St. Thomas Church Kerala

Counted amongst the seven churches founded by the St. Thomas, Kokkamangalam's St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is quite a known attraction of Marari. Inside the church, one can see the portrait of St. Thomas, which was brought from the Carmelite Monastery Mannanam in 1897 by "Albhutha Mathai", pursuant to a revelation. According to the Rampan Pattu, an ancient form of Christian folk-song prevalent in Kerala, St. Thomas sailed to Kokkamangalam where he preached the gospel and converted around 1600 people into Christianity. He even formed a Christianity community is Kokkamangalam and enshrined a Cross for the faithful. The church also has an ancient Relic of Apostle St. Thomas, which was brought from Ortona in Italy by Pope John Paul II in November 1999. Every Friday evening, a special Novena prayer is organized to venerate the Relic. Devotees who aspire for jobs in foreign countries seek the intercession of the Apostle here.

Getting There

The church is located in Kokkamangalam, which is a part pf the Alappuzha district. To reach here, one can easily find buses from anywhere in the city.

Best Time to Visit

Best time to visit the St. Thomas Church in Kokkamangalam will be during the festivalslike Puthunjayar Thirunal, which is observed on the first Sunday after Easter, and Dukrana, which marks the martyrdom of St. Thomas.