About Us - CHURCH OF OUR LADY OF LIGHT

Faith is the evidence of things hoped for. Nosa Senhora da Luz, five hundred years later, today referred to simply as Luz Church, stands testimony to that. It endures on firm foundation as certainly one of the oldest churches in the South Indian city, Chennai. The foundation stone marks it perhaps also as one of the oldest European monuments in the country. The Shrine of Our Lady of Light, looks back in time to a full five hundred years. Popular legend meshes it with the adventures of Vasco da Gama and the discovery of the Portuguese sea route to India. Being Catholic sailors, they had accompanying them a small group of Franciscan missionaries under the guidance of Fr Pedrinho Alvares Cabral. Almost as if to give legitimacy to the spiritual preparation, the great seas threatened them. Dark surging waves tossed them about. They were lost at sea, they had lost their direction. In answer, the priests dropped their anchor of faith and simply prayed to Mother Mary. Their faith delivered. Their answer appeared in the glimmer of a far away light.