Year 1500


During his military campaigns in North India, Akbar and made Lahore his headquarters between 1584 and 1598. During this period he developed certain principles of liberalism and religious tolerance for which he was well known. His court became the rendezvous for scholars of various religious traditions who were invited for religious debates. It was in this environment of religious tolerance that some Jesuit missionaries, at the express request of Akbar himself, proceeded form Goa to the Emperor's Court at Lahore, in November1579. This was the first station established by the Jesuits for their missionary work in North India.

A little later, the Jesuits founded their mission station in Agra, which had by then become the new headquarters of the Mughals. Although, in the chronological order, this was the second mission base founded by the Jesuits, the city of Agra was destined to play a very important role in the history of the Church in North India under the Mughals and thereafter. From the time of Akbar, a fairly good number of Christian families of different nationalities lived in that city. Since it became the headquarters of the Mughal empire, their number began to increase and they were able to find employment in the imperial city. The Jesuits ministered to them.

Year 1600


In 1648, Shah Jahan shifted his headquarters from Agra to Delhi, which was then known as Shahjahanabad. As Delhi became more prominent the number of Catholics began to increase. Accordingly, the Jesuits established a mission there. Thus, Delhi was the third mission station of the Jesuits in North India. In fact, as early as 1626 some Jesuit missionaries began to come here. At first it was a transit station and a suffragan dependant on Agra. They were minding the spiritual needs of the Christians who had come to the place for employment. At first they had a small chapel attached to the residence of the priest. As the number of Catholics increased, a church was built in another place, in the suburban area, for the Catholics who had been dispersed around the city. According to Sir Edward Maclagan, the congregation of Delhi Catholics in 1650 was 120. By 1686 the number of Catholics increased to 300. By this time there were two priests in two churches with two separate residences. There is also evidence of the existence of a Catholic cemetery in Delhi dating from 1656.

Year 1700


In 1648, Shah Jahan shifted his headquarters from Agra to Delhi, which was then known as Shahjahanabad. As Delhi became more prominent the number of Catholics began to increase. Accordingly, the Jesuits established a mission there. Thus, Delhi was the third mission station of the Jesuits in North India. In fact, as early as 1626 some Jesuit missionaries began to come here. At first it was a transit station and a suffragan dependant on Agra. They were minding the spiritual needs of the Christians who had come to the place for employment. At first they had a small chapel attached to the residence of the priest. As the number of Catholics increased, a church was built in another place, in the suburban area, for the Catholics who had been dispersed around the city. According to Sir Edward Maclagan, the congregation of Delhi Catholics in 1650 was 120. By 1686 the number of Catholics increased to 300. By this time there were two priests in two churches with two separate residences. There is also evidence of the existence of a Catholic cemetery in Delhi dating from 1656.

From that time till the first quarter of the 18th century, there is hardly any information about the growth of the church in this area. Apparently, it was a lean period, since Fr. Lppolyto Desideri, who returned from Tibet and was posted at Delhi from 1722 to 1725, found the city churches in ruins. It was a clear sign that these had not been maintained and kept up for years. Moreover, the only priest, who as at the mission centre at that time, was suffering form indifferent health. His pastoral activity was restricted to the most essential duties. Fr. Desideri set about to rebuild a church on the same spot but on a larger scale. The new church was dedicated to Our Lady and was blessed on All Souls' Day in 1723.

In the year 1739, Nadir Shah of Persia invaded India and during the great massacre of March 20, 1739, the two Catholic churches in Delhi were destroyed. The Jesuits in Delhi escaped slaughter by hiding in a ruined and dilapidated house. According to Fr. Andrew Strobel, one church was rebuilt and blessed in 1746 on the eve of Christmas. The other church too was rebuilt some time later and the Jesuits erected a new residence in the proximity of the town at the place where the heavy artillery was kept and where the Christians had their cemetery. Fr. Teiffentaller must have visited Delhi in 1747.

In 1773 the Jesuit Order was suppressed and the northern part of the Mughal Mission was entrusted to the Carmelities. Two Carmelities Fr. Agnelo di San Giuseppe and Fr. Gregoriodella Presentation took charge of the Mission from the Jesuits. Agnelo stayed for some time in Agra and then in Delhi and worked under the Capuchins until his heath on September 29, 1807.

The two churches and the residences witnessed the lean years of Delhi and shared its misfortunes. The Carmelites found the northern part of the mission too extensive for them and so they requested the Holy see to transfer a part of it to the neighbouring mission. Hence, the Capuchins, who had received change of the prefecture of Hindustan-Tibet mission in 1760, with is headquarters at Patna, moved into the Agra mission in 1780. However, by 1781 nothing was left standing. From then on, for over fifty years, there was no resident priest at Delhi. The priest posted at Sardhana visited the station. Divine services were held in the palace of Begum Samru, who also gave hospitality to the visiting chaplain, while he resided in Delhi. Later, this place housed the Delhi London bank and now it housed the State Bank of India. It was at this juncture that, by the de Decree of the Sacred Congregation of faith, dated may 17, 1784, the Vicariate Apostolic of the Great Mughals was constituted.

Year 1800


In 1648, Shah Jahan shifted his headquarters from Agra to Delhi, which was then known as Shahjahanabad. As Delhi became more prominent the number of Catholics began to increase. Accordingly, the Jesuits established a mission there. Thus, Delhi was the third mission station of the Jesuits in North India. In fact, as early as 1626 some Jesuit missionaries began to come here. At first it was a transit station and a suffragan dependant on Agra. They were minding the spiritual needs of the Christians who had come to the place for employment. At first they had a small chapel attached to the residence of the priest. As the number of Catholics increased, a church was built in another place, in the suburban area, for the Catholics who had been dispersed around the city. According to Sir Edward Maclagan, the congregation of Delhi Catholics in 1650 was 120. By 1686 the number of Catholics increased to 300. By this time there were two priests in two churches with two separate residences. There is also evidence of the existence of a Catholic cemetery in Delhi dating from 1656.

From that time till the first quarter of the 18th century, there is hardly any information about the growth of the church in this area. Apparently, it was a lean period, since Fr. Lppolyto Desideri, who returned from Tibet and was posted at Delhi from 1722 to 1725, found the city churches in ruins. It was a clear sign that these had not been maintained and kept up for years. Moreover, the only priest, who as at the mission centre at that time, was suffering form indifferent health. His pastoral activity was restricted to the most essential duties. Fr. Desideri set about to rebuild a church on the same spot but on a larger scale. The new church was dedicated to Our Lady and was blessed on All Souls' Day in 1723.

In the year 1739, Nadir Shah of Persia invaded India and during the great massacre of March 20, 1739, the two Catholic churches in Delhi were destroyed. The Jesuits in Delhi escaped slaughter by hiding in a ruined and dilapidated house. According to Fr. Andrew Strobel, one church was rebuilt and blessed in 1746 on the eve of Christmas. The other church too was rebuilt some time later and the Jesuits erected a new residence in the proximity of the town at the place where the heavy artillery was kept and where the Christians had their cemetery. Fr. Teiffentaller must have visited Delhi in 1747.

In 1773 the Jesuit Order was suppressed and the northern part of the Mughal Mission was entrusted to the Carmelities. Two Carmelities Fr. Agnelo di San Giuseppe and Fr. Gregoriodella Presentation took charge of the Mission from the Jesuits. Agnelo stayed for some time in Agra and then in Delhi and worked under the Capuchins until his heath on September 29, 1807.

The two churches and the residences witnessed the lean years of Delhi and shared its misfortunes. The Carmelites found the northern part of the mission too extensive for them and so they requested the Holy see to transfer a part of it to the neighbouring mission. Hence, the Capuchins, who had received change of the prefecture of Hindustan-Tibet mission in 1760, with is headquarters at Patna, moved into the Agra mission in 1780. However, by 1781 nothing was left standing. From then on, for over fifty years, there was no resident priest at Delhi. The priest posted at Sardhana visited the station. Divine services were held in the palace of Begum Samru, who also gave hospitality to the visiting chaplain, while he resided in Delhi. Later, this place housed the Delhi London bank and now it housed the State Bank of India. It was at this juncture that, by the de Decree of the Sacred Congregation of faith, dated may 17, 1784, the Vicariate Apostolic of the Great Mughals was constituted.

Fr. Zachery of Tretti, an Italian Capuchin of Venice Province, established a mission in Delhi in 1857. After establishing the mission he discovered that a community of Armenian Catholics lived in Sarai Rohilla. But during the Reoltof 1857, this community perished in the first onslaught of the mutineering armymen. Fr. Zachery himself was murdered in the church that he had built and the church also was destroyed by the rebels.

In 1865, a new church, St. Mary's Church, Old Delhi, was built by the Agra diocese thanks to the efforts of Fr. William Keegan. Mr. Charles Corcoran, his wife Sarah and Mrs. Dominga D'Eremao, the chief benefactors of the new church, assisted him in this task. Fr. William Keegan was the Parish Priest of St. Mary's Church, Old Delhi, for 28 years and it is interesting to note, from the baptismal register, that there is not a single entry signed by anyone other than Fr. Keegan for 28 years. Children were brought from places like Jaipur and Saharanpur to be baptized in Delhi. It was through Fr. Keegan's persuasion that Mrs. Dominga D' Eremao, an influential lady in the court of the Mughal emperor at the Red Fort, made the bequest of her lands in Okhla to the Church. Later, when the ground for India's new Capital was being cleared, a group of Christians, displaced from the Raisina Hills, settled down on the estate bequeathed to the Church by Mrs. Dominga and a small church, the nucleus of the Masihgarh community, was built around 1918.

While it is true that the capuchins ministered to the soldiers garrisoned in the Red Fort, to the post and telegraph employees and to the railway personnel, at the same time, they went out from St. Mary's to evangelize places as far as Kanhei and Khera Khurd. All the same, It is surprising that for the first 25 years of the Capuchin mission no child of an Indian Christian adult was baptized in Delhi. It appears that the ministry was rendered exclusively to foreigners. The first entry of an Indian is found on December 3, 1891 and the minister was Fr. Fabino. From that year two baptismal registers were started and the practice continued till 1938, when they were merged and a singly registered baptism is found this register.

Year 1900

At the beginning of the twentieth century, thanks to the efforts of Fr. Hilary and Fr. Colombia, both Italian Capuchins, several on Catholics in and around Delhi were converted to Christianity. They also made several converts in Khera Khurd and built a church there St. Mary's church, Old Delhi, bears testimony to the conversions that took place from around 1891 to 1935. Once 500 people were baptized on a single day at st. Mary's when a Visitor from the Superior General in Rome came to Delhi. Similar conversions took place in Khera Khurd, Najafgarh, Msigarh (Okhla), Turkman Gate, Paharganj, Mori Gate, Shahdara, Kanhei and Pomperiabad (Rosary Chruch). For these converts small rectangular chapels were erected in Shahdara, Pomperiabad, Masihgarh etc. The one at Rosary Church in still preserved. At Paharganj the people used to meet at the chapel of the sisters in the early thirties. But desertions stated soon and these accelerated after independence.

Among the capuchin missionaries of this period, there were Italians as well as Indians. Besides those mentioned an above, the other Italian priests were fathers Raphael, Peter Mary and several others. Several Indian capuchins also worked in this Mission. Fr. Jerome of Konhuvenal worked for several years in Khera Khurd, Isaz and Simla, particularly among the lower strata of society, and earned the nickname Choodagi or Sweeper. Fr. Sylvester Mary of Nadora worked in Simla, Kasauli and Milsington. Fr. Anselm Ferreira worked for several for five years in Delhi-Simla Archdiocese. Fr. Leonard Fernandes worked for five years in Delhi and Fr. Benedict of Taliwala was in the Delhi Mission form 1951 till his death in 1970. He was the patron of the poor and spent himself for their welfare and growth.

It is interesting to note that it took 70 years after the erection of St. Mary's church to build a second church, i.e., the Sacred Heart Cathedral. Those responsible for this magnificent Cathedral were Archbishop E. Vanni of Agra and Fr. Luke Vanucci. In 1919, the Archbishop sent Fr. Luke to Delhi with the specific mission to build a Cathedral for him. The task was very difficult. However, with determination and strenuous efforts, Fr. Luke made progress in his mission. First of all, he was instrumental in renovating St. Mary's Church, which was in a dilapidated condition. Along with that he concentrated on the main task of constructing the Cathedral. The land for the Cathedral was bought in 1920 and the foundation stone was laid by Most. Trev. E. Vanni, the Archbishop of Agra, in 1929 and the work started in 1930. After five long years the construction of the Cathedral was completed. It was blessed on December 8, 1945, by the Papal Inter-Nuncio, His Excellency, Msgr.Leo Kierkels, in the presence of six bishops, several priests and religious and a large congregation of the faithful.