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{{Infobox church
| name = Sacred Heart Shrine
| fullname =
| other name = Sacred Heart Church
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Idaikattur church Front view.jpg
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| pushpin map = India Tamil Nadu
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| coordinates = {{coord|9.7611839|78.3880374|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| osgridref = 
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| location = [[Idaikattur]]
| country = [[India]]

| language(s) =
| denomination = [[Catholic Church|Catholic]]
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| status = [[Shrine]]
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| cult = [[Sacred Heart of Jesus]]
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| functional status = Active
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| architectural type = [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]]
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| diocese = [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Sivagangai|Sivagangai]]
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}}

The '''Sacred Heart Shrine''' is a Catholic church in [[Idaikattur]] in [[Tamil Nadu]]. It is noted for being a replica of [[Reims Cathedral]] in France.<ref name=thehindu>{{cite news |title=Namma Madurai: The sacred French connection |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/history-and-culture/Namma-Madurai-The-sacred-French-connection/article12547607.ece |access-date=1 September 2023 |work=The Hindu |date=3 October 2012 |language=en-IN}}</ref>

==History==
In 1866, a thatched shed was constructed, which functioned as St. James church for Idaikattur parish. Fr. Ferdinandus Celle, SJ, the parish priest travelled to France in 1886 to gather funds for the construction of a church building. An Anglican woman named Mary Anne who was suffering from an acute heart ailment received a miraculous cure after praying a Catholic [[novena]] to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.<ref>{{cite web |title=Idaikattur Church / Church of Sacred heart of Jesus in Madurai (History, Timings & Phone) - Madurai Tourism 2023 |url=https://maduraitourism.co.in/idaikattur-church-of-sacred-heart-of-jesus-madurai |website=maduraitourism.co.in |access-date=1 September 2023}}</ref> Mary Anne donated 2000 [[French Franc|francs]] to Fr. Celle for the construction, with the request that the new church would be dedicated to the Sacred Heart Church and that it would be a replica of the Rheims Cathedral.<ref name=thehindu />

[[File:Jesus church manamadurai.jpg|thumb|left]]
[[File:Reims_Kathedrale.jpg|thumb|left|Rheims Cathedral in France]]
[[File:Sacred Heart Idaikattur.jpg|thumb|left]]
During the church construction, a portion of the church on the northern side was unintentionally built on a piece of land belonging to the temple. Fr. Celle offered to purchase the land, but the villagers refused. A commission was dispatched from [[Madras]] to Idaikattur to adjudicate the matter. On the night before leaving Madras, the head of the commission had a dream in which he saw angels building a church. On reaching Idaikattur, he was surprised to see that the church was the same one that he had seen in his dream. The head of the commission told the villagers about the dream. The villagers not only relinquished the piece of land, but even donated more land for the construction of the church.<ref name=thehindu />

==Architecture==
The church is in the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic style]] with a vaulted roof supported by columns with cantilever beams. These columns are connected to a circular terracotta ring which is shaped into rows of garlands, flowers, beads, etc. It was constructed by local masons who used a model of the Rheims Cathedral as a reference. In commemoration of the dream of the commission head, Fr. Celle placed statues and paintings of 153 angels in and around the church walls.<ref name=thehindu /> The tomb of Fr. Ferdinandus Celle stands on the right side of the altar. Hollow bricks were used in the construction of the church, which helps keep the interior cool.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Roman Catholic churches in Tamil Nadu]]

Sacred Heart Shrine, Idaikattur - Revision history

Ajay Kumar: Creating a new article