St. Paul’s Church, Mangalore

St. Paul's (Military Church)
St. Paul's Church
Entrance of the church
Coordinates: 12°51′42″N 74°50′15″E / 12.86165°N 74.8375°E / 12.86165; 74.8375
Location	Central Maidan, Mangalore
Country	India
Denomination	Church of South India
Tradition	Anglican
History
Consecrated	1843
Architecture
Style	English Baroque
Groundbreaking	1841
Completed	1843
Construction cost	₨ 7,215
Administration
Diocese	Karnataka Southern Diocese

St. Paul's Church is an Anglican church in Mangalore, India.

St. Paul's Church is located at the south-west corner of the Nehru Maidan (formerly the Central Maidan) in Mangalore. It was the first Protestant church to be raised in the South Kanara region. St. Paul's was originally a garrison church, raised by the British India army of the Madras Government, built using prison labour. St. Paul's is an imposing structure amidst the chaos of the fish market, service bus stand, and the State Bank of India.

In 1568, Admiral Diego de Silvera of the Portuguese fleet conquered the fort of Mangalore, and went on to build a Portuguese Fort of St. Sebastian (the present Deputy Commissioner's Office). Portuguese rule continued till 1763, when Mangalore was captured by the Muslim ruler Hyder Ali. In 1768, Mangalore was captured by the British India Army during the First Anglo-Mysore War, before being transferred back to Tippu Sultan in 1784 as per the Treaty of Mangalore. After, the fall of Tippu Sultan in the Fourth Anglo-Mysore War of 1799 at Seringapatam, Mangalore once again fell into British Control, annexed into the Madras Presidency. In June 1799, Capt. Thomas Munro was appointed as the first Collector of Canara region, by the Governor-General of India Richard Wellesley, on the personal recommendation of his brother Col. Arthur Wellesley. Mangalore went to become a strategically important port for the East India Company, and hence a small army unit was maintained to preserve law and order in the Canara region, and for guarding the border passes into Mysore Princely State. The army unit was further strengthened after the Coorg rebellion of 1837, when Mangalore was attacked. The fortification of Mangalore resulted in a need for the church to meet the spiritual and moral needs of the British soldiers and citizens. Hence, in 1841, Rev. R W Whitford, garrison chaplain appealed to the Government of Madras to construct a church in Mangalore, which was accepted. In 1842, Rev. Alfred Fennell succeeded Rev. Whitford. The church building was completed in 1842, and consecrated by George Spencer, Church of England, Bishop of Madras, on 5 January 1843.