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{{short description|Catholic shrine in India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox church
| name = Church of Our Lady of Light
| fullname =
| image = [[File:Luz church, Chennai.jpg|frameless|250px|centre|Luz church at [[Mylapore]]]]
| caption = Luz church
| pushpin map = Tamil Nadu
| pushpin label position =
| pushpin map alt =
| pushpin mapsize =
| map caption = Our Lady of Light shrine (Luz Church), [[Mylapore]], [[Chennai]], [[Tamil Nadu]]
| coordinates = {{coord|13|02|17.4|N|80|15|44.8|E|display=inline,title}}[https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Our_Lady_of_Light_Church,_Chennai&params=13_02_17.4_N_80_15_44.8_E_type:landmark_region:IN]
| location = [[Chennai]]
| country = {{flag|India}}
| denomination = [[Catholic Church]]<br />([[Latin Church]])
| website =
| bull date =
| founded date = {{start date and age|1516}}
| founder = Portuguese missionaries.
| dedication = Our Lady of Light
| dedicated date =
| consecrated date =
| cult =
| relics =
| events =
| status = [[Marian shrine]]
| functional status = Active
| architect =
| architectural type =
| style = [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]]
| groundbreaking = 1515
| completed date = 15 August 1516
| demolished date =
| capacity =
| parish = Luz Church Parish
| archdiocese = [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore]]
| archbishop = Rev. Archbishop [[George Antonysamy]]
| priestincharge =
| priest = Rev. Fr. Peter Thumma
| asstpriest =
| chaplain =
| logo =
| logosize =
| logolink =
| logoalt =
}}

'''Church of Our Lady of Light''' ({{langx|ta|பிரகாச மாதா ஆலயம்}}) is a [[Catholic Church|Catholic]] [[shrine]] in [[Chennai]], [[India]]. The locals commonly call it '''Luz Church''', which derives from the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] name '''Nossa Senhora da Luz'''. Built in 1516 by the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]], it is one of the oldest Churches in the city and its foundation stone marks as one of the oldest [[Europe]]an monuments in India. The history of the church dates back to the 16th-century legend of safe arrival to land by [[missionaries]]. The church is located very near to the [[Santhome Basilica]], where [[Apostle Thomas]] is believed to be buried.

Although at the time the church was built, the locality was a thick forest, now it is part of a bustling metropolitan area. This 16th-century European-architecture building consists of patterns of Gothic arches and [[Baroque]] ornamentation. The feast of Our Lady of Light is celebrated on 15 August every year. On 15 August 2010, Church of Our Lady of Light was declared Shrine of Our Lady of Light by A. M. Chinnappa, [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore|Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore]].

==History==

===Background===
{{See also|Christianity in India}}
The historical background of this church is intertwined with the traditional history of [[Christianity in India]]. Arrival of [[Christianity]] in India is of two phases, where by traditional accounts, St. Thomas brought the religion in the first century and attained [[martyrdom]] in [[Chennai]] in AD 53. The second phase is after the arrival of the Portuguese in the 15th century. The legends of the Church of Our Lady of Light connects both.

===Legend===
The history of the Church is compounded with the history of the arrival of the Portuguese to India. Soon after [[Vasco da Gama]] discovered the sea-route to India, the legend states, that eight Franciscan priests left for India from [[Lisbon]] with the fleet of [[Pedro Álvares Cabral]] on 9 March 1500. They landed in [[Kozhikode|Calicut]], where three of the Friars were slain on 16 November 1500. The others reached [[Cochin]], and settled down of preach the [[Good news (Christianity)|good news]]. A few years later, they sailed down South to spread their message further. It is said, that the [[Friars]] were lost in the rough sea and started praying to [[Mother Mary]] for their safety. The legend states that they were miraculously guided by a mysterious bright light which guided them safe to land. The Friars that in honour of their safe arrival to the land, built the ''Church of Our Lady of Light'' ({{langx|pt|Nossa Senhora da Luz}}).<ref name=arch/> The church would later suffer damages inflicted from the forces of [[Golconda]] between 1662 and 1673.<ref>[http://luzchurch.org/ind2b.htm History of Luz Church] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080919163728/http://luzchurch.org/ind2b.htm |date=2008-09-19 }}</ref> During the times of [[Hyder Ali|Haider Ali]]'s invasion of the city forts between 1780 and 1782, the [[British East India Company]] Forces occupied the Luz Parish Residence for some years.<ref name=arch>{{Cite web |url=http://www.archdioceseofmadrasmylapore.org/parish_view1.php?uid=P041 |title=Info on the Church on Archdioceses website |access-date=30 September 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904070517/http://www.archdioceseofmadrasmylapore.org/parish_view1.php?uid=P041 |archive-date=4 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Currently this church also governs the [[Stella Maris College (Chennai)|Stella Maris College, Chennai]].<ref name=arch/>

==Location==
The church is located in [[Mylapore]] local of Chennai and at the time it was built, this part of Mylapore is believed to have been a thick forest. Thus the church gets its local name in [[Tamil language|Tamil]] as ''"Kaatu Kovil"'' ({{langx|ta|காட்டுக் கோவில்}}) (Jungle Temple).<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=beqYWLRER6MC&dq=Luz+Our+lady+Church+Chennai&pg=PA89 South India Handbook]</ref> It is located about 1.5 km from the [[Santhome Basilica]]<ref name=chennaibook>[https://books.google.com/books?id=bw2vDg2fTrMC&dq=Luz+Our+lady+Church+Chennai&pg=PA28 Chennai Travel book]</ref> where [[Apostles in the New Testament|Apostle]] of [[Jesus]] [[Saint]] [[Thomas the Apostle|Thomas]] is buried. Although now a bustling locale, it is believed that this area could have been covered with [[mangroves]] in the early days. The road leading to the church is now named as ''Luz Church road'' after the church itself.
[[File:Jehovah - Chennai 1516 - name of God in the bible.jpg|alt=Chennai - tetragrammon|thumb|tetragrammon :Jehovah - name of God for Christians- Chennai 1516]]
the [[tetragrammaton]] is visible on the main facade at a height of about 6 meters.

==Architecture==
The existing structure at Luz was built by the Portuguese in 1516.<ref name="IJAHS">{{cite journal | last1 = Priya | first1 = R. Sasi Mary | last2 = Radhakrishnan | first2 = V. | author-link = | title = The art and architectures along the Tamil Nadu coast | journal = International Journal of Art & Humanity Science | volume = 3 | issue = 2 | pages = 43 | date = March–April 2016 | language = | url = https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313763972 | jstor = | issn = 2349-5235 | doi = | id = | mr = | zbl = | jfm = | access-date = 18 December 2021}}</ref> The architecture of the building consists of patterns of [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] [[arch]]es, [[Baroque]] [[Ornament (architecture)|ornamentation]] compounded with classical European style. The altars are gilded with silver and gold leaves and the ceilings with powder blue [[fresco]] paintings. The building plan resembles the Portuguese style in more than one way. Luz church represents one of the many attempts made by these people to leave their identity in far-off places. The foundation stone of this church is considered to be one of the oldest European monuments in India.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=pwMk4FIcpuUC&dq=Luz+Church+Madras&pg=RA1-PA153 Madras Tercentenary Celebrations Committee Commemoration]</ref>

==Feast==
The feast of Our Lady of Light is celebrated on 15 August every year <ref>[http://www.madrasi.info/luz-church.html Luz Church on Madras info]</ref> which is also the day of [[Partition of India|Indian independence]] and hence a [[public holiday|national holiday]]. The day is also as the feast of ''[[Assumption of Mary]]''.<ref name=arch1>[http://chennai.clickindia.com/travel/luzchurch.html Luz Church in Clickindia.com] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906113111/http://chennai.clickindia.com/travel/luzchurch.html |date=2008-09-06 }}</ref> The feast is celebrated with a grand mass and car procession.

[[File:Altar of luz church, Chennai.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Altar of luz church]]

== See also ==
{{Portal|India|Christianity}}
* [[Christianity in India]]
* [[Santhome Church]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://geohack.toolforge.org/geohack.php?pagename=Our_Lady_of_Light_Church,_Chennai&params=13_02_17.4_N_80_15_44.8_E_type:landmark_region:IN GeoHack - Our Lady of Light Church, Chennai]

{{Chennai Topics}}
{{Places of worship in Chennai}}

[[Category:Roman Catholic churches completed in 1516]]
[[Category:History of Chennai]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic church buildings in Chennai]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic church buildings in Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:1516 in India]]
[[Category:16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in India]]
[[Category:1516 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic shrines in India]]

Our Lady of Light Church, Chennai - Revision history

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