Annual Feast of World-Renowned St. Anthony’s Basilica, Dornahalli, Mysuru, from June 4 to June 13, 2026
Dornahalli, Mysore: The Annual Feast of St. Anthony’s Basilica, Dornahalli, one of the most prominent pilgrimage centres in the Diocese of Mysuru, will be celebrated with great devotion and religious fervour from 4 June to 13 June 2026.
The celebrations will commence with the ceremonial Flag Hoisting on Thursday, 4 June 2026, at 5:30 p.m., by Most Rev. Dr. Francis Serrao, S.J., Bishop of Mysuru. The novena preparations leading up to the feast will include daily Masses and preaching services. The English Mass will be held at 7:00 a.m., while Kannada Masses will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. each day.
The Feast Day celebrations on Saturday, 13 June 2026, will feature the Festive High Mass at 10:00 a.m. in Kannada, to be presided over by Most Rev. Dr. Francis Serrao, S.J., Bishop of Mysuru.
Thousands of devotees from various parts of Karnataka and neighbouring states are expected to participate in the annual celebrations, seeking the intercession and blessings of St. Anthony of Padua, who is renowned for the numerous favours and miracles attributed to him.
The Basilica administration has made elaborate arrangements to facilitate pilgrims and devotees during the feast celebrations.
The feast invitation is extended by Rev. Fr. David Sagayaraj, Rector of St. Anthony’s Basilica, Dornahalli, along with Rev. Fr. Praveen Pedru, Administrator of the Basilica.
A Rich History of Faith and Devotion
St. Anthony’s Basilica, Dornahalli, has a long and remarkable history rooted in faith and devotion. Around 220 years ago, a farmer, while tilling his field, discovered a wooden statue believed to possess miraculous powers. It was later identified as a statue of St. Anthony of Padua.
As devotion to the saint grew and devotees began flocking to the place, a small shrine was constructed in 1920 by the then Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. S. D’Silva, with the support of the Dewan of Mysore Palace, Shri Thambu Chetty, and his brother, Shri Dharmaraj Chetty.
With the increasing number of pilgrims and reported miracles, the need for a larger church arose. Under the leadership of Very Rev. Fr. I. H. Lobo, the construction of the present church began in 1964. The newly built church was blessed and inaugurated on 13 June 1969 by Most Rev. Dr. Matthias Fernandez, the then Bishop of Mysuru.
In recognition of its spiritual significance and the deep devotion of the faithful, the church was granted the status of a Minor Basilica by Pope Francis on 17 October 2019. The declaration was officially announced on 9 June 2020 by K. A. William, Bishop of Mysuru, during a Thanksgiving Mass.
The annual feast continues to attract thousands of pilgrims every year, making St. Anthony’s Basilica, Dornahalli, a cherished centre of prayer, faith, and devotion in southern India.
