Saint Antony's Church, Ollur: Difference between revisions

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#REDIRECT [[Saint Antony's Syro-Malabar Church, Ollur]]
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2018}}
 
{{Infobox religious building
{{Redirect category shell|
| name        = St. Anthony's Forane Church
{{R from move}}
| image                = St Atony's Church, Ollur.jpg
| alt                  =
| caption              = Front side of St. Antony's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church
| map_type          = India Kerala#India <!-- not working now, fix later -->
| coordinates          = {{coord|10.484|76.235|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| map_size              =
| map_caption          =
| location              = [[Ollur]], [[Thrissur District]], [[Kerala]]
| religious_affiliation = [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]]
| consecration_year    = 1718
| status                =
| functional_status    = Active
| heritage_designation  =
| leadership            = [[Metropolitan Archbishop of Thrissur]]
| website              = [http://www.ollurshrine.org/ollur/index.htm/St. Anthony's Forane Church]
| architecture          = yes
| architect            =
| architecture_type    = Church
| architecture_style    = Neo-[[Gothic Revival]]
| general_contractor    =
| facade_direction      = West
| groundbreaking        =
| year_completed        = {{start date and age|1718}}
| construction_cost    =
| specifications        = yes
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| materials            = Sand, gravel, cement, mortar, steel
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The '''St. Antony's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church''' is located at [[Ollur]], [[Thrissur]] city in [[Kerala]], [[India]]. The church belongs to [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur]]. According to rough figures there are around 4,000 [[Christians|Christian]] families in the parish. Because of the huge presence of [[Christians|Christian]] people in [[Ollur]], with its religious, educational, medical, social-service, and secular organisations and institution, [[Ollur]] has been called as ''Chinna Roma'' (Small Rome). The church is constructed on a hill-top which is the highest location in the area. The church is surrounded by a huge protective compound wall called Elephant Wall (''Aana Mathil'').
When [[Thrissur]] Vicariate Apostolic was erected in 1887, [[Ollur]] was the richest, most populous, and influential parish, so much that the Vicar of the [[Ollur]] parish were included in [[Adolph Medlycott]]'s four-member diocesan apex council. St. Anthony's Forane Church has 18 churches under its jurisdiction.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.bispage.net/trichurarchdioces.org/viewChurchesbyForane.asp?id=9
|title=Churches by Forane
|publisher=Trichur Archdiocese
|access-date=2010-02-23}}</ref>
==History==
[[File:Ollur Church100.jpg|thumb|left| A 1938 photo of St. Anthony's Forane Church, [[Ollur]], photo published in the [[Cochin]] Government Royal War Efforts Souvenir]]
Previously, the [[Ollur]] Christian population went to Mass in Puzuvial church. One day one of the women of the Chiramel family missed Mass in Puzuvial church. Disappointed, she told this to her son and asked him to construct a church in [[Ollur]]. After this, land donated by Malaekal Karthakal was used for building a new church in [[Ollur]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.corporationofthrissur.org/pages/MainTemp.asp?id=7&val1=2&PLK=1
|title=Industries in Ollur
|publisher=Thrissur Corporation
|access-date=2010-02-15}}</ref> According to church records, in 1718 a temporary church was constructed and the first Mass was conducted.<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.smcim.org/ollur/history.htm
|archive-url=https://archive.is/20080924110111/http://www.smcim.org/ollur/history.htm
|url-status=dead
|archive-date=2008-09-24
|title=History
|publisher=St.Anthony's Forane Church
|access-date=2010-02-15}}</ref>
The church was blessed on 13 June 1722, by the Mar Antony Pimentel, ''Metropolitan and Gate of All India'' or known as [[Kodungallur]] Bishop with [[Johann Ernst Hanxleden]] famously known as Arnos Paathiri. In 1790, [[Tipu Sultan]] set fire to church but only the facade was burnt. In 1972, Mar [[Joseph Kundukulam]], the first [[Archbishop of Thrissur]], banned the ''[[Kolam Thullal|Thullal]]'' (popularly known as ''devil dancing'').<ref name="Festival in Chinna Roma, Page 26">{{cite web
|url=http://digitalpaper.mathrubhumi.com/173791/Thrissur/18-October-2013#page/26/1
|title=Festival in Chinna Roma, Page 26
|publisher=Mathrubhumi.com
|access-date=2013-10-18}}</ref> Beatified people [[Euphrasia Eluvathingal]], [[Maria Theresa Chiramel]] and [[Kuriakose Elias Chavara]] have visited and stayed in the church.<ref name="Festival in Chinna Roma, Page 26"/> [[India]]'s first Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] visited the church on 24 November 1951. Vicar Monsignor Paul Kakkassery welcomed Nehru by handing over a large candle lighted.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}
==Festivals==
[[Feast of Saint Raphael, Ollur]], the Archangel, is the most important festival of [[Ollur]] church falling on 23 and 24 October of each year. The festival was started in 1837. Another festival is in honor of Saint Sebastian in the month of January and is the second major festival in the parish. Also, [[Ollur]] parish celebrates around 73 feasts and festivals in the calendar year.<ref name="google">{{cite web|url=https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6MulelO0S3fYWYwM2JmMWUtNzhlYS00ZWQ4LTlhOWEtYjU3N2IzODI3YTc3/edit?usp=drive_web&hl=en&pli=1 | title=Chronology | publisher=Google | access-date=2014-06-06}}</ref>
[[File:POPE PIUS XII GOLDEN JUBILEE MEMORIAL FAÇADE 3-4-1949.jpg|thumb|POPE PIUS XII GOLDEN JUBILEE MEMORIAL FAÇADE 3-4-1949]]
[[File:AN INSIDE ALTAR VIEW OF THE St. ANTHONY'S FORANE CHURCH..jpg|thumb|AN INSIDE ALTAR VIEW OF THE St. ANTHONY'S FORANE CHURCH.]]
[[File:FRONT SIDE OF St. ANTONY'S SYRO-MALABAR CATHOLIC FORANE CHURCH.jpg|thumb|FRONT SIDE OF St. ANTONY'S SYRO-MALABAR CATHOLIC FORANE CHURCH]]
[[File:MAIN ALTAR VIEW.jpg|thumb|MAIN ALTAR VIEW]]
[[File:AN INSIDE ENTRANCE VIEW OF THE St. ANTHONY'S FORANE CHURCH..jpg|thumb|AN INSIDE ENTRANCE VIEW OF THE St. ANTHONY'S FORANE CHURCH.]]
[[File:SIDE VIEW OF THE St.ANTONY'S FORANE CHURCH.jpg|thumb|SIDE VIEW OF THE St.ANTONY'S FORANE CHURCH]]
[[File:STATUE OF St. ANTONY.jpg|thumb|STATUE OF St. ANTONY]]
[[File:STATUE OF JESUS.jpg|thumb|STATUE OF JESUS]]
[[File:GROTTO OF OUR LADY AT St.ANTONY'S FORANE CHURCH.jpg|thumb|GROTTO OF OUR LADY AT St.ANTONY'S FORANE CHURCH]]
[[File:TOWER WITH THE STATUE OF JESUS.jpg|thumb|TOWER WITH THE STATUE OF JESUS]]
[[File:St.ANTONY'S CHURCH, OLLUR.jpg|thumb|St.ANTONY'S CHURCH, OLLUR]]
[[File:LAST SUPPER - JESUS WITH HIS 12 APOSTLES.jpg|thumb|LAST SUPPER - JESUS WITH HIS 12 APOSTLES]]
==Art and architecture==
<ref>For detailed articles and photos cf. The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopaedia of India 1973 alias The3 Thomapedia 2000, Ed. George Menachery. The Indian Church History Classics Volo. I; "The Nazraneys", Ed. George Menachery. Also Cf. St. Antony Octingenary Volume, Ed. George Menachery, 1996</ref><ref>Christian Presence in Indian Art and Architecture in Indian Christians and Nation Building, Alwaye 2005 Ed. Ponnumuthan, Aerath & Menachery</ref>
[[File:Ollur Church Inside.JPG|thumb|left| An inside view of the St. Anthony's Forane Church, [[Ollur]]]]
If there is any church in [[Kerala]] which can be compared with [[Sistine Chapel]] in the [[Vatican City]], that is St. Anthony's Forane Church in [[Ollur]]. Every inch of space in the church is decorated, under both western and indigenous influences, with the highest achievements of the painter, the sculptor, the ceramics worker, the carpenter, the goldsmith, the bronze artisan, or the architect - using every media known or imaginable like gold, silver, iron, bronze, wood, ivory, stone - including laterite, granite, and precious stones.
A unique feature of the church is the number and variety of the angel images in the church. There are more than five thousand images of angels in the church, in fresco, mural, wood, plaster, stone, metal and ivory. The paintings of the church cover an area of thousands of square feet and are considered one of the most beautiful ones in entire [[Kerala]].
===Belfry===
The seven storey [[Belfry (architecture)|Belfry]] or  [[Bell tower]] (125 feet) of the church is said to be the tallest structure in [[South India]] when it was constructed.<ref>For photos and details cf. Cf. St. Antony Octingenary Volume, Ed. George Menachery, 1996</ref> The huge three bells in the bell tower were imported from [[Marseilles]] in [[France]] (1883–1892) in 19th century and is one of biggest bells in [[Kerala]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.smcim.org/church/ollur/article/124
|title=Parish History
|publisher=SMCIM
|access-date=2013-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.smcim.org/church/ollur/article/759
|title=Metal Work
|publisher=SMCIM
|access-date=2013-06-05}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.nazraney.com/journal6.htm
|title=The Great Church of Ollur and the Angel Raphael - A Photo Feature
|publisher=Nazraney
|access-date=2013-06-05}}</ref> The bells are inscribed with the pictures of [[Jesus]], [[Saint Joseph]], [[Mary (mother of Jesus)]], [[Anthony the Great|Saint Anthony]],<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.menachery.org/pdf/sapthati-book.pdf
|title=Menachery: Proud of Ollur, Page 195
|publisher=Menachery.org
|access-date=2013-10-18}}</ref> [[Raphael (archangel)]] and [[Tobias]]. '''Owned by Ollur church''' is written in the bells in [[Syriac language]] and [[Malayalam]].<ref>{{cite web
|url=http://www.menachery.org/pdf/sapthati-book.pdf
|title=Menachery: Proud of Ollur, Page 195
|publisher=Menachery.org
|access-date=2013-06-05}}</ref>
==Liberation struggle==
[[File:Ollur Church.jpg|thumb|right| The plaque inside the St. Anthony's Forane Church for the memorial of [[Liberation Struggle]]]]
In 1959 [[Catholic]]s took to the streets of [[Kerala]] to protest against the first [[Communist]] Government in the state headed by [[E. M. S. Namboodiripad]]. This was known as ''Vimochana Samaram'' or [[Liberation Struggle]]. The confrontation was sparked by a state law that would have effectively taken over [[Catholic]] education facilities. In the same year, on 23 July, [[Kerala Police]] fired at the St. Anthony's Forane Church on the part of [[Liberation Struggle]]. A memorial had been erected at the church courtyard then. The memorial says, ''[[Communist]] Government fired bullets to the Church here''. The struggle of 1959 had led to the dismissal of the first democratically elect [[Communist]] Government in the world.<ref>{{cite web
|url        = http://www.smcim.smonline.org/ollur/
|title      = About the Parish
|publisher  = St. Antony's Forane Church, Ollur
|access-date  = 2012-08-02
|url-status    = dead
|archive-url  = https://archive.is/20110111110742/http://www.smcim.smonline.org/ollur/
|archive-date = 2011-01-11
}}</ref>
==Churches under Ollur Forane==
<ref name="ReferenceA">Cf. St. Antony Octingenary Volume, Ed. George Menachery, 1996</ref>
* 1) [[Ollur]]
* 2) [[Ammadam]]
* 3) Kodannur
* 4) Marathakara
* 5) Padavaratt
* 6) Palackal
* 7) Pallissery
* 8) Perinchery
* 9) Pootharackal
* 10) Pulakkattukara
* 11) Thaikkattussery
* 12) [[Thalore]]
* 13) Vallachira
* 14) Venginissery
* 15) Vijayamatha Church Chiyyaram
* 16)Angel Nagar Mary Matha Church
* 17) Fathima matha Church Konikkara
==Institutions under the parish==
<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
[[File:Old chapel in Ollur Church1.jpg|thumb|right| Church dedicated for the dead and cemetery in the compound of St Antony's Forane Church, [[Ollur]]]]
*[[Holy Angels English Medium High School]], [[Ollur]]
*[[St. Raphael's Convent Girls High School]], Ollur
*St.Mary's School, Chiyyaram, [[Ollur]]
*St.Joseph's High School Anakkallu, [[Ollur]]
==Catholic organizations working in the parish==
*C.L.C.
*Legion of Mary (Women)
*Legion of Mary (Men)
*Mathrusangam
*[[Kerala Catholic Youth Movement|K.C.Y.M.]]
*St. Vincent De Paul Society
*Catholic Union
*Franciscan Sabha
*ABA (Altar Boys Association)
==Religious houses in the parish==
*St. Mary's Convent
*Our Lady Fathima Matha Convent
*St. Vincent De Paul Convent
*F.C.C. Convent
*Galilee Retreat Centre
*Malabar Missionery Brothers Home
*John Haw Covent
*Sadhu Samrakshana Sangham
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{commons category|St. Anthony's Forane Church}}
{{Thrissur topics}}
{{Churches of Kerala}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Anthonys Forane Church}}
[[Category:Catholic pilgrimage sites]]
[[Category:Churches in Thrissur]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Thrissur]]
[[Category:1718 establishments in Asia]]
[[Category:Churches completed in 1718]]
[[Category:Syro-Malabar Catholic church buildings]]

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