LUZ CHURCH - OUR LADY OF LIGHT

Tucked away in a tiny corner of Mylapore is the church of 'Our Lady of Light' or more popularly the 'Luz Church'. The church has lent its name to the area around it and to the road leading up to it as the Luz Church Road.

Also known as the 'Kaatu kovil' (Church located in a forest) locally, it lays claim to being the oldest church in Chennai, a claim that is not well documented though.  The now busy Luz area was in early days supposed to have been filled with mangroves, where St. Thomas is believed to have once rested. 

The church was built by Franciscan missionaries from Portugal in honour of Mother Mary in 1516. The austere façade of the church belies the splendour of its baroque interiors with its gilded altars, the fine tracery railings of the pulpit and choir, the original polychrome santos and frescoed ceilings.  The Luz Church reflects the fashions and trends of typical European ecclesiastical architecture. The Gothic arches and flying buttresses, baroque ornamentation and elegant classical lines, have been heavily influenced by European style.  The Luz Church is a fine example of the Portuguese, impressive attempts to replicate their great churches in faraway lands.

Fr. Thekkeperumbuthur Joseph George (Thekkeperumbuthur in Malayalam means big paddy field down south - the home town of Fr. George) or Fr. T J George as he is better known to his parishioners says, "The legend goes thus, A group of Franciscan missionaries were coming on a mission to preach the good news in the land of India.  But when the boat neared the Coromandel Coast, they were stranded out on the rough seas, as they were unable to locate the shore.  Anxiously they beseeched Mother Mary.  Then a mysterious light appeared and they were guided to the shores of Mylapore, then a village.  Having landed at the shore, they found that the light led them still further and disappeared at the place where the church stands today.  They built the church at the very spot where the light vanished in gratitude to 'Nossa  senhora de Luz (Our Lady of Light)'.  Luz in Portuguese means light.  Thus was born the name Luz, by which the whole surrounding area of the church is known".

The Church has had its share of tribulations, having first suffered damage when Golconda forces occupied it in the 17^th century and later when forces of Hyder Ali occupied it, in the late 18^th century.  The East India Company has also occupied the Luz for some time. 

Fr. T J George has a very interesting story to tell about the centrepiece of attraction on the ceiling frescoe - the 'Franciscan emblem'.  "The emblem shows two hands as if embracing each other.  One is said to be the hand of Saint Francis and the other of Jesus Christ.  Once when Saint Francis of Assisi was praying he wanted to embrace Jesus.  In response to that wish in his mind, Jesus is believed to have embraced him.  This inspired the emblem, which is the emblem of the Franiscan congregation", he says.

It is the first Church to be built in honour of 'Our Lady of Light' in Tamil Nadu, the main feast of the Church is celebrated on August 15^th.  The feast is celebrated with a grand mass and car procession.  August 15^th, which also happens to be the day of our Independence, is the day when the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin (Mother Mary) is celebrated.

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