St. Anthony's Forane Church
| St. Anthony's Forane Church | |
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Front side of St. Antony's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church
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| Basic information | |
| Location | Ollur, Thrissur District, Kerala |
| Geographic coordinates | 10°29′02″N 76°14′06″E / 10.484°N 76.235°ECoordinates: 10°29′02″N 76°14′06″E / 10.484°N 76.235°E |
| Affiliation | Syro-Malabar Catholic Church |
| Country | India |
| Year consecrated | 1718 |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership | Metropolitan Archbishop of Thrissur |
| Website | Anthony's Forane Church |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Architectural style | Neo-Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1718 |
| Specifications | |
| Direction of façade | West |
| Materials | Sand, gravel, cement, mortar, steel |
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 Christian families in the parish. Because of the huge presence of 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.
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. According to church records, in 1718 a temporary church was constructed and the first Mass was conducted.
The church was blessed on June 13, 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 Thullal (popularly known as devil dancing). Beatified people Euphrasia Eluvathingal, Maria Theresa Chiramel and Kuriakose Elias Chavara have visited and stayed in the church.India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru visited the church on November 24, 1951. Vicar Monsignor Paul Kakkassery welcomed Nehru by handing over a large candle lighted.
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