St. Philomena's Cathedral - Catholic Church

St. Philomena's Cathedral is a Catholic Church built in honor of St. Philomena. Philomena was the daughter of a monarch of a small state in Greece. The monarch and his wife had been childless for a long time. After a lot of prayers, they were blessed with a girl who was named Philomena. The girl was so charming and devoted to God since childhood. The monarch took his daughter along with him to Rome to seek help from Emperor Diocletian. The emperor was mesmerized by the girl's beauty and wanted to marry her, even though she was just 13 years old. However, Philomena refused to marry him for she was a follower of God. The emperor used his power to convince. Since she refused it and so her parents, he tortured and executed her. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV granted some land to the Christians on their request to have a church in Mysore.

The construction started in 1933 and completed in 1941. Constructed in the Neo-Gothic or the Victorian style, this church is designed by a French artist Daly and inspired from the Cologne Cathedral of Germany. The main attraction of the church is its twin spires with a height of 175 feet. The design of spires is similar to those in St. Patrick’s Church in New York. Each spire has a cross adorned on it 12 feet high. The statue of St. Philomena which was brought from France. The hall of the church has the capacity to accommodate around 800 people at a time. The sanctum adds more beauty to the entire structure with its stained glass windows, displaying exquisitely drawn painting. Pillars in the church have been crafted with exquisite flower patterns. It is the 2nd largest church in Asia. The church is a standing example of the secular view of the erstwhile Mysore rulers.