| St Thomas Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Cathedral Church of St Thomas the Apostle | |
 | |
 | |
| 18°55′54″N 72°50′1″E / 18.93167°N 72.83361°E | |
| Location | Horniman Circle, Fort, South Mumbai, Maharashtra |
| Country | India |
| Denomination | Church of North India |
| History | |
| Consecrated | 1718 (300 years ago) & 1837 (renovation & expansion) Bombay, British India |
| Associated people | British East India Company Monarchy of Great Britain |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Conservation Award |
| Groundbreaking | 1676 (340 years ago) |
| Completed | 1718 1837 (Enlarged) |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1200+ |
St. Thomas Cathedral, Mumbai, is the 300-year old cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Mumbai of the Church of North India. It is named in honour of Saint Thomas the Apostle, who is believed to have first brought Christianity to India. The cathedral is located in Horniman Circle, the historic centre of Mumbai. It is in close proximity to famous Mumbai landmarks such as Flora Fountain and Bombay House. It is the oldest church in Mumbai[1] The Cathedral and John Connon School is run by the cathedral.
The foundation stone of the church was first laid in 1676, although the church was only finally consecrated for divine service 1718. It is the first Anglican church in Mumbai (then called Bombay), within the walls of the fortified British settlement. The cathedral is a landmark in South Mumbai and is one of the oldest churches in India. The Cathedral and John Connon School was created in 1860, in order to provide choristers to the church. It is used by the school for its Founder's Day Service on 14 November every year, Carol Service on the last day before the school's Christmas vacation and other special occasions.
The Churchgate railway station derives its name from the St. Thomas Cathedral, as the station was linked to the cathedral by a road leading through one of the three gates of the fortified island city of Mumbai.[2] The walls of the Bombay Fort were demolished in 1862 and the gate leading to the church was replaced by the Flora Fountain in 1864.[3]
- ^ D'Souza, Ornella (23 December 2018). "Mumbai's oldest church – St Thomas Cathedral to celebrate its three-hundredth anniversary on Christmas Day". DNA. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "File:Churchgate Station Banner.jpg". Wikimedia.org. 14 July 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2018.
- ^ Fernando, Benita. "St Thomas Cathedral: 300 years of Christmas in Bombay". Live Mint. Retrieved 13 March 2020.