Infant
Jesus
Church

In the mid sixties, the Sacred Heart Parish of Bangalore extended to areas like Somanahalli, now known as Viveknagar which were far away for pastoral care. So, Rev. Fr. Paul Kinatukara, the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Church felt the need for a separate parish for areas around Somanahalli and undertook a vigorous unsuccessful search for a suitable land.

One day as the Parish Priest was walking; he entered a garden in Somanahalli. It was a well maintained Rose garden. He was impressed. "If only I could get this land for the Church" he wondered. "Oh! How nice it could be". But then, he felt that it was impossible, because over a lakh of roses were exported per week from there.

However he felt a mysterious power overcoming him and made him resolve on the spot to buy this land at any cost. With this frame of mind, he returned home. As days rolled by, on suggestion, he prayed to the Infant Jesus of Prague [Nine hour Novena] for two months for help in his quest for land. His prayers were immediately answered and the rose garden was brought for a windfall price. 18th April, 1969, the foundation for a new church was laid by Most Rev. Dr. S. Lourduswamy, the then Archbishop of Bangalore. 1971, Rev. Fr. L. Peter was appointed as the first parish priest of the new church, who took steps to celebrate the holy mass on the newly acquired land, brought the Infant Jesus statue from Sacred Heart church and installed it in an improvised old tent and thus began the "Tent Church" which lasted for over eight years.

May the newly acquired land, popularly known as the "Rose garden" surrounded by thick vegetation was infested with snakes and poisonous reptiles and with no street lights was plunged in darkness at night. All this did not deter the faithful who flocked to the church. 1972, this new parish was canonically erected by the Most Rev. Dr.P.Arokiaswamy, the then Archbishop of Bangalore. 1974, the local authorities turned down the plan for the new Church for want of the approval of the Bangalore Development Authority, but Fr.Peter patiently toiled on. 26th October 1977, the powerful and miraculous intervention of Infant Jesus finally enabled him to get the approval and the entire development charges of Rs.50,000 was completely waived off, which was the first ever waiver in the history of the Bangalore development authority.

Since all the events occurred on Thursday, the day was dedicated to Infant Jesus. 29th June 1979, the Most Rev. Dr .D. S. Lourduswamy, Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Evangelizations of the people, came from Rome, blessed and opened the new Infant Jesus Church in the presence of a very large gathering of devotees of different faiths. [A new church is being built in place of the existing one and is expected to be completed by December 2003. June 22nd 1989, Infant Jesus Shrine, adjacent to the church, was blessed by His Grace, the Most Rev. Dr. Alphonsus Mathias, Archbishop of Bangalore and opened to the faithful to honor and glorify the divine Infant Jesus of Prague. The Little King has been enthroned as the Great King of the world to assist His subjects in their trials, difficulties, and crosses.

He Who Himself has suffered so many desires to assist those who come to Him. He wishes to attract all hearts to His own through the attractiveness and simplicity of His Divine Infancy. The devotion to Infant Jesus has become widespread and the Infant Jesus Shrine is now known as the place of pilgrimage, miracles and Divine solace not only in this state, but across the country.