St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral, Manarcad

Manarcad Church
St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral, Manarcad
Marth Maryam Cathedral
Manarcad Church
Location in Kerala, India
9°35′59″N 76°35′4″E / 9.59972°N 76.58444°E / 9.59972; 76.58444Coordinates: 9°35′59″N 76°35′4″E / 9.59972°N 76.58444°E / 9.59972; 76.58444
Location Manarcaud, Kottayam district, Kerala
Country India
Denomination Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
Website manarcadstmaryschurch.org
History
Relics held Holy Girdle of St.Mary

Manarcad Martha Maryam Cathedral (English: St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Cathedral), is a Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Cathedral located about 9 km from the town of Kottayam in Kerala, India. It is a destination for people on annual pilgrimages seeking the blessings of the Virgin Mary. There are more than 3000 families in this parish and it is one of the largest Christian parishes in Kerala. The church front resembles that of the Orvieto Cathedral. The Church remains in faith with the Holy See of Antioch. The Church is one of the oldest in Malankara and was founded by Padathu Mappila.

Front View

Church History

[1][2][3] The desire of Christians in the area for a holy place to conduct prayers and religious ceremonies were the root causes of the construction of the church. They started praying for this purpose. On the 8th day of their prayer, Padathu Mappila had a vision. The vision was to build a church in the forest where a cow and calf were lying down, where the fish and deer could be caught and Acacia Instia and canes were scattered around. They went in search of the cow and calf and found them where the church is presently situated.

The old Manarcad Church was built in the late 16th century. To build a church in those days was a near impossible task. Padathu Mappila was well aware of the difficulties ahead. The land where the church is constructed belonged to Devaswam. Edathil Tampuran, the Hindu chieftain there, opposed the plan to build a church. The King, who depended on Edathil family's private army in times of war, would not go against him. The odds were against the church. But Padathu Mappila was the last man to admit defeat.

Padathu Mappila knew that Thekkumkur kings were traditionally very secular. Moreover, the king had a soft spot for him. The king also had the full backing of the Christian community there. He decided to meet the king with his request. After a lot of deliberation, the king finally decided in favor of Padathu Mappila not wanting to disappoint him. Sixty-one 'Pathalpadu' (a unit of area used for land measurement in those days) land was staked out for the church around the spot where the cow and calf were found.

Edathil Thampuran continued to nurse his grudge against Padathu Mappila for bypassing him and getting the approval of the King. He incited his men to destroy the church. The church was pulled down thrice and thrice it was rebuilt. Having spent almost all of his entire wealth on the church, Padathu Mappila found it hard to continue the construction anymore. Kallakkadampil family came to his help and with their financial assistance, the Manarcad Church was finally completed.

The construction was finally completed between 1585 and 1590 AD. Having had to depend on others to complete the work, Padathu Mappila voluntarily decided to relinquish the ownership of the church. He was, however, compensated for it financially by the parish. Also, in recognition of his many sacrifices for the church, he was granted seven special rights by the church. The successive generations of his family continued to enjoy these rights until the church came to have its own constitution in 1958. Today, the only right the family is entitled is to stand close to the offertory box at the church as its symbolic custodian on festival days.

The construction of the present church was completed in 1954.

Feasts

  • January 15 – A feast invoking the blessings of the Virgin Mary on agricultural seeds
  • February 26 – Sunero Feast
  • May 6 – Commemoration of St. George
  • Eby
  • August 15 - Virgin Mary's Ascension Day
  • September 8 - 8 Day Lent, Feast of the Virgin Mary's birth; millions attend the annual 8-day celebration, known as Ettunombu Perunnal, during which an image of Christ and the Virgin is unveiled.[4][5][6]

The Small Church and the crosses

The Small Church was built just opposite the main church on the main road. Eight kilometers east of Kottayam town, on K.K. Road, at Manarcad Junction, lies a Cross of the Church. The church and all church establishments are all only around 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north of this cross. There is another cross set up half a kilometer west of the Churchyard at Kottayam.

Schools & Hospitals

  • St. Mary's CBSE School, Manarcad (established 1993)
  • St. Mary's Higher Secondary School (established 1949)
  • St. Mary's IT College (established 1978)
  • St. Mary's Nursing School (established 1976)
  • St. Mary's College (established 1981)
  • St Mary's Hospital

Spiritual Organizations

Sunday School

The first Sunday school was established in 1926 and there are now 16 such schools under this parish. They inculcate Christian faith in children and develop the spiritual culture in them. They are also trained to develop their latent leadership qualities. More than 963 children learn spiritual lessons from 233 instructors at these Sunday schools, which jointly participate in VBS, teachers' seminars and Christmas carols.

Vanitha Samajam

They function with the aim of enabling the ladies to attain spiritual enlightenment and nobility of mind. The members visit patients and pray for their recovery. They also extend financial help to poor patients. Members visit those who are in distress and sorrow and alleviate their suffering by offering them spiritual advice. 18 unit of this organization functions in the parish.

Youth Association

St.Marys Youth Association, a spiritual organization of youngsters of St Mary's Cathedral is one among the biggest youth association of Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Kolo Suryoyo, the monthly newsletter of this organization share the happenings of the cathedral to the community. Youth Association takes lead in organizing various charity activities such as financial assistance to cancer patients, dialysis kits for kidney patients, educational assistance to the needy students. As a part of 'Pachathuruthu', a campaign for an eco-friendly parish, youth association honors the best farmer of the Cathedral. Christmas celebration of the Cathedral organized by the Youth Association is well attended by the general public. A mobile application developed by Youth Association is available in google play store as 'Manarcad pally'.

Elders Forum

It is constituted of elders of over 60 in age. This body discusses spiritual matters, assesses the functioning of various religious bodies and lays guidelines in the matter.

Hail Mary League

It is a spiritual and cultural body that works for the spiritual upliftment of young girls.

Prayers Meetings

The prayer meetings conducted is based on the ancient instructions of this parish. The prayer groups that used to engage in the good old days have grown into organized prayer meetings. They function fervently in different parts of this parish.

Panoramic view of The church from backside


References

  1. ↑ "Padathumappila Family", Official Padathumappila Family Website
  2. ↑ "Church History", Manarcad Church History
  3. ↑ "Church History", Official Church Website
  4. ↑ "Annual feast of St. Mary begins today ", The Hindu, August 31, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Manarcad church festival on September 1", The Hindu, August 29, 2011.
  6. ↑ "'Ettunombu' festival concludes at Manarcad church", The Hindu, September 8, 2011.
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