Delhi Cathedral: ‘Sign and symbol of faith’

(February 27, 2012) Thousands of people, including those from other faiths, assembled at the Catholic Cathedral in the Indian capital New Delhi on Sunday to celebrate the church’s platinum jubilee. Archbishop Vincent Concessao of Delhi, who led the concelebrated Mass in his Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, said that the Church has played a key role in evangelization. “From humble beginnings, the cathedral has grown into a flourishing Church,” he said. Apostolic Nuncio to India Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, retired Bishop Gratian Mundadan of Bijnor, Archbishop Albert D’ Souza of Agra and Auxiliary Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Delhi were the other celebrants. In his homily, Archbishop Albert D’ Souza of Agra said “the Sacred Heart Cathedral is a sign and symbol of transmission of faith in Christ which we inherited from our ancestors and it should continue.” Fr Chetan Machado, assistant parish priest of the cathedral parish recalled the most memorable event in the cathedral as the visit of Pope John Paul II in 1999 to release the encyclical Ecclesia in Asia (Church in Asia). Fr. Luke, an Italian Capuchin priest and late Archbishops Raphael Berbacchioni and Evangelista Vanni of Agra were instrumental in the construction of what is the cathedral today. Archbishop Vanni laid the foundation stone in 1929 and on Dec. 8, 1935 the Cathedral was opened.