THE CHURCH OF PIETA (Akbar's Church)
Akbar's Church built in 1599 was the first Catholic Church of Agra and it
was the Cathedral of Agra till 1848. The Church was built by the Jesuit
Fathers under Akbar's order. It was a gift from the Mughal Emperor Akbar.
In this Church the Mughal Emperors came to pray, especially Jahangir.
Emperor Jahangir finding the Church built by his father, Akbar too small,
donated a large sum of money for a larger and more beautiful Church to be
built.
Two eminent Catholics, Khwaja Martins and Mirza Sikandar Junior contributed
generously towards the extension of this Church.
In 1632 Emperor Shah Jahan declared war on the Portuguese. He defeated them
in 1634. He brought over 4000 prisoners to Agra, all Christians. They
underwent persecution and so did the Jesuit Fathers. In 1635 Shah Jahan
released the Jesuit Fathers on condition that they pulled down their
Church. This was done. However in 1636 the Emperor allowed the Fathers to
rebuild the Church with the material of the ruined Church. On September 8,
1636, the reconstruction was completed and celebration of Holy Mass was
resumed thereafter. It underwent great changes during in the course of the
next two centuries.
In 1758 the Persian Invasion under Ahmed Shah Abdali shattered the Mughal
supremacy. During the siege of Agra, the Church was ransacked by the
Persian soldiers.
In 1769 Walter Reinhardt, then Commander of Agra Fort, helped Fr. Xavier
Wendel S.J. to rebuild the Church and make an extension. In 1835, Bishop
Pezzoni with the generous aid from Sir John Baptist Filose, extended the
Church westward.
This Church has witnessed many a historical event. In 1610, three Royal
Princes, nephews of the Emperor Jahangir, were baptized by Rev. Fr. Corsi,
S.J. and Fr. Xavier S.J. It was here, the Begum Johana Sumroo, the Begum of
Sardhana, was baptized. It was in this Cathedral, the Religious of Jesus
and Mary Sisters from France were solemnly received by Bishop Borghi on
Sunday, November 13, 1842. It was the proud privilege of Bishop Borghi to
consecrate in this historic Church, Msgr. Carli, Bishop of Almira in 1843
and the Servant of God, Bishop Anastasius Hartmann, Vicar Apostolic of
Patna in 1846. The Church has been refurbished and renamed 'The Church of Pieta' by a Decree from the Archbishop
Albert D'Souza on September 17, 2013, during the Holy Eucharistic
Celebration by the Most Rev. Vincent Concessao. Eucharistic Adoration is
held daily from 11 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., concluding with the Holy Mass.
The Roman Catholic MARTYRS' Cemetery
In 1604 Akbar gave a written order under his royal seal, to build in Agra
the Church known up to the present day as 'Akbar's Church.' One of those
Firmans states that in the fourth year of his reign, Emperor Jahangir
granted to the Agra Fathers 12 bighas of land (for the use of a
cemetery) and a garden, free from all taxes. This cemetery is situated near
the Civil Courts, on the road to Dayal Bagh. It is an enclosed garden with
a big gate facing south. Its walls built of ancient small bricks are very
high. It is still in use.
The history of this cemetery is of great value. It has therefore been
declared a protected monument and placed under the care of Government. Many
bodies were very often brought from long distances to this cemetery even
when there was a Christian cemetery available locally. Thus, men like the
English Diplomat Mildenhall who died in Ajmer in 1614, the Italian Jerome
Veroneo, the supposed architect of the Taj who died at Lahore in 1640 and
many others are buried here.
Khojah Martyrose a very wealthy and generous merchant is buried in the
mortuary chapel he himself built in 1611. This chapel is also the tomb of
Fr. Mark Anthony Santucci, a saintly Italian Priest from Lucca who came to
India in 1668 and died in 1686. He was and after so many years is still
held in reverence, that the chapel where he is buried is also known as the
PADRE SANTO CHAPEL and vows are made. Flowers, incense, candles etc. are
offered at his grave by Christians and non-Christians alike, for favours
received through his intercession.
The cemetery is also known as the "Martyrs' Cemetery" because Fr. Manuel
Garcia and Fr. Manuel Danhaya buried there, died in prison for the faith,
the former on March 23, 1634 and the latter on August 2, 1635. Also
because, during the persecution of 1632 to 1635 by Shah Jahan, hundreds of
Portuguese and Indian men, women and children perished in Agra for the
faith. Shah Jahan declared war against the Portuguese on June 11, 1632 for
political reasons. It resulted in the attack and the capture of their
settlement of Hooghly on the North-West mouth of the River Ganges. 4400
prisoners were taken and they were bodily marched in chains to Agra. The
journey took nine months. They were accompanied by Fathers Antonio de
Christo, Francisco of the Incarnation, Joas de Cruz, Manuel Garcia and
Manuel Danhaya. A great number of them died in prison or through terrible
hardships because they refused to become Muslims. Their bodies were carried
in the silence of the night to this cemetery and confined to pits and
unmarked graves.