit every night to serve as a beacon for seafarers. The royal stone emblem of the Portuguese king marking their landing at Mangalore lies at the entrance of the church. In 1851, the Church of Our Lady of Rosary, Mangalore, was declared a

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...

. In 1910, Henry Buzzoni a Jesuit priest started further beautification of the cathedral. The formal dedication was done in 1915 by Bishop Paul Perini of Mangalore (1910–28).

Structure

The architect of the new cathedral was a Jesuit brother, Divo of Bombay. The structure consists of a series of matching arches, with 48 major arches, 12 central arches and 50 sub-arches. The peripheral verandah has around 45 small arches. The dome is a replica of the St. Peter's Basilica,

Vatican City Vatican City (), officially the Vatican City State ( it, Stato della Città del Vaticano; la, Status Civitatis Vaticanae),—' * german: Vatikanstadt, cf. '—' (in Austria: ') * pl, Miasto Watykańskie, cf. '—' * pt, Cidade do Vati ...

, with heavy metal ribs, minor re-inforcements of metal, red brick and mortar water-proofed using indigenous techniques. In years gone by, the dome of the cathedral could be seen by ships approaching the Mangalore harbour, and was a beautiful sight.

Citations

References

*. * * {{refend Churches in Mangalore Diocese Roman Catholic cathedrals in Karnataka Tourist attractions in Mangalore Roman Catholic churches in Mangalore Church buildings with domes