St. Philomena's Cathedral - History, Timings & Entry Fee

At a distance of 2.5 km from Mysore Railway Station & 1 km from KSRTC Bus Station, St. Philomena's Church is a Catholic Church built in honor of St. Philomena in the Diocese of Mysore, India. This is one of the top places to visit in Mysore. Designed by the Reverend Rene Feuge, it was constructed in 1956 in a Neo Gothic style and its architecture was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

The church is dedicated to 3rd century saint Philomena who was the daughter of the monarch of a small state in Greece. Her parents were childless for several years. They prayed Jesus to bless them with a child and 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. She was tortured and beheaded in Rome. But people's devotion for her spread near and far and she was given sainthood.

The Saint Philomena's Church in Mysore is one of the oldest churches in India. When the capital of Mysore state was moved from Srirangapatnam to Mysore city in 1799, many British officers and soldiers came and settled down in Mysore. The Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar III donated land on the Mysore-Bangalore Road and a little church came up there. As the city expanded and the Christian population of the city increased there was a need for a larger church. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV laid the foundation of the new church on October 28th, 1933 that was to be built in the place of the small church built by his grandfather.

The floor plan of the cathedral is in the form of a cross. The cathedral has a crypt that houses a statue of St. Philomena. This statue was specially brought from France. Beneath the altar lies the underground catacomb that contains the relic of St. Philomena.

The twin spires of the church are 175 feet in height and they resemble the spires of the Cologne Cathedral and also the spires of the St. Patrick's Church in New York. The main hall can seat up to 800 people and contains stained glass windows depicting scenes from the birth of Christ, the Last Supper, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection and the Ascension of Christ. It is considered to be Asia's second largest church.

An Annual festival is held on August 11th every year.

Timings: 5 AM to 6 PM.

Timings of Holy Mass: 5:30 AM, 6:15 AM, 7 AM, 4 PM on Weekdays, 5 AM, 6 AM, 7 AM, 8 AM, 9 AM, 4 PM on Sundays.