Profile of the Parish: Our Lady of Lourdes Church

Whitefield, a fast-developing County in Bangalore though known for its ITPL and many IT Companies reminds us of a beautiful white Church of Our Lady of Lourdes. The recently built this magnificent church is surrounded by a vast landscape that includes a hillock adorned with 15 Stations of the Cross, hundreds of fruit trees and vegetation, and the good old church whose long history that goes to 1894. To enter into this church campus is a feast to our eyes: a spiritual picnic spot indeed! Today this church has more than 1800 families quite many of which have ITPL background. The Whitefield has its name after Mr. Daniel Starkenburg White who ran an Anglican Memorial church while his Catholic wife Mrs. Margaret White built a church in honour of our Lady of Lourdes.

This is the humble beginning of the present edifice of Our Blessed Mother.

The mortal remains of Mrs. White buried in the old church give us a true witness to the fact that Mrs. White lived a very fervent Catholic life. May her soul rest in peace. Many efforts are being taken up to make this Marian Church a Marian Shrine.

Mrs. Rose built “Our Lady of Lourdes Church” in the year 1894. The foundation stone was blessed and laid the Rev. Dr. E. L. Kleiner, the Bishop of Mysore in 3-7-1894. Mrs. Rose White died at the age of 73 in 23-10-1923. Her mortal remains have been buried inside the church. Her husband’s mortal remains are buried in the “Memorial Church (CSI Church)”. In the beginning, Our Lady of Lourdes Church was a sub-station to the St. Anthony’s Shrine of Thambuchetty Palya. Later on in 1936, the church was declared as an independent parish. The first parish priest was Rev. Fr. Anthony Laval, a French priest.