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Basilica of Our Lady of the Assumption (commonly known as St. Mary's Church, Secunderabad) is a
The church began with the work of Daniel Murphy among Irish Catholics in the British Army. He arrived in India in 1839, and began the construction of St. Mary's church as a cathedral in 1840. It was completed and blessed in 1850, and was at that time the largest church in
minor basilica
Basilicas are Catholic church buildings that have a designation, conferring special privileges, given by the Pope. Basilicas are distinguished for ceremonial purposes from other churches. The building need not be a basilica in the architectura ...
located in Secunderabad, India. The decree designating it as a basilica was issued on 7 November 2008. The church is located on Sarojini Naidu Road in Secunderabad. It owes its early history to Father Daniel Murphy along with Bishop Carew. St. Mary's Church was completed in 1850. This church was formerly called the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad. In 1886, it ceased to be a cathedral. In 1871, a few nuns from St. Anne at Turin came here and opened a school that is popular as St. Ann's school.
St. Mary's Church is the oldest Roman Catholic church in the city of Secunderabad
Secunderabad () is a twin cities, twin city of Hyderabad and one of the six zones of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) in the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Telangana. It is the headquarters of the South ...
, India. It was formerly the Cathedral of the Archdiocese of Hyderabad. It is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is an important figure of Christianity, venerated under titles of Mary, mother of Jesus, various titles such as Perpetual virginity ...
. Adjacent to the church is the convent of St. Ann's which runs the St. Ann's High School, Secunderabad.
History
The church began with the work of Daniel Murphy among Irish Catholics in the British Army. He arrived in India in 1839, and began the construction of St. Mary's church as a cathedral in 1840. It was completed and blessed in 1850, and was at that time the largest church in Hyderabad State
Hyderabad State () was a princely state in the Deccan region of south-central India with its capital at the city of Hyderabad. It is now divided into the present-day state of Telangana, the Kalyana-Karnataka region of Karnataka, and the ...
. The church ceased to be a cathedral in 1886, when the see was moved from Secunderabad to Hyderabad
Hyderabad is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part of Southern India. With an average altitude of , much ...
.
Architecture
The church is a typical example of the Indian Gothic style, with curved arches and pointed buttresses. As with other Catholic churches, St. Mary's has several side altars dedicated to saints.Bells
The church has four bells, which were brought from Italy in 1901. One of the bells is reported to have developed cracks.See also
*List of churches in Secunderabad and Hyderabad
The twin cities of Hyderabad, India, Hyderabad and Secunderabad in India have many churches of architectural value which were primarily built under British colonial rule, during the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries. Although much sma ...
Mass schedule
Daily Mass in English at 6 am and 6 pm. Sunday Masses: *6 am - Tamil *7 am - English *8:15 am - Telugu *9:30 am - Children's Mass *9:30 am - English *11:30 am -English *5 pm - English *6 pm- EnglishReferences
{{Basilicas in India Roman Catholic churches in Telangana Roman Catholic cathedrals in India Former cathedrals Hyderabad State Churches in Secunderabad Our Lady of the Assumption, Secunderabad