Immaculate Conception Cathedral, Pondicherry

11°55′59″N 79°49′50″E / 11.93299°N 79.83055°E / 11.93299; 79.83055LocationPondicherry, PuducherryCountryIndiaDenominationCatholicHistoryFormer name(s)St. Paul's ChurchAuthorising papal bull1692StatusCathedral and Parish churchFounder(s)JesuitsDedicationImmaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin MaryConsecrated1791Past bishop(s)Msgr. Michael AugustineArchitectureFunctional statusActiveArchitectural typeCathedralStyleHerrerianGroundbreaking1699Completed1791DemolishedThree time in the years:

• 1693 by Dutch
• Around 1730
• 1761 by British

But church was re-built at the same site every time.AdministrationArchdioceseArchdiocese of Pondicherry and CuddaloreParishCathedral ParishClergyArchbishopMsgr. Francis KalistPriest(s)Rev. Fr. Alphonse SandanamAssistant priest(s)Rev. Fr. Arulpushparaja

Immaculate Conception Cathedral (French: Cathédrale de l'Immaculée-Conception de Pondichéry, Tamil: தூய அமலோற்பவ அன்னை பேராலயம்) is the cathedral mother church for the Roman Catholic archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore. It is located in the Union territory of Puducherry. The church is also known as Samba Kovil^[1] (Tamil: சம்பா கோயில்), which is a phonetic corruption of "Saint Paul's Kovil" where "Kovil" means church.

The Jesuit Fathers came to the French colony of Pondicherry as missionaries in 1689. There they bought a very large garden to the west of the French Fort. In 1692 they, with the financial help of Louis XIV, king of France, erected a church which was demolished by the Dutch in the following year. A second Church was quickly built in 1699 but could not last long.

From 1728 to 1736 a large church was built on the site of the present Cathedral. This third church was razed to the ground by the British in 1761 during the Seven Years' War.

Erecting in 1765 provisionally (fourth in serial) a functional kind of irregularly shaped shed where the Mission Press (official press depot of the archdiocese) is now since the year 1770 the Fathers were earnest in building the present cathedral on the foundations of the 3rd Church. On 20 June 1791, the main work was finished and the Church was consecrated by Bishop Champenois. The Bell Tower was built later. The choir loft was added in 1905. The Sanctuary was remodeled in the year 1970. The esplanade in front of the Cathedral was remodeled in 1987, to allow people to take part in liturgical ceremonies and special functions held outside.

The Fest of this Church i.e., Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary falls on 8 December. Now the church which stands for around 300 years is also the place where the bishop's house is situated. Mass services are conducted in Tamil and English.

It is one of the oldest tourist sites in Puducherry and was visited by Mother Teresa during her visit to Puducherry.

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  Photo taken in 1860, possibly by French photographer Charles Moyne.^[2]
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  Nave
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  Central altar of the church with the bishop's cathedra visible on the right hand side covered with a green cloth
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  Right side Altar for Our Lady of Immaculate Conception, renovated during the year of Faith
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  Main Door - View from the central high altar

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  St. Joseph's Altar
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  Our Lady of Good Health Altar
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  Sacred Heart Altar
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  St. Theresa of Lisieux Altar
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  Our Lady of Holy Rosary with St. Dominic
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  St. Francis of Assisi
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  Baptismal font
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  Stoups
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  Grotto near the gate
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  Christ the King statue installed by Bishop Colas in 1933

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  Missionaries buried here
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  Tombs of Bishops of the Archdiocese

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Pondicherry and Cuddalore
• Roman Catholicism in India
• Christianity in India
• Christianity in Puducherry
• List of cathedrals named after the Immaculate Conception of Blessed Virgin Mary
• List of Jesuit sites