Varapuzha Church

Our lady of Mount Carmel & St Joseph's Monastery cum Parish Church, popularly known as Varapuzha Church is situated in Varapuzha, a northern suburban town of Kochi City of Kerala state, India. This is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in India, built in the year 1673. The church is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mother of Mount Carmel and St Joseph. The solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady is celebrated as an annual sixteen-day confraternity festival, from 31 July to 15 August. The church is also popular among the Anglo-Indian Communities as a pilgrimage centre. It also served as the Mother Church for 14 churches listed below:

  1. Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, Manjummel
  2. St.Philomena's Forane Church, Koonammavu
  3. St Augustine's Church ,Moolampilly
  4. St Francis Xavier Church,Pizhala
  5. Sacred Heart Church,Kothad
  6. St James Church ,Cheranallore
  7. Our lady of Perpetual help Church,Cheranallore
  8. Church of Our Lady of Velankanni, Chariyamthuruth
  9. Christ the King Church-Christnagar,Varapuzha
  10. Church of Our Lady of Nativity, Muttinakam, Varapuzha
  11. Little Flower Church, Panayikulam
  12. Sacred Heart Church, Thevarkad, Varapuzha.
  13. Infant Jesus Church, Thundathumkadavu, Varapuzha.
  14. St. Antony's Church,Chennur, Varapuzha.

Varapuzha Church
Our Lady of Mount Carmel & St Joseph's Monastery cum Parish Church
Former Cathedral
LocationVarapuzha, Ernakulam district, Kerala
CountryIndia
DenominationLatin Catholic Church
Membership3360
History
Former name(s)Our lady of Mount Carmel and St Joseph's Cathedral
StatusChurch
Founded1673
Founder(s)Fr Matheus of St Joseph OCD
DedicationMary, mother of Jesus as Our lady of Mount Carmel, St Joseph
Dedicated17 November 1673
Cult(s) presentOur Lady of Mount Carmel
Relics heldHoly Cross, SS Peter and Paul
Architecture
Functional statusMonastery, Parish
Architectural typeGothic architecture
Administration
ParishOur lady of Mount Carmel & St Joseph's Monastery cum Parish Church
DioceseRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly
ProvinceSt. Pius X Manjummel Province of Discalced Carmelites
CircuitOrder of Discalced Carmelites (OCD)
DistrictErnakulam
Clergy
ArchbishopJoseph Kalathiparambil
Priest(s)Fr. Yesudas Thottungal, OCD
Assistant priest(s)Fr. Paul Jose Thathamangalam, OCD

History

This Church was the seat of the Metropolitans until 1904. The headquarters was then shifted to the town of Ernakulam, for easier administration. As the original seat of the Latin Bishop, the church holds a unique place in the history of Latin Catholics in the area. Presently the church offers solace to the faithful who gather there for the powerful intercessions of Our Lady and St. Joseph.

  1. 1653 Fr. Mathew of St. Joseph reached Goa as a missionary
  2. The old Varapuzha Church was built in 1673.
  3. On 20 February 1700 Pope Clement appoints Carmelite Missionary Fr. Angelus Francis as the Vicar Apostolic Malabar.
  4. All those who guided the life and activities of the Church from 1700 AD to 1886 AD were known as "Vicar Apostolics".
  5. On 13 March 1709 the Holy See suppressed the Malabar Vicariate and the Varapuzha Vicariate was erected officially.
  6. 1886 the Varapuzha Vicariate was raised to the Status of the Archdiocese.
  7. Till 1904 Varapuzha was the official residence of the Archbishops of Varapuzha.
  8. From 1886 onwards the bishops took charge and care of the diocese of Varapuzha from this place named "Varapuzha".
  9. On 1 September 1886 the Varapuzha Vicariate was officially raised to the Status of the Archdiocese and Rev. Dr. Leonardo Mellano OCD was consecrated as the first Archbishop of the archdiocese of Varapuzha.
  10. In those years the Varapuzha Church was the only Catholic Church of this locality. At that time this was the home to all the Syrian Catholics of this locality.
  11. The famous Carmelite Missionary Fr. Paulinus (missionary from 1744-1780) in his famous book "India Orientalis Christiana" describes this Church as the "Church of Latin and Chaldean rites".
  12. This Church has two Patron saints; Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Joseph, the latter resulted from the special devotion of its founder Fr. Mathew of St. Joseph.
  13. The old Church underwent a major uplift and reconstruction in 1927 when its old front doom collapsed in 1919.
  14. In 1886 when the Archdiocese of Varapuzha was established and this Church became the Cathedral Church of the Archdiocese. This status remained with this Church till 1936 when St. Francis Cathedral was built in Ernakulam
  15. This Church is the final resting place of 28 Carmelite Missionaries including 8 Bishops of this Diocese of Varapuzha
  16. When Tipu Sultan (1750-1799) the notorious Muslim Conqueror attacked, plundered and killed many, Varapuzha was providentially left out being an island, but it became the place of refuge for all from all religions and castes. The Carmelite missionaries took care of all of them.
  17. In 1682 the Carmelite Missionaries of Varapuzha requested the Propaganda Fidei for the construction of a Seminary for the formation of the Indigenous Clergy.
  18. In 1685 the Seminary was closed down. A new Seminary was built in 1766 in Varapuzha. At that time it accepted candidates from both Latin and Syrian rites.
  19. In 1790 this seminary was closed following the attack of Tipu Sultan, the Muslim conqueror. The Seminary was reopened in 1832. In 1866 the Syrians were shifted to the Puthenpally Seminary.
  20. From 1659 to 1904, sixteen Bishops and two Archbishops guided the diocese from this place. In those days all travels and transportation were through water.

The Carmelite missionaries buried in Varapuzha Church
  1. Fr. Bartholomew of the Holy Spirit (+ 1 February 1680)
  2. Fr. Caithan of St. Joseph (+ 1689)
  3. Fr. Amathius of St. Elias (+ 1698)
  4. Fr. Matheus of St. Joseph (+ 1691)
  5. Fr. Justin of Our Lady of Dolors (+ 4 August 1709)
  6. Dr. Angelo Francis (+ 1712)
  7. Fr. Innocent of St. Onupra (+ 27 January 1714)
  8. Fr. Arsenus of St. Teresa (+ 27 August 1723)
  9. Fr. Renatus of Immaculate Conception (+1726)
  10. Fr. Innocent of St. Leopold (+ 31 October 1734)
  11. Dr. John Baptist Maria of St. Teresa (+ 6 April 1750)
  12. Fr. Floren D’Cruz of Jesu Nazaren (+ 26 July 1773)
  13. Fr. Clement Pianis of Jesus (+ 19 October 1782)
  14. Fr. Francis of St. Eliseus (+ 31 December 1794)
  15. Fr. Lorence of St. Rosina (+ 20 January 1797)
  16. Dr. Louis Maria of Jesus ( + 12 November 1802)
  17. Dr. Raymond of St. Joseph (+ 7 August 1816)
  18. Dr. Francis of St. Ann. (+ 1844)
  19. Fr. Peter Paul of Sacra familia (+ 19 July 1850)
  20. Fr. Antony of St. Mary ( + 26 March 1856)
  21. Dr. Bernadine of St. Teresa D’Schola (+ 5 September 1868)
  22. Dr. Marcelinus of St. Teresa (+ 21 March 1892)
  23. Fr. Philip of St. Joseph (1 May 1893)
  24. Fr. Cammillus of Presentation ( + 21 June 1894)
  25. Dr. Leonardo of St. Aloysius (+ 19 August )
  26. Fr. William of St. Teresa (+ 1902)
  27. Fr. Elias of St. Joseph (+ 21 January 1907)
  28. Bro. John Mary of the Heart of Jesus ( + 12 February 1918)

Varapuzha Church – the Mother Church

By God’s will and Providence the present Varapuzha Church, Monastery and the Parish continues to be in the safe hands of the Discalced Carmelites. This Parish was the nodal centre of the Catholic Church of Kerala. The fact that the present nearby 14 Parishes were once belonging to this Varapuzha Parish itself shows the extension and the great missionary and pastoral activities of our Predecessors. In 1837 Koonammavu, 1874 – Cheranalloor, 1882 – Kothad, 1892 – Pizhala, 1932 – Chettibhagam and Chennoor, 1935 – Neerkode, and small chapels at various places like Panayikulam (1946), Eloor North –Christ the King (1950), Edayar (1951), Thundathum kadavu (1970) Eloor West (1980), Cheranalloor (1985) all these parishes were separated from the Varapuzha Parish. These are the everlasting monuments of the great Carmelite growth and vitality of Varapuzha. In earlier times all the parish priests were Carmelite missionaries. They themselves were calling Varapuzha with another fondled name; "the little Rome of the East".

Servant of God Mother Eliswa – The Foundress of CTC and CMC

The tomb of the Servant of God, Mother Eliswa (1831–1913), the Mother Foundress of the first indigenous Carmelite Congregations (CTC and CMC) in St. Joseph’s Convent, Varapuzha, is another authentic proof of the great Carmelite Legacy of those Missionaries who preached the Gospel and the Carmelite Charism here.

Mass timings
Sundays 6 am, 8 am, 9.30 am and 5 pm
Saturdays 5.45 am, 7 am, 5.30 pm
First Fridays 5.45 am, 7 am, 6 pm
Week days 5.45 a.m, 7 am
Novena : Our lady of Mount Carmel - Saturday ; St Antony of Padua - Tuesday
  • Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
  • Salve statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
  • Varapuzhathamma
  • Miraculous Image of St Joseph
  • St Joseph
  • Altar of Varapuzha Church
  • Churchfeast 2019
  • Santo Entierro
  • Risen Lord
  • St Sebastian
  • St Sebastian Karikattuthuruth
  • Church Feast
  • Fatima@Varapuzha
  • Gesu Bambino
  • Rosary month Celebrations
  • Relic of Holy Cross
  • Ancient Statue of Our Lady of Dolours
  • Tomb of Servant of God Mother Eliswa Vakayil of BVM CTC
gollark: Anyway, you probably **can** uninstall it.
gollark: If you need the original software, stick it in a VM or something.
gollark: What about totally wiping it and linuxing it?
gollark: Ablative feminine singular or nominative/accusative neuter plural.
gollark: That's either singular of the wrong gender or plural of the wrong gender.

See also

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.