Church made in sand

Imagine a Cathedral standing not upon a rock but sand, at its altar praying over 3,00,000 Catholics of Shillong Archdiocese regularly, and from its vantage point you see the mighty Brahmaputra winding its way through the snow-capped Himalayan peaks. Such is the sublime beauty of the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians in Shillong.

Built over 50 years ago, this cathedral is adorned with high arches and resplendent stained-glass windows. Its origins trace back to the first Catholic missionaries to these hills, the Salvatorian Fathers from Germany, who, in 1913, erected the Church of the Divine Saviour upon this very sacred ground. It was a wooden structure that succumbed to the flames of a Good Friday inferno in April 1936. It was the first Catholic Cathedral Church in the Mission of Assam at that time.

Yet, the church emerged from the ashes. Under the watchful eye of Mr. Keith Cantlie, Chairman of the Shillong Municipality and Deputy Commissioner of the erstwhile United Khasi & Jaintia Hills District, the blueprint for the new Cathedral took shape the same year in August, and its first stone was blessed in October.

Since it houses the Bishop's seat or throne, called the ‘cathedra’, it is known as a Cathedral Church. But the feature that sets it apart is its foundation of sand. This unconventional choice was made to safeguard against the threat of earthquakes, a known risk in the region.

Dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, this cathedral is a source of pride for the local Catholic community. Come to experience its captivating hillside beauty and serenity!