Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
It is an image of the Immaculate with outstretched hands, signifying the river of graces that reach us through her. She looks downward toward Jesus and also toward her children, the faithful, as a welcoming gesture toward her son, whom she presents to us. In front of this image, there is another, the one of the Christ Child, pointing with his left hand to his own Heart and with his right to his Mother, as if saying: “Through my Mother, the treasures of my Heart will be poured out.” The Child, at the approximate age of 12, seems to be saying: “If you want the graces of which my Heart is the Source, come to my Mother. She has the key, as treasurer, and can distribute the treasures that it contains as she pleases.”
Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church (OLSH)
Bangalore
The foundation of our parish goes back to 1996, when Fr. Malcolm Fyfe, msc and his council completed the seminary at Bellandur Gate and named it Chevalier Bhavan. The official opening took place on 8 December 1996, with Rev. Fr. Michael Curren, msc, Superior General, presiding over the Eucharist and blessing the new seminary.
The main building included a large chapel designed for about 60 seminarians. To everyone’s surprise, the first neighbors began attending Mass here, drawn by the beauty of the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. Soon, word spread, and people from nearby areas—Agara, Bellandur, and beyond—joined in, appreciating both the closeness and the ample parking.
As attendance grew, the then Archbishop of Bangalore, Rev. Dr. Ignatius Pinto, encouraged the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart to establish a parish. On 6 June 2000, the first parish of the Archdiocese of Bangalore was formally erected within the Scholasticate premises. The parish flourished rapidly, and the small chapel could no longer accommodate the faithful.
In 2006, during the visit of Rev. Fr. Mark McDonald, msc, Superior General, the Parish Council envisioned building a larger parish church, also to serve as a future shrine of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. With land costs in the area prohibitive, it was decided to build on the Scholasticate property. On 31 May 2008, Archbishop Rev. Dr. Bernard Moras blessed the site, and construction began in 2009 under Fr. Jos Rajesh, msc and his council. However, funding challenges and plan changes delayed the work, even halting it for several years.
A fresh beginning came with Fr. Charles Babu, msc and his council, who rekindled enthusiasm, strengthened parish unity, and mobilized resources. Through their perseverance and the generosity of parishioners, construction was completed. Finally, on 2 March 2014, Archbishop Rev. Dr. Bernard Moras blessed and consecrated the new Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church.
Today, the church stands as a testimony of faith, resilience, and the enduring devotion to Our Lady of the Sacred Heart.