Christmas at Lucknow's St Joseph's Cathedral: a 2020 conversation and the church's history
St Joseph's Cathedral in Hazratganj is the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Lucknow and one of the city's best-known Christmas landmarks. Every December its illuminated compound draws people of all faiths who come to see the crib, light candles and soak in the festive mood.
What the video shows
This VoxyTalksy video was published on December 25, 2020, and was filmed at St Joseph's Cathedral in Lucknow ahead of Christmas that year. The reporter speaks with Fr Donald H. R. De Souza of the cathedral parish about how Christmas would be celebrated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Fr De Souza says the church would still be decorated and illuminated, but numbers had to be controlled; in normal years, he says, at least one lakh people visit the compound on December 25. He explains that the church held meetings with senior officers of the Lucknow police commissionerate, including the then Police Commissioner, and that a bomb disposal squad had checked the premises. He also briefly talks about the history of the Catholic community and the church in Lucknow.
A short history of the cathedral
- 1858: Fr William Gleeson, an Irish priest, bought the land in Hazratganj.
- 1860: he built the church on the site.
- May 10, 1862: the church was blessed by Bishop Anastasius Hartmann.
- January 12, 1940: the Diocese of Lucknow was created from parts of the Archdiocese of Agra and the Diocese of Allahabad, with St Joseph's as its cathedral.
- The well-known Cathedral School began on the same premises and took that name on July 16, 1952.
Christmas in Lucknow today
Hazratganj is the centre of Christmas celebrations in Lucknow. Apart from St Joseph's, the Christ Church near the Vidhan Sabha and the Central Methodist Church in Hazratganj also hold Christmas services, and the market itself is lit up for the season. Midnight Mass on December 24 and services on December 25 draw the biggest crowds.
Tips for visitors
- Visit on the evening of December 23 or 24, or on the afternoon of December 25, to avoid the heaviest rush; the queue at the crib can be long after sunset on Christmas Day.
- Traffic diversions are usually announced in Hazratganj for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, so public transport or the metro to Hazratganj station is the easier option.
- Remember that it is a place of worship: keep noise down near the altar and follow instructions from church volunteers and police.
- Carry minimal bags, as security checks are routine on these days.
Christmas 2020 was an unusually quiet one for the cathedral, but as Fr De Souza's interview shows, the church kept the tradition going while following the restrictions of the time.
