Luz Church, Chennai, Tamil Nadu India

This proud little known church with a 500 year history may be among the oldest churches in the country. It is believed to be associated with St Thomas the Apostle who was in Madras almost 2000 years ago. Built by the Portuguese, its name means "Church of Our Lady of Light". Luz means light, ask a Portuguese and he or she will shudder to hear the way we pronounce the name in Chennai. Sad that no one living outside Mylapore knows how Luz Corner, Luz Church Road and Luz Avenue got named. And sad to see it somewhat neglected and ignored by everyone, even catholics, as compared to the San Thome Basilica. 

Luz Church or the Church of Our Lady of Light is the oldest church in Chennai built by Portuguese Franciscan monks in 1516, shortly after Vasco-da-gama discovered the sea-route from Europe to India in 1498 A.D.

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.

Church of ‘Our Lady of Light’, popularly known as Luz Church, is located in a tiny corner of Mylapore, in Chennai. The church, built by Franciscan missionaries from Portugal in honor of Mother Mary in 1516, is commonly known as ‘Kaatu Kovil’ (Church located in a forest) amongst the local people.. It is the first church built in honor of ‘Our Lady of Light’ and is believed to be the oldest church in Chennai. The church, over the years had withstood the vagaries of time and human misadventures: it was damaged when Golconda forces occupied it in the 17th century; later Hyder Ali occupied it in the late 18th century. The East India Company also occupied Luz church for some time. The Luz Church is noteworthy for its old European ecclesiastical architecture. The arches in Gothic style and well-designed classical lines in European style, add to its beauty.