St. George's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Aruvithura

Aruvithura Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

Aruvithura Church is a Syro-Malabar Catholic church located at Aruvithura, Erattupetta in the Kerala district of India.^[1]

The first edifice of the church at Irapeli (now Aruvuthura) was made of granite stones in the manner of Hindu temples. As it is traditionally believed that St. Thomas, the apostle of India who preached the Christian faith in the important and popular villages of Malabar. It is believed that St.Thomas visited Irapeli and converted a prominent Jewish trader family named "Thengummoottil" to Christianity and laid a cross on the banks of the Meenachil River. Local traditions also support this belief. This is the first church in the Palai diocese and was built in the 1st century. St. Thomas founded seven and a half churches there. (He laid a cross at Irapoli making the church of Irapeli the half church.) It is reported that the church was rebuilt once or twice before the 16th century. The ancient churches were constructed and maintained by the Thengummoottil family until the 16th century. In the beginning of the 16th century a new church was built under the leadership of Kallarackal Kathanar by the parishioners.

The church was first dedicated to the Virgin Mother, assumed into heaven. In the 14th century when either the Nilackal Church or the Chayal Church founded by St. Thomas was destroyed, several families migrated to Irapeli bringing with them a statue of St. George. Ever since the advent of the statue, the people began to have unflinching faith in the saint and he has been particularly beneficial in bestowing favours on his followers. Because of the numerous favours obtained through the intercession of the saint, in the 16th century, the church was dedicated to him and his statue was placed in the central niche above the main altar. As a result, St. Mary’s church Irapeli became known as St. George’s Church Irapeli.

The 16th-century church was demolished in 1951 but the sanctuary with its vaulting within the right transept of the cruciform church was preserved to enshrine the statue of St. George, its second patron. Some believe the statue to be miraculous. The church is a cruciform building in the Gothic style, facing to the west towards Jerusalem. It was completed in 1952.^[2]

References

1. "St. George Forane Church, Aruvithura". www.aruvithurapally.com. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
2. ""Aruvithura Palli"-The Historical Church of Kerala... [PART-1]". You Tube: JOMS DigiMedia. Retrieved 6 January 2015.

Thomas Christian Architecture P.145 http://www.palaidiocese.com/repository/pdf/82569Directory%202014.pdf

Coordinates: 09°41′08″N 76°46′40″E / 9.68556°N 76.77778°E