St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Church Vettithara

Vettithara Kochupally
9°55′56″N 76°28′8″E / 9.93222°N 76.46889°E / 9.93222; 76.46889
Location Ramamangalam P.O, Ernakulam District, Kerala
Country India
Denomination Jacobite Syrian Christian Church
Tradition Malayalam
Website www.vettitharakochupally.org
History
Founded 1930
Administration
Diocese Kandanad Diocese
Clergy
Vicar(s) Paulose Eramangalath

St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Church Vettithara, also known as Vettithara Kochupally, is a church situated in a village called Vettithara atop a hill overlooking the Muvattupuzha River in Ernakulam District, Kerala, India. The church holds a venerated relic that is believed by Orthodox Christians to be a portion of the Holy Soonoro, the belt of Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The main portion of this relic is now in the Saint Mary Church of the Holy Belt, Syria. Relics of Holy Soonoro are enshrined in only a few churches in the world. The church belongs to the Kandanad Diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church.

History

Aerial view of church

The church was established on 2 February 1930 under the leadership of Reverend Markose Vadath. The 122nd reigning Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Ignatius Zakka I Iwas visited the church in February 1982 during his visit on Malankara. The Holy Soonoro of St. Mary was enshrined in this church on 1st Feb 1987 by Baselios Paulose II, Catholicose of the East.

Holy Sonooro

According to Orthodox Church tradition, the Virgin Mary died in the presence of all apostles except Thomas the Apostle. As retold in a recent newspaper story,

At the time of Virgin Mary's Ascension, St. Thomas the Apostle was in India. He returned to Jerusalem to be present at the Assumption of Mary, but was late in arriving. As he was approaching the city, he saw the Virgin rising up to heaven accompanied by angels. Supposing that he was seeing her soul, he cried out in anguish. Looking down from on high with compassion, the Blessed Virgin removed her girdle (soonoro) and dropped it down from a great height. It landed directly in the outstretched hands of the holy apostle.[1]

Then he showed this girdle to the other disciples of Jesus and convinced them. He took this soonoro (girdle) on his journey. A lot of miracles are believed to have occurred since then upon persons touching or even seeing this girdle. St. Thomas and the people believed in its power.

Saint Thomas Apostle kept the belt with him and eventually died as a martyr in Mylapore. The body of Thomas the Apostle and relics are kept in India. In 394 AD, the girdle moved from India to Uraha, a city in ancient Turkey. In AD 476 The Holy Soonoro shifted to Homs, the Syrian City and established in Saint Mary Church of the Holy Belt. This church is also known as The Church of the Lady of the Girdle. On 20 July 1953 A.D, The Holy Girdle discovered from the Altar Of church by Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem I Barsoum in the presence of His Eminence Alexandros, the Greek Orthodox bishop of Homs, Syria. That the original girdle is a relic belonging to Saint Mary Church of the Holy Belt is believed by some to have been scientifically proved. This Holy Girdle is considered to be one of the most important relics in the Syrian Orthodox Church.

Spiritual organisations

Sunday school

St. Mary's Sunday School is aimed to inculcate the Christian faith in children and develop their spiritual culture and belief. The Sunday school was selected as the best Sunday school in Malankara in 1992 and as the best Sunday school in the Diocese twice. It conducts JSVBS and Christmas carols annually. St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Sunday school was started in 1938. When the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Sunday School Association (MJSSA) was formed in 1974, the Sunday school was affiliated to it. It has been functioning as an active member of the Poothrikka district in the Kandanadu diocese.

Youth association

St. Mary's Youth Association is an organisation in the church that participates in all activities in the church. The aim of the youth association in this parish is to reveal the true spirit of Christianity through its various activities organized in the parish every year. The association gives prominent position to the spreading of internal gospel service. The hosts of charitable activities include financial aid to the patients and poor students, blood donations camps; medical camps are engaged every year for the poor and needy based on the command of Jesus that "what you do to these poor are things done for me."

Vanitha Samajam

Morth Mariyam Vanitham Samajam is aimed to strengthen women spiritually; the members of this unit conducts prayer meetings regularly and visit patients in their homes. It also extends financial support to poor patients. Since the inception of the organization of the church, it has been doing a lot of church-related activities in the gospel service, charitable activities and rendering various services to the church in the fulfillness of the aim and objectives of the parish church.

Important festivals

Pradhana Perunnal on 2 February is the main festival of the church. The greatest attraction of the festival is its procession.

Ettu Nomb Perunnal (The feast of St. Mary) on September 7 and 8 is another important festival in this church.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Tara Eapen (September 6, 2013). "The revered relic". The Hindu.(with photo of church interior)

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