List of churches in Chennai

Chennai (erstwhile Madras) is the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, located on Coramandel coast off Bay of Bengal. Christianity arrived to Chennai with St. Thomas around 50CE. Portuguese arrived in 1522 and built a port called "San thome" (present Santhome in Chennai) and "Santhome Church" after the Christian apostle, St. Thomas, who is believed to have preached in the area between 52 and 70 CE.[1] The English East India Company under Francis Day bought lands in Chennai and made On 22 August 1639 as Madras Day. A year later, the English built Fort St. George, the first major English settlement in India,[2] Chennai has seen missionaries from Scotland, United Kingdom and France and Portugal and also missionaries of Franciscans, Jesuits and Dominicans.

Santhome Church
Santhome Church built by the Portuguese in 1523 and rebuilt by the British in 1893 over the tomb of Saint Thomas the Apostle.

Santhome Church is believed to be the oldest Church in Chennai, while there were a lot of churches built during the colonial empire.In 72 AD a small structure of building(church) was built to mark the tomb of Thomas the Apostle in the coast of Mylapore(presently Santhome, Chennai), later on a big church was built in the same place on 1523 by Portuguese explorers. This church became cathedral on 1606 by Pope Paul V with erecting the Diocese of Saint Thomas of Mylapore .Later this church was rebuilt with a status of cathedral in 1896 by British in late 19th century style as Gothic Revival architecture.The exact place where St. Thomas was buried is marked by the second small tower in the center of the cathedral. Pope Pius XII honoured this cathedral church, elevating it to the dignity and rank of minor basilica in March 1956. Pope John Paul II the only pope visited Santhome Church in the year of 1986. This church was extended as National Shrine in 2004 by Catholic Bishops' Conference of India. This church is called "National Shrine of Saint Thomas Cathedral Basilica", Shortly known as "Santhome Church".It is a very Important church for worldwide Christians as it is the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle.

Reference

Famous Church in Chennai
Famous Churches in Chennai

First row :

  1. Shrine of Saint Thomas in Little Mount, Saidapet

Second row :

  1. Santhome Church in Santhome, Mylapore.
  2. St. Mary's Church in Fort St. George.
  3. Saint Thomas Mount National Shrine in St. Thomas Mount.

Third row :

  1. Armenian church in Armenian Street, George Town
  2. Church of Our Lady of Light in Mylapore.
  3. St Mary's Co-Cathedral in Armenian Street, George Town.

Open places of worship
Name Image Year built Location Denomination/
Affiliation		 Notes
San Thome Basilica Three-quarter view of a long, low, flint rubble church on a rising grass slope with some gravestones 1523 (present church in 1896) Santhome
13.033611°N 80.2777°E / 13.033611; 80.2777 (Santhome)		 Roman Catholic

(Latin rite)

 It was built in the 1523 by Portuguese explorers, over the tomb of St Thomas, an Apostle of Jesus. In 1893, it was rebuilt as a church and elevated to the status of a cathedral by the British. It was designed in Neo-Gothic style, favoured by British architects in the late 19th century.It is a very important church for Christian in the world.
Zion Church, Chintadripet 1847 Chintadripet
13.075194°N 80.271917°E / 13.075194; 80.271917		 Church of South India It is oldest churches in Chintadripet area of Chennai, the capital of the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The original structure was built in Gothic architecture in 1847 by US missionaries. The church is the oldest church built by US missionaries in Chennai. The church also has the second oldest bell in the city and second oldest pipe instrument in the city.[3][4]
Anderson Church, Chennai 1845 Parry's Corner
13.088611°N 80.288333°E / 13.088611; 80.288333 (Parry's Corner)		 Church of South India The original structure was built in 1845 by Anderson as an educational institution, which later evolved as Madras Christian College in 1867. The church is named after Anderson, a Scottish missionary who founded the mission of the Free Church of Scotland at Madras, India.[5][6][7]
Armenian Church 1712(1772) Armenian Street
13.0891°N 80.2873°E / 13.0891; 80.2873 (Armenian Street)		 Church of South India The Church, also called Armenian Church of Virgin Mary, was built by Armenian community of Madras and is famous for its belfry of six.[8]
Luz Church 1516 Luz
13.033333°N 80.25°E / 13.033333; 80.25 (Luz)		 Roman Catholic The Church, also called Church of Our Lady of Light, by the locals, which derives from the Portuguese name Nossa Senhora da Luz. Built in 1516 by the Portuguese, it is one of the oldest Churches in the city and its foundation stone marks as one of the oldest European monuments in India.[9]
Descanco Church 17th century Luz
13.033333°N 80.25°E / 13.033333; 80.25 (Luz)		 Roman Catholic It was built in the 17th century by the Portuguese nobleman, Cosmo Madera of the prominent Madera family who are believed to have given their name to the city of Madras.[10] Descanco Church is built in one of the two spots where the apostle St. Thomas is believed to have preached.
St Andrew's Church 1821 Nungambakkam
13.0798°N 80.2637°E / 13.0798; 80.2637 (Nungambakkam)		 Presbyterian The church was built to serve the Scottish community in Chennai. Its design was modelled on St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Building started 6 April 1818 and the church was consecrated in 1821.[11]
St. Anne's Church 2000 Nesapakkam
13°2′9.592″N 80°11′25″E		 Roman Catholic The parish was established in 1999 and the church built the following year.
St. George's Cathedral 1815 Kamaraj Salai
13.0518°N 80.2525°E / 13.0518; 80.2525 (Kamaraj Salai)		 Church of South India The cathedral was built in 1815. St. George's occupies an important place in the history of Christianity in India, as the Church of South India was inaugurated here on 27 September 1947. The Cathedral was packed and the big pandal outside held over 2,000 people. It marked the breaking down of ecclesiastical barriers between Protestants of various traditions.
St. Mary's Church 1680 Kamaraj Salai
13.0787°N 80.2866°E / 13.0787; 80.2866 (Kamaraj Salai)		 Church of South India It is the oldest Anglican church East of Suez and also the oldest British building in India. The church is popularly known as the "Westminster Abbey of the East".
Saint Patrick's Cathedral 1680 St. Thomas Mount
13.008127°N 80.195403°E / 13.008127; 80.195403 (St. Thomas Mount)		 Roman Catholic
St Mary's Co-Cathedral 1658 Armenian Street
13.089866°N 80.287438°E / 13.089866; 80.287438 (Armenian Street)		 Roman Catholic the church was constructed by a French Capuchin Father Ephrem de Nevers, the First Missionary of Madras who put up "the open pandall chappell" in Armenian Street in 1658. The structure, however, did not survive for long and had to be reconstructed in 1692. The church was renovated in 1775 and 1785 and promoted to the status of the cathedral of the Ecclesiastical Province of Madras in 1886.[12]
St. Lazarus' Church 1582 Raja Annamalaipuram
13.026282°N 80.274551°E / 13.026282; 80.274551 (Raja Annamalaipuram)		 Roman Catholic Lazarus Church was constructed by the Portuguese in the colony of Sao Tome de Meliapore in the 16th century AD. The oldest records of the church date from 1582. The church was rebuilt in 1637 by the Madeiros family and again, in 1928. In 1952, the Church was renamed as the "Church of Our Lady of Guidance".[13]
St. Mark's Church 16th century George Town
13.103200°N 80.286230°E / 13.103200; 80.286230 (George Town)		 Church of South India It is in the neighbourhood of Georgetown in Chennai, India. The construction of the church was commenced by John Goldingham in 1799[14] and completed in 1800.[15]
St. Matthias' Church 1823 Vepery
13.087326°N 80.261490°E / 13.087326; 80.261490 (Vepery)		 Church of South India It is a Protestant church situated in the neighbourhood of Vepery and was constructed and consecrated in 1823.[16] It was originally a private chapel, the Chapel of Our Lady of Miracles, owned by Coja Petrus Uscan. In November 1752, years after Uscan's death, the chapel was obtained by SPCK, the Danish Protestant mission from Tranquebar for Rs. 50,000.[12] The SPCK renamed the chapel as St. Matthias' Church. The church was consecrated in 1823.[12]
St. Peter's Church 1829[17] Royapuram
13.108333°N 80.295556°E / 13.108333; 80.295556 (Royapuram)		 Roman Catholic The original structure was built in Gothic architecture in 1829 by Gurukula Vamsha Varnakula Mudaliars, a gang of boatmen who were serving the East India Company. The chapel was controlled by Vicar Apostolic initially and then split into two churches namely St. Peters and St. Antony's based on the two divisions of Gurukula Vamsha Varnakula Mudaliars, with the former supporting Irish Mission and the latter supporting Goanees.[18][19]
St. Thomas Garrison Church 1830 St. Thomas Mount
13.002222°N 80.196667°E / 13.002222; 80.196667 (St. Thomas Mount)		 Church of South India The Church was built by the British government at the request of the army officers in the area in 1830. The church was constructed with bomb-proof roof and rust-proof iron railings, and most of the equipments for the construction were imported from Britain. It is located in the foothills of St. Thomas Mount and named after St. Thomas, one of the Twelve apostles who resided at the place during his final years.[20][21]
Wesley Church 1905 Egmore
13.079444°N 80.256667°E / 13.079444; 80.256667 (Egmore)		 Church of South India The original structure was built in Gothic architecture in 1905 by Wesleyan Mission. It was constructed at Egmore considering the growing needs of it in the area around Egmore. The church is named after John Wesley, the founder of Methodist Movement in 140 countries.[22][23]
St. Thomas Syrian Catholic Church The Alter of St. Thomas Pilgrimage center 2017 St. Thomas Mount, Guindy Syrian Catholic Church The church is constructed in its original Oriental Architecture . The pilgrimage center houses a host of Glass paintings which upholds the legacy of the Syrian Christians . Constructed in the foot holds of St. Thomas Mount, The place of Martyrdom of St.Thomas, the apostle of Jesus Christ.
St.Jude's Pilgrimage Shrine
1975 Vanuvampet, Chennai - 91

12°58'53.6"N 80°11'44.9"E

 Roman Catholic Church

Cathedral in Chennai

Basilica in Chennai

Shrine in Chennai

Notes
  1. "Chennai History". Corporation of Chennai. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  2. Roberts J. M (1997). A short history of the world. Helicon publishing Ltd. p. 277. ISBN 978-0-19-511504-8. Retrieved 28 December 2012.
  3. George, Daniel P (8 December 2006). "Bell that rang in Zion flock makes comeback". TNN. Chennai: The Times of India. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  4. "Century-old church pipe organ restored and rededicated". The Hindu. Chennai. 8 December 2006. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  5. George, Daniel P (10 March 2009). "John Anderson remembered as heritage church turns 150". The Times of India. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  6. S., Muthiah (23 March 2009). "A College's church". The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  7. Elias, Esther (17 August 2014). "Church chronicles". The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  8. Haviland, Charles (11 December 2003). "The Last Armenians in Madras". BBC. Retrieved 13 December 2015.
  9. C., Sivaramamurti (1994). "European Tombs and Monuments in Madras". In Madras Tercentenary Celebration Committee (ed.). The Madras Tercentenary Commemoration Volume. Asian Educational Services. p. 155. ISBN 9788120605374.
  10. Muthiah, p. 4
  11. MacLeod, Norman (1871). Peeps at the Far East: A Familiar Account of a Visit to India. London: Strahan & Co. Retrieved 2 November 2015.
  12. Muthiah, pp 331-332
  13. Muthiah, p. 185
  14. Muthiah, p. 143
  15. Muthiah, p. 33
  16. Muthiah, p 33
  17. "Royapuram: Wheel of time takes the sea away". The Hindu. Chennai. 29 July 2014. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  18. Muthiah, S. (1 March 2004). "Settlers in Peter's village". The Hindu. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  19. Thurston, Edgar (28 September 2020). Castes and Tribes of Southern India, Volume VI of VII. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 9781465582416.
  20. Wright, Arnold (1914). Southern India: Its History, People, Commerce, and Industrial Resources. Asian Educational Services. p. 124. ISBN 9788120613447.
  21. Padmanabhan, Geeta (26 May 2015). "Where the past lives on". The Hindu. Chennai. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
  22. C.S., Lakshmi (2004). The Unhurried City: Writings on Chennai. Penguin Books India. pp. 72–73. ISBN 9780143030263.
  23. "Marking a milestone". The Hindu. Chennai. 29 October 2004. Retrieved 22 November 2015.

References
  • Muthiah, S. (2004). Madras Rediscovered. East West Books (Madras) Pvt Ltd. ISBN 81-88661-24-4.
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