RickWoods111 at 10:23, 3 April 2026

2026-04-03T10:23:09Z

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{{Short description|Christian Church in Kerala, India}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox religious building
|native_name=Champakulam Kalloorkadu Marth Maryam
|name= St. Mary's Syro Malabar Catholic Basilica Church (Valiya Palli, Kerala)
| image=StMaryChampakulamExt (4).jpg
| image_upright=
| caption=Champakulam St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Basilica Church (Kalloorkkadu Valiya Palli).
|location=[[Champakulam]], [[Alappuzha]], [[Kerala]], [[India]]
| geo={{Coord|9|24|33|N|76|24|40|E|type:landmark_region:VA|display=inline,title}}
|religious_affiliation=[[Syro-Malabar Church]]
|district=[[Alappuzha District]]
|country=[[India]]
|consecration_year=AD 427
|status=[[Minor Basilica]]
|leadership= Bishop: [[Mar Thomas Tharayil]],<br> Archdiocese: <br>[[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanassery|Changanassery]]
|website=[http://champakulampally.com/ http://champakulampally.com/]
}}

'''Champakulam Kalloorkadu St. Mary's Syro Malabar Catholic Basilica Church''' ([[Malayalam]]: ചമ്പക്കുളം വലിയ പള്ളി) is an ancient Christian Church in [[Kerala]]. It belongs to the Syro-Malabar Church under the Archeparchy of Changanacherry. It is a Forane church, with several parishes under it.

==History==
[[Champakulam]] Kalloorkadu St. Mary's Basilica (also called Champakulam Valia Palli) is one of the oldest Christian churches in India<ref>{{cite web | title = Champakulam Kalloorkkadu St Mary's Church- The Hidden Pearl in Nasrani History | date=29 January 2010 |url = https://nasrani.net/2010/01/30/champakulam-kalloorkkadu-st-marys-church/}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Archdiocese Of Changancherry | url = http://www.archdiocesechanganacherry.org/archdiocesechanganacherry-parishesmore.php?id=26 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120718083445/http://www.archdiocesechanganacherry.org/archdiocesechanganacherry-parishesmore.php?id=26 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 18 July 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title = Ancient Churches | url = http://nasrani.net/category/heritage/ancient-churches-heritage/ | access-date = 2012-01-19 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120125100242/http://nasrani.net/category/heritage/ancient-churches-heritage/ | archive-date = 2012-01-25 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
and the mother church of almost all Catholic Syrian churches in Alleppey District. Believed to be established in AD 427,<ref>{{cite web|title = Ancient Churches with traditional dates of foundation & Stone Crosses of Kerala- Saint Thomas Cross, Nazraney Sthambams and other Persian Crosses | date=15 January 2007 |url = https://nasrani.net/2007/01/16/ancient-stone-crosses-of-kerala-saint-thomas-cross-nazraney-sthambams-persian-crosses/}}</ref> the church was rebuilt many times. Champakulam church was once under [[Niranam Church]], which was founded by the Apostle [[Thomas the Apostle|Saint Thomas]] himself. The many rock inscriptions found around the church tell us about the history of the church.

The open air Rock Cross at Champakulam church is one of the most ancient crosses with clear documentation of its antiquity, dating to AD 1151. There are many archaeological artifacts found around the church that tell more about its history. Champakulam Church had very friendly relations with the ''[[Puthenkoor|Puthenkoottukar]]'' and had a pivotal role in many ecumenical efforts in the eighteenth century. Ikkako Kathanar, one of the martyrs (nasranis) of [[East Syriac Rite|East Syriac]] Catholics, was born in this parish.<ref>{{Cite web|title=13 February 2021: the 250th Dukhrana of Sahada Mar Ikkako Cathanar of Champakulam|url=https://www.nasrani.net/2021/02/10/13-february-2021-the-250th-dukhrana-of-sahada-mar-ikkako-cathanar-of-champakulam/|last=Martin Thomas|first=Antony|date=10 February 2021}}</ref>

Champakulam church has been recognized by the Universal Church as a Basilica. On 27 November 2016, the church was officially declared as a basilica by [[Pope Francis]] and [[Mar Joseph Perumthottam]], the Metropolitan Archbishop of [[Changanassery|Changanacherry]]. This is the first basilica in the archdiocese of Changanasserry, the fourth in the Syro Malabar Church, the ninth in Kerala and the twenty-third [[List of basilicas in India|basilica in India]].

Over the years, the church has undergone significant updates. Initially, there was a small parish hall with about hundred seats. A few years back, a bigger Parish Hall was constructed.
The latest, inaugurated on 3 January 2011, has 800+ seats. St. Mary's Theological Center was inaugurated in 2011 as well.

==The Church At Glance==

* Parish : Champakulam
* Forane : Champakulam
* Diocese : Changanacherry
* Patron : St. [[Mary, mother of Jesus|Mary]]
* First Church : AD 427
* Priests : 4
* Vicar :Very Rev. Fr. Gregory onamkulam
* Asst.Vicars: Fr. shibin mulavarickal CSsR and Fr.Tony puthiveetikalam
* Catholic Population : 6500
* Catholic Families : 1378
* Phone : 0477-2736252
<ref>{{cite web|title=St. Mary's Church, Kalloorkadu|url=https://www.smcim.smonline.org/kalloorkadu/glance.htm}}{{Dead link|date=June 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

===[[Holy Qurbana]] Timings===
* Sundays : 6.00AM, 7.30AM, 9.30AM, 4.00PM
* Other Days : 6.00AM, 7.00AM
* Wednesdays : 6.30AM, 4.00PM
=== Catholic Organizations ===
*C.M.L
*[[Altar server|Altar Boys]]
*Thirubala sakhyam
*Yuva Deepti-S.M.Y.M
*Mathru Jyothis
*Pithru Vedi
*[[Society of Saint Vincent de Paul|St. Vincent De Paul Society]]
*Darsana Smooham
*Choir Group

===Location (Wikimapia)===
* http://wikimapia.org/101750/Champakulam-Kaloorkadu-St-Mary-s-Forane-Church-AD-427

==Famous Parishioners==
There are many famous parishioners in the history of Kalloorkadu church. One of them is the martyr of the church, Ikkako Kathanar.

===Ikkako Kathanar===

Ikkako Kathanar was a priest from this parish who became martyr in the hand of Portuguese for protecting the East Syriac tradition of the indigenous catholic church of India (Nasranis) mainly along the malabar coast. Till the arrival of Europeans Nasranis were belonging to the [[East Syriac Rite|East Syriac]] rites in the Catholic Church. The Europeans under the Padroado and Propaganda tried to forcefully convert the nasranis into western or Latin rite. Ikkako Kathanar is one of the faithful of the church who tried to resist this illegal attempt which extended over more than five centuries. He attained martyrdom under the hands of propaganda carmelites during this.{{sfnp|Martin Thomas|2021}}

==Annual Feasts==
Apart from general Christian Holy celebrations like Christmas, Good Friday & Easter (Holy week) etc., there are two main yearly feasts (മലയാളം: പെരുന്നാള്‍).

===Feast of Mother Mary / Marian apparition(ദര്‍ശനതിരുന്നാള്‍)===

The Feast of the Apparition lasts for 11 days of pious celebrations and concludes on the Sunday following 15 October.

===Commemoration of the Death of St. Joseph (യൌസേപ്പ് പിതാവിന്റെ മരണ തിരുന്നാള്‍)===
This is a 'shradham- Chatham' conducted in commemoration of the death of St. Joseph is held on 19 March every year. It attracts thousands of devotees to Kalloorkadu Church from far of places.<ref>{{cite web | title = Church feast and festivals in Central Kerala-Kottayam | date = April 2007| url = https://nasrani.net/2007/03/31/nasrani-church-festivals-in-central-kerala/}}</ref>

'''Moonnu Noyambu Perunnaal of Champakulam'''

Champakulam Church is one of the ancient churches in which Moonnu Noyambu Perunnaal (Three day fast- Rogation of Ninevites) celebrated regularly which has been discontinued in the recent past. There are clear documentation about the Moonnu noyambu perunaal of champakulam in the records about the financial help and support from the Kings of Chempakasserry for the feast.

===Parishes Under Champakulam Forane===
# Champakulam (Kalloorkad) St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-2736252
# Kondackal St. Joseph's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-2736216
# Pullangady Holy Family Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-2736346
# Thekkekara St. John's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-2707031
# Vadakkeamichakari St. George's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-2707075
# Vaisyambhagam St. Antony's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-2736501
# [[St. Joseph's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Chennamkary]] 0477-2724237
# Kandankary St. Joseph's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-2737125
# Narbonapuram St. Sebastian's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-2762205
# Nazareth St. Jerome's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-2762205
# Sleevapuram Syro-Malabar Catholic Church(Ponga) 0477-2762188
# Chennamkary Lourdes Matha Syro-Malabar Catholic Church 0477-
# Padaharam St.Joseph's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

==Institutions under the Parish==
===Religious Houses In the Parish===
* St.Martin Chapel
* Gagultha Ashram CMI
* SABS (The Congregation of the sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament) Convent.
** SABS was founded on 8 December 1908 at Champakulam in Kerala.<ref>{{cite web | title = Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament | url = http://www.smcim.org/cong/sabs/article/49}}</ref> It had its origin in the personal experience of the Eucharistic presence of the servant of God [[Mar Thomas Kurialachery|Thomas Kurialacherry]] (1873-1925) the first bishop of Changanacherry.
* Kurialasserry Bhavan (SABS)
* Clara madhom & Orphanage for young girls, Kondakkal.

===Other institutions under the Parish===
*St. Mary's LP School
*St. Mary's High School<ref>{{cite web| title = St.Mary's High School Champakulam| url = http://corporateschoolschry.org/schoolsystem/stmaryshschampakulam}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
*St. Mary's Higher Secondary School Champakulam
*St. Joseph's Mission Hospital
==Gallery==

[[File:Champakulam Valia Palli River Pampa.jpg|thumb|right|Champakulam Valia Palli on the [[Pampa River]] west bank. You can also see the Champakulam bridge under construction which will connect the east and west banks]]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamExt (2).jpg|thumb|backwaters]]
[[File:St. Marys Church, Chambakulam.jpg|thumb|exterior]]
[[File:Champakulam St Mary's Church.jpg|thumb|Closer look of Champakulam Valia Palli|alt=Closer look of Champakulam Valia Palli]]
[[File:Champakulam St. Mary's Church (Kalloorkkadu Palli) - Valia Palli.jpg|thumb|North East view]]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamExt (10).jpg|thumb|Front]]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamExt (5).jpg|thumb|Another view]]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamExt (9).jpg|thumb|]]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamInt 04.jpg|thumb|Main entrance]]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamInt 01.jpg|thumb|Inside]]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamInt 07.jpg|thumb|''Madbaha'']]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamInt 02.jpg|thumb|]]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamInt 05.jpg|thumb|Decorated roof]]
[[File:StMaryChampakulamInt 06.jpg|thumb|Coronation of Saint Mary depicted on the roof]]
[[File:Champakulam Valia Palli South East View.jpg|thumb|South East view]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category|St. Mary's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church, Champakulam}}
* https://archive.today/20110111102440/http://www.smcim.smonline.org/kalloorkadu/
* [https://nasrani.net/2010/01/30/champakulam-kalloorkkadu-st-marys-church/ St. Mary's Church]

{{Basilicas in India}}
{{Churches of Kerala}}
{{Christianity in Kerala}}

[[Category:Churches in Alappuzha district]]
[[Category:Syro-Malabar Catholic church buildings]]
[[Category:5th-century establishments in India]]
[[Category:Basilica churches in India]]

Basilica of St. Mary, Champakulam - Revision history

RickWoods111 at 10:23, 3 April 2026