ABOUT OUR CATHEDRAL
A MOTHER CHURCH
A PARISH CHURCH
A MISSION CHURCH
A CATHEDRAL FOR THE CITY OF JOY
St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kolkata, is dedicated to St. Paul the Apostle and was consecrated in 1847. It is the Mother Church of the Diocese of Calcutta (Church of North India), and stands as a testament to enduring faith. Here you will
find history in abundance, but much more than this - a living faith that continues to shape and change the lives of ordinary people even today. Here is an opportunity to experience something built to provide a direct connection to the Divine for all who enter. For those who gather in worship, this Cathedral remains a conduit of spiritual
power and grace. May you be richly blessed as you visit this place.
Daniel Wilson, the 5th Bishop of Calcutta and the 1st Metropolitan, arrived in Calcutta in 1832. Like his predecessors, Middleton, Heber, James, and Turner, Bishop Wilson initially presided at St. John’s Church, which had been consecrated in 1787, but he dreamt of building a Cathedral for the City. It was Bishop Wilson’s vision, perseverance, and faith that grew into what was to become the great St. Paul’s Cathedral.
The foundation stone was laid on 8 October 1839. Bishop Wilson himself donated INR 1,00,000 and left a further endowment of INR 1,00,000 in his will. Along with a grant by the East India Company, brick by brick, Bishop Wilson's dream became reality: the chancel, the sanctuary, the side chapels, the lofty spire.
175 years have passed since Consecration Day on 8 October 1847, and the Cathedral has endured the ravages of time and circumstance - but most importantly, St. Paul's Cathedral has served God and the city of Kolkata. Millions have prayed at its altars; in joy or in sorrow, in hope or bereavement, and hearts have returned home with solace.
