Our Lady of the Angels Church, known as the àglise Notre-Dame des Anges or the White Church, is a landmark in Pondicherry, South India. In 1855, III. Built by Napoleon in the Greco-Roman architectural style under the direction of architect Louis Guerre, it exudes timeless elegance. The special thing is that it is the only church in Pondicherry that offers services in three languages: French, Tamil and English.
The Our Lady of Angels Church is a religious place where hourly prayers and daily mass are held according to the Roman Catholic church. It was first administered by the Capuchin friars, then by the Holy Father, and finally in 1887 it was entrusted to the Fathers of Foreign Missionaries in Paris. Located in Pondicherry, overlooking the Bay of Bengal, it is one of the most famous landmarks of the city. Locals like to call it Dumas Church because it is located on Dumas Street in the White City
History of Our Lady of Angels Church
In 1632, Franciscan Capuchin Order arrived in Pondicherry marked India The beginning of missionary work. However, their initial mission ended in 1634. Later, when Francois Martin founded Pondicherry in 1673, he invited the French Capuchins in Madras to spiritually guide the French inhabitants and, furthermore, to evangelize the Tamils. In 1674, French Capuchin missionary Cosmos de Gien established the first Christian mission in Pondicherry. This mission, led by the Capuchins, lasted 154 years until 1828, when the work was handed over to the Holy Father due to a shortage of missionaries in France.
A historical document from 1777 in the Pondicherry State Archives shows that the first Capuchin monks planned to build a 40 ft (12 m) high church near the castle in 1746. However, the proposal was rejected because it violated the law prohibiting the construction of buildings more than 50 ft (15 m) in height within 200 m (660 ft) of the castle. Therefore, the idea was abandoned.
The Our Lady of Angels Church, which is currently the fourth oldest church in Puducherry, was built in 1855 by III. It was built in Greco-Roman style by Napoleon in collaboration with the architect Louis Guerre. responsible. Inspired by Notre Dame and Lourdes Cathedrals, III. Napoleon visited this church on his first visit to Pondicherry. There were four churches in the area, but the British demolished one of them and turned it into two orphanages. It is believed that Napoleon donated the oil painting of Our Lady of Assumption to the church..
Worship practises in Our Lady of Angels Church
Initially, only French priests worked in the church of Our Lady of Angels, but over time, Tamil priests were also appointed. The church was first administered by Capuchin friars, then by the Father of the Holy Spirit, and finally in 1887 by foreign missionaries to Paris. Today it falls under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore.
This church is called Kaps Kovil and takes its name from the Capuchin priests who built it. It is the only church in the region where masses celebrate in three languages: French, Tamil and English. The festival is held several times a day, some days starting at 6.15 in the morning and ending at 18.45.
On Tuesdays and Fridays at 18:30 the Novena is sung in French, while on the first Friday the Novena is sung in French. In Tamil, worship and blessings are held at 6 pm and on Saturdays at 6.45 pm. The church celebrates its annual holiday with rosary services held on the second Sunday of August and every Monday and Friday at 18:00.
Design of Our Lady of Angels Church
The Church of Our Lady of the Angels was built in Greco-Roman style with two columns on each side of the main church. Originally the column had clocks that played the Hail Mary song every two hours, but they no longer work. The altar of the temple, which overlooks the east of the Bay of Bengal, was believed to house a statue of the Virgin Mary, but now the Holy Cross is visible.
ones In 1919, Pondicherry mayor Francois Gaudart donated a statue of Joan of Arc to the church. The church’s twin towers feature stained glass windows in vibrant shades of red, blue and yellow.
The interior and exterior of the ancient church were painted white, earning it the nickname “White Church”. A special mixture of dye, egg and lime is used for this purpose. However, the exterior color was changed in the 1900s, followed by an interior renovation in the 2000s.
The church bell was imported from France and was once powered by a complex mechanism of draws and strings. However, following the renovation of the church in 2012, the bell was removed due to vibrations affecting surrounding buildings.
Locally known as Dumas Church, it’s situated on Dumas Street in White Town.