CSI Holy Cross Church
911, Subroto Mukherji Road, Jalahalli (West), Bangalore - 560015
About Us
Holy Cross stands out as being the only Church in the Jalahalli area running its worship service in English catering to the spiritual needs of a congregation of diverse languages and cultures.
She has also established a healthy tradition of electing the pastorate committee by consensus all these years. She has been the mother church for many congregations in the area. Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam congregations used its premises for many years before they built their own churches
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The Formative Years
A thousand mile journey begins with the first step. Holy Cross has journeyed a long way in its evolution. Over a span of more than six decades she has grown from a simple hutment-style church into a magnificent modern structure. On 19th November 1944 the first recorded Christian worship began in the Jalahalli area when, due to the needs of World War II, almost the whole of the Jalahalli area was acquired by the British Defence Forces and was designated as a Hospital Town for defence personnel wounded in the fighting in Burma and the Middle East. Many of the wounded were flown in and landed on an airstrip in Jalahalli West. They were cared for in newly built hutments constructed by Italian Prisoners of War in pre-independent India. The spiritual needs of the staff and wounded were ministered to by Army Chaplains of various denominations.
After independence in 1947, when the Air Force Station Headquarters took control of the area, official buildings were not permitted for religious worship. The few civilian Christians conducted worship services in the homes of Mr. G.R. Henry, Retd. Dy. Controller of Defence Accounts and Mr B. Devadason. Using their influence with Colonel Newton King, commandant of EME they obtained prayer and songbooks along with an organ for use in their worship. As more members joined Sunday worship, accommodation posed a serious problem and the need for a regular place of worship became imperative. The Henry family displayed a magnanimous gesture in donating the piece of land on which the present parsonage and the Church stand. The past and present congregations owe a fund of gratitude to that great family. This set the stage for the humble beginning of the first Church.
Expansion of Diversity and Communal Harmony
The Journey of Transformation: From Humble Beginnings to Magnificent Structure
Embarking on its journey more than six decades ago, Holy Cross Church has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving from a modest hutment-style structure to a splendid modern edifice. The inception of Christian worship in the Jalahalli area dates back to November 19, 1944, a period marked by World War II. The entire Jalahalli region, acquired by the British Defence Forces, became a Hospital Town for treating defense personnel wounded in conflicts in Burma and the Middle East. Italian Prisoners of War played a crucial role in constructing hutments to care for the wounded.
Following India's independence in 1947, when the Air Force Station Headquarters assumed control, official buildings for religious worship were restricted. Undeterred, the burgeoning Christian community held worship services in the homes of Mr. G.R. Henry and Mr. B. Devadason. Supported by Colonel Newton King, commandant of EME, they acquired prayer books, songbooks, and even an organ for worship. As the congregation grew, the need for a dedicated place of worship became evident. The Henry family's generous donation of land laid the foundation for the first church, marking the humble beginnings of what would later become the magnificent Holy Cross Church. The church's evolution reflects not only architectural growth but also the resilience of a community determined to create a sacred space for worship and reflection.
Logo of the Church
Two ancient Christian symbols combined in one design to represent the Christian faith. Each has its own special meaning. The fish tells us that Jesus Christ is God's Son, our Saviour. The cross reminds us of Christ's atoning sacrifice.
Jesus told the disciples to be fishers of men, winning souls to Jesus. The horizontal bar represents our physical experiences, whereas the vertical bar represents our understanding derived from those experiences. Fish represents spiritual food or knowledge.
The cross: According to the Bible, Jesus was crucified. Crucifixion at that time meant the hanging of a body on the combination of a horizontal beam for the arms to be stretched across, and a vertical beam for the trunk of the body to be aligned with. The cross helps Christians remember the sacrifice that Christ made.
The fish: The fish is a little harder. The name of the fish is 'ICHTHUS' because of the letters IXOYE that appear within it. However, those letters were added much later than when the fish was first used. According to folklore, Christians in the early centuries, during time of persecutions, would draw fish in the ground to point the way to their church meetings. Then a follower of Christ could find the meeting by following the fish drawings.
Golden Dates
19 November 1944
Church Service Opened at The Garrison Chapel
1952
1st Church Building was Dedicated
18 December 1977
2nd Church Building was Dedicated
20th November 1994
Golden Jubilee
13 April 2003
Present Church Building was Dedicated
2019
75th Anniversary
Pastors At Holy Cross
Timeline from available Church records
Dr. Banyan
Garrison Chaplain
Rev. Canon Lazarus
Brotherhood of St. Peter
Rev. Lokapathy
St. Paul's Church
UTC STAFF
Rev. Harry Daniel
Presbyter St. Mark's Cathedral and Chairman, Advisory Committee HCC
Rev. W. V Karl
Director of City Mission Council, Chairman, Advisory Committee
Rev. S.Samuel
Director of City Mission Council, Chairman, Advisory Committee
Rev. James Williams
Director of City Mission Council, Chairman, Advisory Committee
Rev. F.S. Macwana
Presbter-in-charge
Rev. Prabu Das
UTC
Rev. S. Samuel
Director, UCE
Rev. G. D. Melancthon
Pastor-in-charge
Rev. S. Samuel
Director, UCE
Rev. F. S Macwana
Presbyter/Chairman
Rev. James Williams
Director, UCE
Rev. Vincent Rajkumar
Rev. Solomon Gnanaraj
Director, UCE
Rev. D. G. S. Rodricks
Pastor-in-charge
Rev. V. K. Samuel
Director, UCE
Rev. D.G.S. Rodrics
Pastor-in-charge
Rev. J. R. Henry
Civil Area Chairman
Rev. M.D.E. Barnabas
Residental Pastor
Rev. Arunkumar Wesley
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Daniel Ravikumar
PC Chairman
Rev. Job Jeyaraj
Resident Pastor
Rev. J.D. David Rajan
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Joshua Inbakumar
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Sathyanadh
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Daniel Ravikumar
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Jeevan Babu
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Florence Deenadayalan
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. B.P. Timothy
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Violet Cury
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Gnana Selvi
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Job Jeyaraj
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Rajasingh
Resident Pastor
Rev. Ambler
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Rajasingh
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Tabitha Cedric
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Christopher Samuel
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. Asha Karthik
Presbyter-in-charge
Rev. P.V.G Kumar
Presbyter-in-charge
Tribute to Founders
Profiles of a Few Visionary Founders
Mr. B Devadason
Mr. Devadason served this church with passion and commitment as secretary and treasurer from 1952-1975. The seed for a small place of worship was planted in the early years of independence, starting by way of Sunday worship in his residence and that of Mr G.R. Henry. His passion to build a small Chapel enthused him to give his time and energy for this. He managed to build a small chapel on the present land donated by Mr. G.R. Henry and was dedicated as Holy Cross Church in 1952.