St. Aloysius College Chapel Paintings 12.1.2001

The Paintings of St. Aloysius College Chapel, Mangalore by Antonio Moscheni, include some of the finest Fresco and Oil Paintings (completed in 1901)

St. Aloysius Chapel, or the chapel of St. Aloysius College, is a Christian chapel in Mangalore in the state of Karnataka in southwest India. The Chapel is situated in the heart of the city on the Lighthouse Hill.

The St. Aloysius Chapel in Mangalore was built by Jesuit Missionaries in 1880 and its interiors painted by the Italian Jesuit Antonio Moscheni in 1899, during the Mangalore Mission in 1878. The Italian Jesuits played an important role in education, health, and social welfare of the Mangalorean Catholic community and built the St. Aloysius College in 1880, St Aloysius Chapel in 1884, and many other institutions and churches.

The central row of paintings on the ceiling depicts the life of Aloysius Gonzaga to whom the College and Chapel is dedicated. Gonzaga, who gave his life in the service of others, is given as a model to the students of the college. Gonzaga had everything that a young man of his age desires - wealth, power and influence, but he gave them up in order to serve others, especially the most needy.  

His earlier life is shown in the first three panels from the rear, the paintings include:-

Aloysius as a child promising at the Altar of Mary in Florence to dedicate his life to God.

Aloysius preaching about God to his townsfolk.

Aloysius' first communion.

Aloysius seeking admission to the Jesuit Order.

The rest of his life is depicted on the wall above the altar. The central picture depicts him serving the plague stricken in Rome. Aloysius volunteered to help the plague stricken. He contracted the disease and died, at the age of 23. 

The sloping ceiling panels portray the Apostles, with garlands weaving through the different panels. No two garlands have the same flowers. The angels who hold the garland are life size. The upper arches, depict saints of the Church. The lower arches depict Jesuit saints.

These paintings include

St. Thomas, Apostle of India, with a spear in his hand

St. Francis of Assisi Patron of environmentalists.

St. Peter Claver the Apostle of the Negroes, who served the slaves when they arrived in Cartagena, making them feel through his care and love that they were his equals is on fourth left arch.

Bl. Rudolf Aquaviva. He had gone to the Court of Akbar, and was there held in high esteem.

St John de Britto the first missionary to wear the dress of a sanyasi as a sign of inculturation. He was a scholar who studied Sanskrit, Tamil and Indian customs.

The painting on the rear wall shows Jesus as the friend of children. It is considered to be the masterpiece of Moscheni. Due to seepage of rain water the painting was covered with fungus and calcium carbonate crystals. It has now been restored but a patch of the unrestored painting has been left untouched below the woman seated at the right.

There are many paintings which take up the life of Jesus.

The birth of Our Lord on Christmas night.

Jesus being baptised by St John the Baptist

The wedding feast at Cana, where Jesus changed the water in the six pitchers into wine.

The Crucifixion of Jesus between two thieves on Calvary. Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Magdalen, are at the foot of the Cross. A soldier, Longinus, pierces with a lance the side of Jesus. The artist's controlled use of light shows that there was darkness and lightning.