Location
The church is located at Gunfoundry, Abids.
Description
Construction of the St. Joseph Cathedral was started in 1820 and went on until 1869. Hyderabad was made a separate diocese in 1886 AD, and in 1887, Pope Leo XIII declared St. Joseph’s as the Cathedral of the diocese. The central bay of the Cathedral is flanked by two towers on either side, the western tower has a bell and a clock tower, which were added in 1891.
The altar inside the church houses an imitation of the Pietà by Michelangelo. Dr. C.J. Morris, dentist to the Nizam, donated the marble altar and the mural carvings of the 14 stations of the cross, both of Italian origin.
The Cathedral hosts day-long masses for festivals and special occasions including Christmas, Good Friday and Easter.
Existing Condition
The church is in constant use and the facade has been repainted.
Archive
References
Mehdi Saajid, Md Sibghat Khan. Hyderabad Deccan: Illustrated, 2022.
Contributors
The Deccan Archive