On 1 March 1874 the Eucharist was offered for the first time and the Hall-cum-chapel was thrown open to the public

The Mass was celebrated by the Rector, Fr.Henry Depelchin. Many of the German SJs were present. Along with a sprinkling of lay people, there were about 120 Irish soldiers who had their headquarters in Pune but had come on military duty and camped on the Esplanade, almost next door to the chapel.

Before the chapel was thrown open to the public, the Jesuit Community had their services on the upper storey, with the 2 altars of our Lady and St. Joseph. There were brought to the chapel on 1 March 1874. When the foundation-stone of Saint Xavier was laid, on 13-1-1868, by Fr. Charles Wagner (assisted by Bros. George Kluwer and Eusebius Pereira, on the Esplanade Cross Road (subsequently named Carnac Road, and now L. Tilak Marg) and the 3 wings in 1873, the huge building was the only one on the sprawling Esplanade - from Dhobi Talao on one side, to V.T. station on the other. At first the chapel was used as the School and College Hall (the college was in this building till 1900). Martin Pinto, who joined SXHS in Jan. 1923, used to serve Mass almost daily here.

The Hall-cum-chapel served as a place for cultural and dramatic sessions and the annual Prize Distribution. Fr. A. M. Coyne erected the new wing and provided the present Hall. Today, 1974, the original woodwork is only partly in existence. The ceiling has been lowered, the beautiful galleries removed, and part of the upper half of the woodwork too.

Fondly recalled are the Jesuits like A. Deniz, S. Morant, A. Hetting, E. Hoogwerf, J. H. Gense and Bros. Wm. Hillebrand, Geo, Kluwer,Geo. Koppl, Herman Lau, John Muller, Henry Preute and Francis Preute. These Brothers worked like Trojans between 1868 – 73, to give this beautiful building to Bombay.