St. Thomas Church (Palayur)
| St Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Palayur | |
|---|---|
St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Church at Palayur
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| Basic information | |
| Location |
 Kerala India |
| Geographic coordinates | (10°34′57″N 76°01′55″E / 10.5825°N 76.0319°ECoordinates: 10°34′57″N 76°01′55″E / 10.5825°N 76.0319°E) |
| Affiliation | Apostolic Era |
| District | Thrissur |
| State | Kerala |
| Country | India |
| Year consecrated | 52 |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Independent Episcopal Church |
| Leadership | St. Thomas the Apostle in 52 AD (?) |
| Architectural description | |
| Architectural type | Mix of Persian and Kerala |
| Completed | Supposedly in 52 AD but substantially refurbished in the 17th century |
| Dome(s) | 1 |
St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Palayur is located at Palayur (also spelt Palayoor), in Thrissur district in Kerala on the west coast of India. According to tradition, it was established in 52 AD by St Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. It is one of the oldest churches in India and is called an Apostolic Church credited to the Apostolate of St. Thomas who preached and also started conversion of people to Christianity here. It was part of the seven churches that he established in India; the other six churches were established at Cranganore, Kokkamangalam, Kottakkavu, Kollam, Niranam, and Chayal (Nilackal). The original small Church structure has been retained at the oldest site. But substantial improvements around it were carried out during the 17th century by Reverend Fenichi, as necessary, without sacrificing the main sanctity of the place.
St. Thomas traveled from Muziris (Kottakkavu) and landed at Palayur by boat through the backwaters. At that time, Palayur was a stronghold of the Brahmins and also of Jews. He came to visit the Jewish merchants at Palayur at "Judankunnu" (meaning the hill of Jews) and to preach the Christian gospel. The place has since become a dry land but its historicity as a boat jetty called locally as 'Bottukulam' has been preserved as a monument to St. Thomas (see picture).
Of the seven churches originally established by St. Thomas, only three namely, Palayoor in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur, Kottakkavu in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly, and Niranam in the Malankara Orthodox Diocese of Niranam could claim continuity, while the remaining four churches have undergone several changes in their locations.
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