Marth Maryam Valiyapally Kothamangalam

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search
St.Mary's Cathedral Kothamangalam
300 px
St.Mary's Syrian Cathedral. Kothamangalam
Basic information
Location India Kothamangalam, Ernakulam, India
Affiliation Jacobite Syrian Church
Province Kerala
District Ernakulam
Year consecrated Apostolic Era
Ecclesiastical or organizational status Valiyapally
Architectural description
Architectural type Church
Direction of façade West
Specifications

St.Mary's Church or Morth Maryam Cathedral is a Valiyapally (Big church) situated in Kothamangalam town of India. It is located in Ernakulam district of Kerala state, India.

It's one of the most ancient Christian churches in India. The church was founded on or before 4th century [1] by a few Syriac Christian families who migrated from Paravur and Angamali. The new church established in AD 1340 by four Syrian Christian merchants who bought the entire land of Kothamangalam from a local chief for commodity trading with the nearby state of Tamil Nadu.

Marth Maryam church Kothamangalam or Valiyapally old photo

History

Historically kothamangalam is the major commercial city in Portuguese Period.The Marth Maryam church at Kothamangalam, commonly known as Valiyapally is the oldest of all the churches in the region. It is also believed that one of the seven and a half churches founded by St Thomas is @ Gokkamangalam=> Kokkamangalam=> Kotamanagalam=>Kothamangalam. It should be mentioned that no other ancient churches in Kerala bring forward any claim for the ancient Gokkamangalam church established by St. Thomas. According to tradition, Mar Yuhannon who represented the Malankara Church at the Holy Synod of Ephesus in AD 431 stayed at Kothamangalam Church and had visited Angamaly Church.[2]

Altars

The altars in the Martha Maryam church are dedicated to the Mother of God , Saint George , Saint John the Baptist, Apostles Saint Peter & Saint Paul and Saint Thomas

Feasts

The most important festivals of the church are celebrated on 10 February and 15 August.

Holy Soonoro

A small portion of the Holy Girdle of Saint Mary , rediscovered at the Syrian Orthodox Church at Homs in 1953 by Patriarch of Antioch Ignatius Aphrem I Barsoum , was established in this church In 1980 by the diocesan Metropolitan Thomas Mor Dionysius (The present Catholicos of Malankara) [3]

Historical Events

  • All the five Patriarchs of Antioch who had visited Malankara in the last two centuries came to this church as well. Last of these Patriarchal visits was that of His Holiness Ignatius Zakka I Iwas in 1982. It was during this historical visit the Holy Patriarch had ordained an assistant metropolitan for the diocese by name Mor Severios Abraham, at the Kothamangalam Cheriapally.
  • As per the biography of Saint Gregorios of Malankara written by Mookencheril Paily Varkey in 1903, Palakunnath Mathews Mar Athanasius ordained the saintly Gregorios Thirumeni as Korooyo in this church in 1858.[4]
  • From 1974 to 1997, the building adjacent to the Valiyapally was the bishop's residence of the diocesan Metropolitan.

Gallery

  • Kothamanagalam Valiyapally altar.jpg

    Kothamanagalam Valiyapally altar

  • Baptismal font @ Valiyapally Kothamangalam.jpg

    Baptismal font @ Valiyapally Kothamangalam

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ http://blogs.allmytrip.in/martha-mariam-jacobite-syrian-cathedral-church/
  2. ↑ John Mason Neale, A history of the Holy Eastern Church : the Patriarchate of Antioch, (First published 1873. Republisher: Facsimile Publisher, 2015), p.6, ff.3..
  3. ↑ http://www.socmnet.org/Holy_Girdle.htm
  4. ↑ http://www.syriacchristianity.info/StGG/BreifhistoryMorGregorious.htm

Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Marth_Maryam_Valiyapally_Kothamangalam&oldid=723050270"