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The earliest church established in Lahore, as
records show, was in the
reign of the Emperor
Akbar who granted formal
permission for the
construction of a Church near the Fort in 1595.
Emperor Jehangir
ordered it closed in 1614.
Ten years later the Church was re-opened
but in 1632 and on the orders
of the orders
of the emperor Shah Jehan
was demolished,
even though various missions continued to live
and preach in Lahore.
Two centuries later , the Church was again
established at Lahore by the
British in the
vacant “haveli” of the late Dogra Dhian Singh.
The main reception hall of this large haveli in Hira Mandi (the
section of the city named after his son Rja Hira Singh) was fitted
out with forty benches, three fans, a bookstand and bamboo chikhs to
provide a temporary place of worship for the garrison occupying the
Lahore Fort. As the community increased, the needs of the large
growing Protestant congregation multiplied.
 Today,
the Cathedral is the Centre of the Lahore Diocese, which was carved
out of the Diocese of Calcutta, the largest Anglican Diocese in
South East Asia, in 1877, which included the area upto Delhi, East
Punjab, Kashmir, Afghanistan, with some responsibility for the
southern states of the Arabian Gulf. The area covered by the Diocese
of Calcutta was immense and the mode of transport slow, as the
records of the
Cathedral
state, that in 1857 the Bishop of Madras after leaving Lahore
proposed, “ to return to Madras by river Indus via Bombay”, and
the Bishop of Calcutta on his visit to Lahore noted with
appreciation, how the Financial Commissioner, “kind ly sent out
carriages, drawn by mules and camels, which materially shortened the
journey from Ferozepur”. A more immediate need for a separate
Diocese was felt, when the most Rev. Robert Millman, who had been on
tour of the Punjab, died of dysentery and was buried in Rawalpindi.
The Rt. Rev. Valpy French was appointed as the first Bishop of
Lahore.
The
Pro-Cathedral
The
first church and afterwards the Pro-Cathedral of Lahore was a
structure of special interest and historical significance-the tomb
of Anarkali-which stands in the grounds of the civil Secretariat of
the Punjab Government, in Lahore. This monuments, completed in 1615,
was built of the same kind of marble, as the Taj Mahal at Agra. An
early entry of the older of two record books of the Cathedral, is a
witness to this. It records that, “ the old tomb near the
Residency, Anarkali was handed over by the Government to be used as
a Church for the performance of the Divine Service, according to the
Church for the performance of the divine service, according to the
Church of England in 1851 “. On January 24,1857 (Eve of the
Festival of the conversion of St. Paul) it was consecretated as St
James Church. After being used for thirty year, as a Parish Church,
it became the Pro-Cathedral of Lahore, until the Cathedral was built
in 1887.
The
Building of the Cathedral
Mr.
J. Oldrid Scott, a leading British Church Architect of his time, was
appointed as Architect of the Cathedral.
At
the time of the consecration and for many years later, the
appearance of the building was very different from the now familiar
site. The dimensions are the same, but the two towers at the West
end of the nave did not rise above the roof and the vaulting had not
been placed in the ceiling, which was of ordinary timber. The two
towers, vaulting and the marble floor was completed subsequently by
the second Bishop, The Rt. Rev. H. T. Mathew, during his tenure of
office.
In
design, the building is ‘cruciform’. The dimensions are as
follows:
| Total
length: |
226
feet with the Nave, which is 110 feet |
| Width: |
Across
Transcepts 152 feet |
| Height: |
To
Centre of Vaulting 65 feet |
The
style of Architecture is decorated Early English and is carried out
in red brick. The pillars and arches are in grey stone, which is
again introduced in many other parts of the wells and in the
vaulting of the ceiling. There is some finely executed carving, in
the pillars and arches in the sanctuary and choir, the richest
carving being found in the stonework of the sanctuary. The brickwork
is subdued in colour, blending so walls with the stonework, that in
certain lights it is difficult to distinguish the brick from the
stone. The marble floor with its beautiful gray stones was the gift
of the Freemasons in the Punjab.
The
usual entry into the Cathedral is from the porch at the west end,
where one walks up the nave to the Lantern Square (Where the
transept crosses the nave)
Lantern
Square
The
Cathedral was designed with a lantern tower above the centre
lantern. As result of an earthquake in 1911, it fell down. It was
this tower which was topped by a large weather-cock which gave the
Cathedral the nick name of “Kukar
Girja”.
Stained
glass windows by Leonard Walker
From
the Lantern Square, if one walks 20 ft. towards the porch, on
either side are the 10 beautiful windows made by Leonard Walker. They
are priceless pieces and their beauty is dependent on the richness
of the medieval type colours and glass, which was found in the
pre-reformation Cathedrals in England. Some of them represent Christ
with the children, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Elizabeth of Hungary
and St, Eloy of Noyon. The Observer recorded, just prior to their
leaving England that, “they entail the glittering jeweled
splendour of the best stained glass in the Gothic Cathedrals of
England and France”. There was also considerable criticism at the
windows leaving England.
Their
considerable damage is regretted, and it is hoped donations and help
will be forthcoming to restore these unique pieces of
craftsmanship
Returning
to the Lantern Square and moving towards the South Transept, one
notices The Bishops Corner which is near the Arch way leading into
the Lady’s Chapel. It contains 3 tablets in memory of the first
three Bishops connected with the Diocese. There is a brass to the
memory of Bishop Matthew, Metropolitan of Calcutta in the memory of
whom, the Diocese was created, Bishop French, the building Bishop,
Bishop Matthew, who donated the stained glass of the seven circular
trefoil windows in the ambulatory,
the whole of the vaulting in the ceiling of the choir, nave lantern
and transepts as well as, the carving on the pillars and arches in
the sanctuary and choir.
The
Ladies Chapel
The
tiny Taxila Cross marks the entrance on the right. The beautiful
round windows of the Madonna and Child is one of the few stained
windows, which permits the sunlight, so that the whole Chapel is
bathed in organge light.
The
Bishop French Memorial Chapel
 Dedicated
to first Bishop Valpy French, who built the Cathedral, on the side
of the side of the nave on the Northen Transept is a reredos (name
of ornamental screen behind
an altar) which depicts scenes from the childhood of Christ and His
Ministry to the children. On the North Transept, there is also a
Memorial which occupies the whole width of the North wall extending
to height of 13 feet, in the from of teak wood panelling, on which
are placed fourteen bronzes bearing regimental crests and the names
of officers.
This
transept has memorial brasses to the memory of three clergymen, Rev.
Robert Clark, Rev. Maulvi Imamuddin Lahiz and Rev. Russell Wade who
laboured long in the Mission. Another brass commemorates the work of
Miss Charlotte Tucker who worked for eighteen years in the Church of
England, Zenana Missionary Society in Amritsar and Batala.
Behind
the Altar stands a records of Bishop henry Bickersteth Durrant the
fourth Bishop of Lahore. This is made of elaborately carved
teakwood, the whole richly gilded and coloured, with the panels
filled with blue and gold tapestry.
The
Ambulatory
With
its grey stone pillars supporting the arches of the sanctuary
provides an effective background to the altar. It has seven circular
trefoil windows of stained glass given in memory of his wife by
Bishop Matthew. (Asshe was a perfect wife, she had seven windows).
The
superb marble floor of the sanctuary was given by an English
soldier, Baden powerll, who later founded the Boy Scout Movement in
1908.
Choir
Stalls
Sixteen
canopied stalls for the Assistant Bishop, Archdeacon and Canons of
the Cathedral were placed in the choir in 1915 as a memorial to the
13 years service of Bishop Lefroy before his transferal to Calcutta
as the Metropolitan Bishop of the Province.
When
walking down the nave to the porch, one notice the Childrens corner
under the South West tower.
In
the North aisle of the nave among the memorial tablets is one to
remember Sir Henry Lawrence the founder of the Lawrence College in
Murree and the Lawrence Military College in Simla (Bagh-I-Jinnah
used to be called the Lawrence Gardens).
There
is a stained glass window, by Mr. Leonard Walker in memory of
Deaconess Katherine Benyon the founder of St. Hildas Society who was
responsible for so much educational and pastoral work in the
Diocese.
Dedicated
to the memory of Bishop Lefroy, beneath the north west tower, is the
Baptistery.
The
Towers
 The
North Tower, houses the clock manufactured in 1862 with clock weight
and bell. The service bell case of 1862 is still in use. If one can
climb the 138 steps to the top, they can behold a splendid view of
Lahore with the River Ravi to the West.
The
South Tower is open only to the Bell Chamber, as above that, the
climb is unsafe. Originally the frame for the bells was made to
accommodate eight, but only six of them arrived from England. They
were cast in 1903 by John Taylor & Co. of Laughborough. The
largest bell is about 1 ton in weight and when in use, the
foundations used to vibrate.
The
Architect’s Conecpt
This
monument is built around the conecpt of symbols.
It
represents an open altar in the midst of the busy world around. The
tower, arch and motif are prominent elements of the Cathedral. The
cross is highlighted in a stained glass panel which is a modernised
representation of the 17th century stained glass windows
inside the Church. The chalice pattern signifies the celebration of
Holy Communion.
The
fountain represent “the fountain of life and the pool-baptismal
from and the forgiveness of sins. The entrance to the pool is open
symblolising the 23rd Psalm-“My cup floweth over”.
Finally,
the altar is built to appear like open arms welcoming all people to
its sanctuary of peace and everlasting life.
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