Our Lady of Rosary Cathedral, Mangalore

The church of Our Lady of Rosary of Mangalore was originally the church of the old Portuguese factory.[1] It was built by the Portuguese in 1568.[3] Oral tradition states that the image of the Virgin Mary at the high altar was found by the fishermen at sea; when it got caught in their net.[1] It was later brought to the church and installed there.[1] The church was the main centre of devotion for the Bamonn caste who revered the image of Our Lady of the Rosary on the high-altar.[1] It was mentioned by the Italian traveller Pietro Della Valle, when he visited Mangalore in 1623.[3]

The church was desecrated and destroyed by Mysorean ruler Tipu Sultan in 1784.[4] Reconstruction of the church later began in 1813.[3] In 1910, the structure of the old cathedral was demolished and the present cathedral erected in its place.[3] The church of Our Lady of Rosary is the only church in the Mangalore Diocese which has a dome crowning the spacious sanctuary.[3] The cross on the cathedral's dome was traditionally lit every night to serve as a beacon for seafarers.[3] The Royal stone emblem of the Portuguese King marking their landing at Mangalore lies at the entrance of the church.[3]

In 1851, the Church of Our Lady of Rosary, Mangalore, was declared a Cathedral. In 1910, Henry Buzzoni a Jesuit priest started further beautification of the Cathedral. The formal dedication was done in 1915 by Bishop Paul Perini of Mangalore (1910–28).[5]

The architect of the new cathedral was a Jesuit brother, Divo of Bombay. The structure consists of a series of matching arches, with 48 major arches, 12 central arches and 50 sub-arches. The peripheral verandah has around 45 small arches.

The dome is a replica of the St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, with heavy metal ribs, minor re-inforcements of metal, red brick & mortar water-proofed using indigenous techniques. In years gone by, the dome of the cathedral could be seen by ships approaching the Mangalore harbour, and was a beautiful sight.[5]