Sacred Heart Cathedral () is the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

of the

Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore The Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Lahore is a Latin Metropolitan Archdiocese in Punjab province, Pakistan. Its episcopal seat is the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Lahore. History In 1594 the Mughal emperor Akbar invited some Catho ...

, located in

Lahore Lahore ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Administrative units of Pakistan, Pakistani province of Punjab, Pakistan, Punjab. It is the List of cities in Pakistan by population, second-largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, and ...

Punjab Punjab (; ; also romanised as Panjāb or Panj-Āb) is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia. It is located in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising areas of modern-day eastern Pakistan and no ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

. Built at the behest of bishop Godefroid Pelckmans (Bishop of Lahore, 1893-1904) with Belgian aid and materials, the cathedral was

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

by Bishop Fabian Eestermans, the Bishop of Lahore, on 19 November 1907. Its roots lie in the historical presence of the Belgian Capuchins in Pakistan. The design of this Cathedral was made according to the Roman Byzantine-style by Belgian architect, Edouard Dobbeleers of

Antwerp Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...

History

A special commemorative postage stamp was released on the Centenary Day of the Cathedral by the

Government of Pakistan The Government of Pakistan () (abbreviated as GoP), constitutionally known as the Federal Government, commonly known as the Centre, is the national authority of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, a federal republic located in South Asia, con ...

Benedict XVI Pope BenedictXVI (born Joseph Alois Ratzinger; 16 April 1927 – 31 December 2022) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until resignation of Pope Benedict XVI, his resignation on 28 Februar ...

also sent a message for the jubilee of the Lahore cathedral. Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Nuncio to Pakistan, read out the special message from the Pope to the local congregation in Lahore. In 2007, Father Andrew Nisari was the Rector of the Cathedral. On 11 March 2008 a suicide bomber drove a vehicle loaded with explosive material into the eight-storey FIA office situated at Temple Road, Lahore. At least ten of the cathedral's stained-glass windows were hit by the blast. Many of the other window panes were also blown out. In the meantime they have been restored in Belgium. In 2011, the Cathedral had registered more than 20,000 baptisms and nearly 5,500 marriages since its founding. The cathedral was awarded the Belgian Heritage Abroad prize in 2015. In 2020, the Punjab Minister for Minority Affairs, Ijaz Alam Augustine asked the provincial government to put the cathedral on the national heritage list. He has also said that his ministry will cover the expenses of restoration work needed, including new pipes, electrical system and other beautification work, approximately 50,000,000 rupees (about US$300,000). In 2021, the rector was Father Mushtaq Pyara. In 2022, the Walled City of Lahore Authority announced that it would spend Rs 15 million on the preservation and conservation of the cathedral.

Gallery

File:Sacred_Heart_Cathedral_(Altar).jpg, Altar File:Sacred Heart Cathedral (Lahore) II.jpg, Sacred Heart Cathedral (inside view) File:Sacred Heart Cathedral (Lahore) I.jpg, Sacred Heart Cathedral (exterior) File:Sacred Heart Cathedral (Lahore) III.jpg, Sacred Heart Cathedral (altar)

References

External links

Official website of the Archdiocese of Lahore
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sacred

Roman Catholic churches in Lahore 1907 establishments in India The Mall, Lahore Roman Catholic churches completed in 1907

History

Gallery

See also

References

External links