St. Philomena's Church | |
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| The St. Philomena's Church in Mysore, over 200 years old, is one of the oldest churches in India. Initially, over 250 years ago there was a small church in its place. As the fame of St. Philomena spread far and wide, many more churches have been dedicated to her all over the world. The story of St. Philomena dates back to the 3rd century A.D. Philomena was the daughter of the monarch of a small state in Greece. Her parents were childless. They prayed to God and asked Him to bless them with a child and promised to convert to Christianity if their wish was granted. The next year Philomena was born to them. Even in her childhood Philomena showed signs of piety. When Philomena was 13 years old her father took her to Rome to obtain the favour of Emperor Diocletian. The Emperor was enthralled by her beauty and wanted to marry her. But she refused and vowed to give herself to God. As she refused to marry the Emperor she was tortured and beheaded in Rome. The entire church is built in Gothic style and is one of the largest cathedrals in South Asia. There is an exquisite marble altar on which Philomena is placed. The construction of the church was completed under Bishop Rene Fuga's supervision. The holy mass in this church is held 3 languages; Kannada, Tamil and English. The church is located at a distance of 3kms from the city bus stand and 2km from the Palace and is open from 8am to 6pm. Holy Mass is held in the morning and evening. Special masses are held on Sundays and on festivals. An Annual Feast is held on August 11th each year. | |
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