Our Lady of Light Shrine, Chennai (Tamil: பிரகாச மாதா ஆலயம்) is a Roman Catholic shrine in Chennai, India. It is commonly called as Luz Church by the locals, which derives from the Portuguese name Nossa Senhora da Luz.
Luz Church of Our Lady of Light Shrine, Chennai is one of the oldest churches situated in the Mylapore region of Chennai and named after the Portuguese, Nossa Senhora Da Luz. The foundation stone indicates that it is one of the oldest European monuments of the country. The gracious complex was constructed in 1516 when the area was surrounded by thick forest due to which it was named as Kattu Koil or Forest Shrine. Kattu means forest and Kovil means place of worship in Tamil.
Built in 1516 by the Portuguese, it is one of the oldest Churches in the city and its foundation stone marks as one of the oldest European monuments in India. The history of the church dates back to the 16th-century legend of safe arrival to land by missionaries. The church is located very near to the Santhome Basilica, where Apostle Thomas is believed to be buried.
Term Luz means light in Portuguese. Legends state that in 1500 A.D. eight Franciscan Portuguese priests on their way to India from Lisbon got lost in the sea. They worshipped Virgin Mary for help and were guided by a bright light that led them safely to a forest area.
Father Pedro da Atougia, the Franciscan friar then built a church in honour of Mother Mary at the same spot where the miraculous light led the priests to safety and called it as Nossa Senhora Da Luz. Nossa Senhora means Our Lady and Luz means light. Henceforth it was renowned as the Church of Our Lady of Light. A gracious structure with white facade and fringes of blue is a charming place of visit.
Our Lady of Light Shrine, Chennai has undergone several renovations post the damages caused by the Golcanda Muslim forces and Mysore Haider Ali. Archbishop A. M. Chinnappa, declared the Church of Our Lady of Light as the Shrine of Our Lady of Light on 15th of August 2010. It governs the Stella Maris College in Chennai.
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Although at the time the church was built, the locality was a thick forest, now it is part of a bustling metropolitan area. This 16th-century European-architecture building consists of patterns of Gothic arches and Baroque ornamentation. The feast of Our Lady of Light is celebrated on 15 August every year.
The historical background of this church is intertwined with the traditional history of Christianity in India. Arrival of Christianity to India is of two phases, where by traditional accounts, St. Thomas brought the religion in the first century and attained martyrdom in Chennai in AD 53. The second phase is after the arrival of Portuguese in the 15th century. The legends of the Church of Our Lady of Light connects both.