Hong Kong team visits Kadeesha Syrian Church
Learning history:Members of a Christian delegation from Hong Kong at the
Kadeesha Syrian Church in Kollam on Wedneday.— Photo: C. Suresh Kumar
A 35-member delegation from Hong Kong on a tour of
historic Malankara churches in the State reached the Kadeesha Syrian
church here on Wednesday evening.
The Kadeesha church is believed to have been built in 1519 AD but has a history dating back to 825 AD.
Members
of the delegation are parishioners of St. John Cathedral in Hong Kong.
They are interested in visiting places in Kerala where St. Thomas, the
apostle of Jesus Christ who arrived here in 52 AD, is believed to have
established eight churches, popularly known as ‘ezhara pallikal.'
One
of those churches is believed to have been established in Kollam and
presumed destroyed in a natural disaster. This has triggered the Hong
Kong delegation's interest in Kollam.
The trustees of
the Kadeesha church say that in 825 AD, a Persian merchant Maruvan
Sapir Eso built the ‘Tareeshapally' at a location believed to be
Tangasseri in Kollam city. Sapir Eso had arrived with the east Syrian
bishops Mar Sabor and Mar Aphroth.
When the
Portuguese arrived in Kollam in the early 16th century, the church came
under their control and was located inside Fort Saint Thomas built by
the Portuguese.
Then, the descendents of Sapir Eso,
who came to be known as Muthalalis, built a separate church in 1519 AD
in the memory of the two bishops revered by them as ‘kadeeshamcal'
(corruption of a Syrian word meaning holy ones). They named the church
Kadeesha Syrian Church.
While the original church had
a palm frond-thatched roof, the present structure is a renovated one.
However, the altar of the church is the one erected in 1519. The
backdrop of the altar is a unique wall painting done by a native on
directions from a Syrian priest, says art historian M.G. Sashibhooshan.
The church is now owned by members of the Kallada Malayil Muthalali
family.
He
was son of Kuriala, the paternal uncle of Marthoma VII. He ruled
from Kandanadu for 5 years. He died on January 23. 1816 and was buried
at Puthenkavu St. Mary’s church.
He could not function effectively. He was the
Ipe Priest who was the brother of Kuriala Kadamattathu Thekkilakattil
uncle of Marthoma VIII. Pulikkottil Ittoop Remban with the help of
resident dewan Munroe of Travancore, ordained himself as Mar Dionysius –
II and captured power. He died in 1817 and was buried in Kadamattam
church. After abdication he took Sanyas and lived at Kadamattam till
death. With him the Mrthoma Bishops from Pakalomattam ended. In 1812
Marthoma VIII wrote a letter to Madras governments in which he says
that for 1308 years continuously Pakalomattam family headed the Church.
Now there are Bishops in many branches of the Pakalomattam
family. 
He was ordained Bishop on January 31st 1663. He was ordained in
Kaduthuruthy church. He belonged to the Parambil branch of Pakalomattam
at Muttuchira. The parambil building of Parambrem Kara existed there
till two centuries back. Parambil Kuriakose married into Kudukkasserry
and the son born to the couple later became the Bishop. His mother’s
house belonged to Palliveedu, and another branch was Panamkuzha. Hence
he was called by those family names also. De Campo is the Latin
translation of Parambil the Malayalam family name. He was Vicar of
Kuravilangad Parish and later had Kuravilangad as his head quarter. His
vicar general and Archdeacon belong to Parambil Branch of
Pakalomattam. Out of 117 churches in Kerala 71 fully and 18 partially
sided with Bishop Alexander De campo. This is a major success.
Catholics became majority party in the Church split, because of this
success of the Bhishop. He died on December – 23, 1687. He was buried
in the Kuravilangad church.
