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Muriel Nirmala D’Silva explores Holy Cross Church Cordel in Mangaluru, and delves into its 150-year-old legacy

Standing majestic and tranquil on a hill in Kulshekar in Mangaluru, is the Holy Cross Church Cordel. The 150th anniversary of its construction was celebrated last year.

The church comprises the main hall of worship, the ‘adoration chapel’ which houses a relic rendering the crucifixion, and the tomb of the founder of the church, Fr Alexander Dubois (known by locals as Frad Saib). There is also a rosary park, a recreation of the garden of Gethsemane, the St Joseph’s educational institution and several smaller halls. There are several halls on the premises, including Frad Saib Hall and Mini Hall. Cordel Hall is let out for functions like weddings. 

Depictions of various stories from the Bible; (top) a view of the main building of the Holy Cross Church Cordel.

Architectural elements

The Cordel church is built in the Gothic style of architecture, with arched walls and stained glass windows. The sanctuary of the church is built into the wall, with a depiction of Jesus on the cross.

The parish priest, Fr Clifford Fernandes, explains that the front facade of the church comprises the statues of St Peter and St Paul. The stained glass in the middle symbolises the 12 apostles, the seven arches represent the seven sacraments (religious rituals), and at the top of the front facade is the cross.

The portico consists of two shrines, namely, those of Mary and Joseph, which were erected during the 150th jubilee. The entrance of the church has arched walls. Near the ceiling are stained glass structures with pictures of Mary, Jesus and others, including Frad Saib and Mother Teresa. The middle walls are painted with depictions of Jesus and his teaching. Statues of various saints have also been erected on pedestals inside the church.

There is also a side hall on the south side, which has a life-sized cross showing the crucifixion of Jesus.

History

The church has its roots in a forest in Cordel, Shaktinagar (then under Kulshekar Post), where the ‘veneration of the cross’ ritual was being observed. Soon after, a priest began to come to a house in Cordel, Shaktinagar, from Milagres Church in Mangaluru and offer mass. Then, Frad Saib, a French priest from the Milagres Church, took the initiative and started building the Holy Cross Church Cordel.

‘Cordel’ means ‘of the heart’. ‘Cor’ refers to heart in Latin. ‘Del’ is the Tulu-Konkani lingo used for hamlets. For instance, take Niddel, Biddel and Bondel in Mangaluru. 

But the building could not be completed because of the death of Fr Dubois. As per the book ‘Frad Saib and the Church of Cordel’ by  Fr Devadatta Kamath, “At his deathbed or a little before, Frad Saib entrusted both the unfinished church and the thirty acres of land surrounding it as well as a princely sum of money to Fr Ladislaus Deslogues, his assistant and admirer.”

After Frad Saib’s death, on May 31, 1904, the Cordel parish was established, with Fr M P Colaco, a Mangaluru native, as its first parish priest. The church now has over 7,475 parishioners. The church sees visitors from all over Karnataka, as well as from other states, says Fr Clifford Fernandes.