Cathedral of the Holy Name Mumbai

Situated in the commercially prominent spot of Colaba, Cathedral of the Holy Name is the Seat of the Archbishop and is considered as the ‘Mother Church’ of the Archdiocese. The Cathedral dates back to the colonial era. On 9th July 1902, the ‘foundation stone’ of the building was laid and it was opened for its disciples on 15th January 1905. In the year 1998, Cathedral of the Holy Name was given the status of heritage building.

The devotees of this cathedral primarily draw their root from the Parish community that wishes to fulfill the ‘vision and mission’ it has taken up. People from this community gather here to pray and this holds a special place in their hearts. The primary vision of the church is “To unitedly empower communities to be witnesses of the compassionate love of Jesus”.

The main door of Holy Name Church has been declared as one among the ‘Holy Doors of Mercy’. Catholics walk pass this door seeking purification and forgiveness. It is a site of pilgrimage for Catholics. It has been further declared by Pope Francis that the door is to remain open for devotees till November 13 2016, as this year has already been declared as ‘year of mercy’. Until now, there was only one such holy door in Vatican. The structure bears witness to the life cycle of the community from birth till death. The entire structure consists of the Fort Convent, the Cathedral House, and the Cathedral that stands at Wodehouse Road spreading over an area of 4,642 square yards. Archbishop’s place of living is located nearby to the Cathedral.

History of the Attraction

Looking back into the history of the Church, it is the result of an agreement between the Archbishop and the “Bombay Improvement Trust”. Mr. W.A. Chambers was hired by Archbishop Dalhoff to erect the structure that would consist of a Church, school and residential area. The plan for the Church was approved on November 21, 1901 by the Bombay Trust and within a year the construction work begun. Church of the Holy Name was finally opened for public to worship on January 15, 1905.

Getting There

The Cathedral of the Holy Name is located at the commercially significant zone of Mumbai in Colaba, and it can be easily reached from any part of the city with public transport like cabs and local trains.

Things to do and see in and around

The church premises is beautiful and worth a stroll; the tourists enjoy the serenity and peaceful ambience in this cathedral. Apart from enjoying the Gothic architecture, one can also attend the Sunday mass and the special Easter and Holy Week services.