About The Church

St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Mallassery, is among the oldest churches in Thumpamon Diocese under the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Located in the heart of Mallassery, which is 4 km away from the Pathanamthitta district headquarters, the church is now over 128 years old.

History

The history of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Mallassery is connected with eight Christian families who migrated to Mallassery from different parts of Travancore. Karippuzha Aashan veettil Geevarghese Geevarghese (Plavelil Family), Kudassanattu Kavanal Koshy Koshy and family (Karimarathinal Family), Omalloor Kozhikunnathu veettil Varghese Chandy and family (Mangattu Family), Kudassanattu Ramanattu veettil Idiculla Idiculla and family(Thundil), Kudassanattu marukara vettil Varghese Kirian and family (Parippallil), Pandalam Thevaram Thekkeveettil Easo Varghese and family (Kidangil kizhakkethil), Thumpamon Kottackal veettil Kirian Kirian and family (Madathil Peedikayil), Pandalam Panampallil Geevarghese and family (Puthenpurayil) were those families.

In Malayalam calendar year Kollavarsham 1070 (AD 1894), forefathers from these eight families built a prayer center at the one acre land given by Mannil Mr. Mathan Idiculla. In 1075, the then Metropolitan of Thumpamon diocese, St. Gregorios of Parumala (Parumala Thirumeni), laid the foundation stone for the church.

The newly built church was consecrated in AD 1958 by the then Metropolitan of Thumpamon diocese, H. G. Daniel Mar Philoxinos. As per the decision made in the general meeting in 1965, the rear side of the church was demolished and extended in 1970. Consecration of the renovated church was held in January 1971 under the esteemed blessings of H. G. Baselios Augen I Catholicos, assisted by H. G. Daniel Mar Philoxinos and H. G. Mathews Mar Athanasios.

The foundation stone for the church’s auditorium, built in the name of St. Gregorios of Parumala, was laid on March 25th, 1990, by Diocese Metropolitan H. G. Daniel Mar Philoxinos. In 1995, a branch of Indian Overseas Bank started working on the ground floor of the auditorium. The consecration of the first floor of the auditorium was held on January 15th, 1999, by H. G. Baselios Marthoma Mathews II.

Started with just 8 families, the church has grown to over 450 families. 18 prayer groups, 6 Martha Mariam Samajams, Sunday School, Youth League, Women’s Youth League, Balika Bala Samajams, and Vayojana Sankham are also functioning under the church. One of the best O.V.B.S. units under OSSAE (Orthodox Syrian Sunday School Association of the East) is proudly our unit. The church also has its own choir group to sanctify its services. 

Convention meetings are conducted yearly prior to the main ‘Perunnal’ in the name of St. Mary, which is on January 14th and 15th. A convention has also been held in the Vettoor area for the last 28 years. ‘Padayathra’ is conducted every year to the holy tomb of St. Gregorios of Parumala.

Apart from the main ‘Kallkurishu’, which was consecrated on September 5, 2010, in Poonkavu, the church also got five other ‘kurishadis’ in nearby areas.