>Fatpig73 at 10:21, 11 March 2021

2021-03-11T10:21:55Z

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{{Infobox church
| denomination = [[Church of South India]]
| name = Saint Francis [[Church of South India|CSI]] Church
| fullname =
| image = St Francis Church Fort Kochi DSC 1048.JPG
| imagesize = 200px
| caption = The front side of the Church

| coordinates = {{Coord|9.965945|N|76.241102|E|type:landmark_region:IN-KL|format=dms|display=inline, title}}
| country = [[India]]
| osgridref =
| location = [[Kochi]], Kerala
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| website = [http://stfranciscsichurch.org/church/st-francis-csi-church stfranciscsichurch.org]
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| consecrated date = 1506
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| completed date = 1516
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| diocese =[[Kochi Diocese of the Church of South India|Kochi Diocese]]
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}}

'''Saint Francis Church''', in [[Fort Kochi]] (Fort Cochin), [[Kochi]], originally built in 1503, is one of the oldest European churches in [[India]]<ref>{{cite web |title= |publisher=Govt Of India |url=http://india.gov.in/myindia/facts.php |access-date=9 January 2010}}</ref> and has great historical significance as a mute witness to the European colonial struggle in the [[Indian subcontinent|subcontinent]].<ref name="Kochi2">{{cite web | url = http://www.mapsofindia.com/kochi/tourist-attractions/st-francis-church-kochi.html | title = St. Francis Church, Kochi | access-date = 21 February 2008 | publisher = Wonderful Kerala}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.jaas.org/edocs/v14n2/missick.pdf | title = Mar Thoma: The Apostolic Foundation of the Assyrian Church and the Christians of St. Thomas in India | access-date = 21 February 2008 | last = Missick | first = Stephen Andrew | work = Ancient Indian Christianity | publisher = Journal of Assyrian Academic Studies Vol. XIV, no. 2, 2000 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080227170937/http://www.jaas.org/edocs/v14n2/missick.pdf | archive-date = 27 February 2008 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> The [[Portugal in the Age of Discovery|Portuguese explorer]] [[Vasco da Gama]] died in Kochi in 1524 when he was on his [[Vasco da Gama#Third voyage|third visit]] to India. His body was originally buried in this church, but after fourteen years his remains were moved to [[Lisbon]] and now located at [[Jerónimos Monastery]].<ref name="Kochi3"/><ref name="Ayub">Ayub, Akber (ed), ''Kerala: Maps & More'', ''Fort Kochi'', 2006 edition 2007 reprint, pp. 20–24, Stark World Publishing, Bangalore, {{ISBN|81-902505-2-3}}</ref>

==History==
[[Vasco da Gama]], who discovered the sea route from Europe to India, landed at [[Kappad]] near [[Kozhikode]] (Calicut) in 1498.<ref name="Kochi3">{{cite web | url =http://www.webindia123.com/tourism/pilgrim/francis.htm
|title = St. Francis Church | access-date = 21 February 2008 | publisher = webindia123}}</ref> He was followed by [[Pedro Álvares Cabral]]<ref name="Kochi3"/> and [[Afonso de Albuquerque]]. They built [[Fort Emmanuel]] at the [[Fort Kochi Beach]] with permission from the [[Kingdom of Cochin|Raja of Cochin]]. Within the fort, they built a church with a wooden structure, which was dedicated to [[Bartholomew the Apostle|St. Bartholomew]]. The neighbourhood is now known as [[Fort Kochi]].
[[File:St Francis Church Entrance.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Towards the entrance in front of St Francis Church]]
[[Francisco de Almeida]], the Portuguese viceroy, was allowed, in 1506, by the Raja of Cochin to reconstruct wooden buildings in stone and masonry. The wooden church was rebuilt, presumably by the [[Franciscan]] [[friar]]s, with bricks and mortar and a tiled roof was erected. In 1516, the new church was completed and it was dedicated to [[Saint Anthony of Padua|St. Anthony]].<ref name="Kochi3"/>
[[File:St. Francis Church, Kochi.JPG|thumb|right|150px|Front view of the church]]
The Franciscans retained control over the church till the Dutch captured Kochi in 1663. While the Portuguese were [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholics]], the Dutch were [[Protestant Reformation|Protestants]]. They demolished all the churches except this one. They reconditioned it and converted it into a government church.<ref name="Kochi3"/>

In 1795, the British captured Kochi from the Dutch but they allowed the latter to retain the church. In 1804, the Dutch voluntarily handed over the church to the [[Anglican Communion]]. It was placed under the Ecclesiastical Department of the Government of India. It is believed that the [[Anglican Communion|Anglicans]] changed the name of the patron saint to [[Francis of Assisi|St. Francis]].<ref name="Kochi3"/>

The Church was declared a protected monument in April 1923 under the Protected Monuments Act of 1904. As a protected monument it is under the [[Archaeological Survey of India]] but is owned by the [[Kochi Diocese of the Church of South India|Kochi diocese]] of [[Church of South India]]. It has services on Sundays and commemorative days. On weekdays it is kept open for visitors.<ref name="Kochi3"/>

==Vasco da Gama==
The [[Portuguese explorer]] Vasco da Gama died in Kochi in 1524 on his [[Vasco da Gama#Third voyage|third visit]] to India. His body was originally buried in this church, but after fourteen years his remains were moved to [[Lisbon]].<ref name="Kochi3"/><ref name="Ayub"/> The gravestone of Vasco da Gama can still be seen here. It is on the ground at the southern side. The gravestones of other Portuguese are on the northern sidewall and the Dutch on the southern wall. A [[cenotaph]] in memory of the residents of Kochi who fell in the [[World War I]] was erected in 1920.<ref name="Kochi3"/>

==See also==
* [[Christianity in India]]
* [[Church of South India]]
* [[Kochi Diocese of the Church of South India]]

==References==
{{reflist|33em}}

==External links==
{{commonscat|St. Francis Church, Kochi}}
[http://www.transpireonline.com/2018/04/st-francis-church-colonial-history-of.html St Francis Church;Colonial History of India in Stone]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Francis Church, Cochin}}
{{Churches of Kerala}}
{{Kochi (India) topics}}
{{Christianity in Kerala}}

[[Category:Churches in Kochi]]
[[Category:Colonial Kerala]]
[[Category:16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in India]]
[[Category:Church of South India church buildings in India]]
[[Category:Churches completed in 1503]]
[[Category:Churches completed in 1516]]
[[Category:1500s establishments in Portuguese India]]
[[Category:1510s establishments in Portuguese India]]
[[Category:Religious organizations established in the 1500s]]
[[Category:Archaeological sites in Kerala]]
[[Category:Portuguese in Kerala]]
[[Category:Portuguese Colonial architecture in India]]
[[Category:Baroque architecture in India]]
[[Category:Monuments of National Importance in Kerala]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Kochi]]

Church of Saint Francis, Kochi - Revision history

>Fatpig73 at 10:21, 11 March 2021