Santhome Parish Church, Bangalore

This week let us take a small detour and head to Hulimavu, in South Bangalore. A spanking new church stands tall and catches our attention. We curiously walk in eager to add to Devalaya Tirtham. The church has been coincidentally consecrated only a few hours before we visit! 

The church

There is a roomy parking lot in the compound, but it might not suffice on Sundays and festive days. We park and go straight in. The ground floor holds a newly inaugurated community hall. The priest’s office is to the right of the hall before the entrance. We spot balloons and steamers floating around. A board directs us to the church, which is in the first floor. 

It is early evening, and the devout have returned after their prayers, leaving us to be the only ones apart from the church staff. The building is lovely, with French styled windows and a charming dark grey brick wall. We spot a notice that tells us to leave our footwear outside before we enter. However, we cannot find a designated footwear stand, so we leave it in a corner before we step in.  

The entrance to the church on the first floor

We walk in through the tall wooden doors to the welcoming hall. It is a wide and roomy hall, with a few pews on both sides. Maybe they will add to the seating over time. There is a balcony prayer section as well. The steps outside continue to the balcony. As we sit admiring the church, the secretary walks in and greets us warmly. He excitedly tells us that the community hall of the church was inaugurated just this morning. It turns out that the church was consecrated just a year back. After exchanging pleasantries, he excuses himself to get back to work, and leaves us to continue with our prayers. 

The altar is large. A tall cross with the Christ upon it stands at the back. Mosaic images on the wall depict the holy family of Mary, Joseph and the child Jesus on one side of the cross, and Jesus on the other side. We go close to the altar to pay our respects. There are donation boxes on either side of the altar. Small pictures of saints like Father Chavara (a Keralite Syrian priest who was canonised in 2014), and Saint Alphonsa (a Keralite Syrian nun – the first Indian to be canonised – in 2008), adorn the wall. Other saints like St. Sebastian, St. John, and St. Paul also adorn the wall. The way of the cross (the steps that Jesus has to take on his way to be crucified – being made to wear the crown of thorns, carrying the cross, stumbling on the way et al), is also depicted in a picture format.

We sit for a while and absorb the silence in the devalayam. After having our fill of the peace, we reluctantly make our way outside, to face the cacophony of the road again!

I hope you enjoyed this brief account of today’s tirtha. Next week, we will go to a different devalayam. Until then, take care, and stay devout!