St. Mary's Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, Brahmavar, is the only Konkani Orthodox community in the
entire world with 130 years of glorious past as a part of the 2000 year old Indian Church, namely
the Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church, which was found by St. Thomas the Apostle in 52 AD in
India, , one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ.
Origin
The Brahmavar Konkani Orthodox Christians majorly are descendants of migrants to Coastal area
of Karnataka from Goa and Maharashtra. A significant proportion of Christian Konkanis trace their
origin to the Apostolic Tradition of St. Thomas and St. Bartholomew. There is a tradition that
Christianity existed in and around Brahmavar, due to the apostolic activities of St. Bartholomew.
But, very few evidence substantiate the claim.
In the 16th century and later, with the influx of many western Christian missionaries, Konkanis in
Goa and Mangalore were converted to Western Denomination. Out of which it is stated that it
included the Native Apostolic Christians, who joined the sect.With the internal rift in this Western
Church in 1880 a large number of families and the faithful in the coastal areas from Maharashtra,
Goa, Mangalore (including Brahmavar Orthodox Konkani Christians), Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the
then British and Portugal India and Ceylon joined Fr. Alvares and pledged their loyalty and support
to him. These people, numbering about 5000 families alone in Brahmavar moved out of the
Western Denomination and formed the ‘Independent Catholic Mission’ under the Malankara
Orthodox Syrian Church.
The reason behind joining specifically the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church was the fact that it
was the only Apostolic Indigenized Church established in India in 52 AD by St. Thomas, one of the
twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, and had its own long history of revolt against the Western colonial
powers.
In 1887, Fr. Alvares, travelled from Ceylon and arrived at Kalianpur, near Udupi, a village in South
Kanara District. He moved out from there to a nearby village, Brahmavar, took 97 cent of land on
lease from a local friend, at a lease fee of 50 paise (eight annas) per year, and built a small
temporary thatched shed with coconut leaves for roof, and dedicated to “Our Lady of Miracles” for
worship. He celebrated the first Holy Mass in the said shed in 1887. The same church later came to
be known as St.Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church. The Altar is still situated in the centre of the
cemetery area.
In 1888, Fr. Alvares founded the Brahmavar Mission, for the welfare and spiritual upliftment of
faithful under his care. Fr. Alvares procured 14 acres of land from the then British Government at
Brahmavar for his mission activities, in the name of St. Mary’s Syrian Church, adjacent to the leased
land. He constructed a new Church in the new plot acquired by him and celebrated Holy Mass.
Later, the leased plot of 97 cents of the land was earmarked for the purpose of the cemetery for the
new Parish church. The same plot is still used as a cemetery and the temporary thatched shed
constructed by Fr. Alvares, where he celebrated the first Holy Mass still stands there as a
monument. It is here that the history of Brahmavar Mission and the Brahmavar parish begins.
On 29 July 1889, Fr. Alvares was consecrated as Archbishop of India, Goa & Ceylon (excluding
Malabar) with title Alvares Mar Julius I at the Old Seminary, Kottayam
Soon, Bishop Alvares named Blessed Fr. Roque Zefrine Noronha as the first Vicar of Lady of
Miracles Church (St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church) He offered the first Holy Mass on Easter
Sunday (April 21 st ) of 1889 at the temporary thatched shed. Later on, Fr. Noronha constructed a
church in 1889 at the same place, after acquiring 14 acres of land from the then British
Government. The present St. Mary’s Cathedral stands at the very same place
Renovation of the Cathedral :
The old church: The first church was built by Bishop Alvares in the year 1887 (Our Lady of Miracles
which was situated in the current cemetery). Later Rev. Fr. R. Z. Noronha laid the
foundation for St. Mary’s Church at the current location which was completed in the year 1950 by
Rev.Fr. P.G. Koshy. The beautiful altar and the holy tombs of saintly priests had
made the church a perfect place for worship and meditation. During the regime of Very Rev.
Ramban Dr. N. J. Thomas, the church was upgraded to the status of “Cathedral”.
The pulpit has demolished a few years ago as it was not in use and blocking the view of the Altar.
Similarly, the huge pillars had occupied a lot of place inside the church. The increasing number of
parishioners and the limited seating inside the church compelled the need fora new church.
However, the parishioners were not in favour of the plan to
build a new church at the adjacent location. Hence the plan for renovating the existing church was
finalized.
Committees and Foundation: The first committee for church renovation was established in the year 2012 by Very Rev.Ramban.G.M Skariah. Later Fr. Skariah
Left in order to pursue higher education. It was during Rev.Fr.Lawrence D’souza’s tenure as Vicar
General of SMOS Cathedral, His Grace Yakob Mar Elias Metropolitan Brahmavar Diocese laid the
foundation stone for the renovation of the cathedral on 4 th August 2013. The renovation committee
was reformed during this time. During the tenure of Rev. Fr. C A Issac, our Catholicos His Holiness
Baselios Mar thoma Paulose II had visited our Cathedral for the first time and declared our Bishop
Alvares and Rev.Fr.R.Z. Noronha as“Blessed”. The senior citizens care home “Aasro” was also
inaugurated during the same time.
Consecration of the renovated Cathedral:
The newly built church was consecrated on 12th and 13th January 2018 by His Holiness Baselios Mar
Thoma Paulose II , H.G Dr Geevarghese Mar Coorilose, Metropolitan Diocese of Bombay, H.G Dr
Joseph Mar Dionysius, Metropolitan Diocese of Kolkata, H,G Dr Geevarghese Mar
Yulios,Metropolitan, Diocese of Ahmedabad . H.G DrAbraham Mar Seraphim Metropolitan, Diocese
of Bengaluru and His Grace Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, bishop of Udupi Diocese (Roman Catholic ) were
Present.
Renovated St Mary's Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, Brahmavar was declared as a pilgrim centre by
Catholicos H.H Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, on the second day of the consecration of the
Cathedral on Friday 12th January 2018. The consecration of the renovated Cathedral is a major
milestone in the 130 glorious years of our church’s history. Blessed Noronha had said in his first
sermon “this land will yield gold” and we are now witnessing that his words are turning into reality.
With this, the torch of hope lit by our ancestors in this holy land has been handed over to the next
generation and we are hoping that the upcoming generations will also carry forward the good work
and add many more milestones to St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Cathedral.
entire world with 130 years of glorious past as a part of the 2000 year old Indian Church, namely
the Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church, which was found by St. Thomas the Apostle in 52 AD in
India, , one of the twelve disciples of Jesus Christ.
Origin
The Brahmavar Konkani Orthodox Christians majorly are descendants of migrants to Coastal area
of Karnataka from Goa and Maharashtra. A significant proportion of Christian Konkanis trace their
origin to the Apostolic Tradition of St. Thomas and St. Bartholomew. There is a tradition that
Christianity existed in and around Brahmavar, due to the apostolic activities of St. Bartholomew.
But, very few evidence substantiate the claim.
In the 16th century and later, with the influx of many western Christian missionaries, Konkanis in
Goa and Mangalore were converted to Western Denomination. Out of which it is stated that it
included the Native Apostolic Christians, who joined the sect.With the internal rift in this Western
Church in 1880 a large number of families and the faithful in the coastal areas from Maharashtra,
Goa, Mangalore (including Brahmavar Orthodox Konkani Christians), Kerala and Tamil Nadu in the
then British and Portugal India and Ceylon joined Fr. Alvares and pledged their loyalty and support
to him. These people, numbering about 5000 families alone in Brahmavar moved out of the
Western Denomination and formed the ‘Independent Catholic Mission’ under the Malankara
Orthodox Syrian Church.
The reason behind joining specifically the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church was the fact that it
was the only Apostolic Indigenized Church established in India in 52 AD by St. Thomas, one of the
twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, and had its own long history of revolt against the Western colonial
powers.
In 1887, Fr. Alvares, travelled from Ceylon and arrived at Kalianpur, near Udupi, a village in South
Kanara District. He moved out from there to a nearby village, Brahmavar, took 97 cent of land on
lease from a local friend, at a lease fee of 50 paise (eight annas) per year, and built a small
temporary thatched shed with coconut leaves for roof, and dedicated to “Our Lady of Miracles” for
worship. He celebrated the first Holy Mass in the said shed in 1887. The same church later came to
be known as St.Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church. The Altar is still situated in the centre of the
cemetery area.
In 1888, Fr. Alvares founded the Brahmavar Mission, for the welfare and spiritual upliftment of
faithful under his care. Fr. Alvares procured 14 acres of land from the then British Government at
Brahmavar for his mission activities, in the name of St. Mary’s Syrian Church, adjacent to the leased
land. He constructed a new Church in the new plot acquired by him and celebrated Holy Mass.
Later, the leased plot of 97 cents of the land was earmarked for the purpose of the cemetery for the
new Parish church. The same plot is still used as a cemetery and the temporary thatched shed
constructed by Fr. Alvares, where he celebrated the first Holy Mass still stands there as a
monument. It is here that the history of Brahmavar Mission and the Brahmavar parish begins.
On 29 July 1889, Fr. Alvares was consecrated as Archbishop of India, Goa & Ceylon (excluding
Malabar) with title Alvares Mar Julius I at the Old Seminary, Kottayam
Soon, Bishop Alvares named Blessed Fr. Roque Zefrine Noronha as the first Vicar of Lady of
Miracles Church (St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Church) He offered the first Holy Mass on Easter
Sunday (April 21 st ) of 1889 at the temporary thatched shed. Later on, Fr. Noronha constructed a
church in 1889 at the same place, after acquiring 14 acres of land from the then British
Government. The present St. Mary’s Cathedral stands at the very same place
Renovation of the Cathedral :
The old church: The first church was built by Bishop Alvares in the year 1887 (Our Lady of Miracles
which was situated in the current cemetery). Later Rev. Fr. R. Z. Noronha laid the
foundation for St. Mary’s Church at the current location which was completed in the year 1950 by
Rev.Fr. P.G. Koshy. The beautiful altar and the holy tombs of saintly priests had
made the church a perfect place for worship and meditation. During the regime of Very Rev.
Ramban Dr. N. J. Thomas, the church was upgraded to the status of “Cathedral”.
The pulpit has demolished a few years ago as it was not in use and blocking the view of the Altar.
Similarly, the huge pillars had occupied a lot of place inside the church. The increasing number of
parishioners and the limited seating inside the church compelled the need fora new church.
However, the parishioners were not in favour of the plan to
build a new church at the adjacent location. Hence the plan for renovating the existing church was
finalized.
Committees and Foundation: The first committee for church renovation was established in the year 2012 by Very Rev.Ramban.G.M Skariah. Later Fr. Skariah
Left in order to pursue higher education. It was during Rev.Fr.Lawrence D’souza’s tenure as Vicar
General of SMOS Cathedral, His Grace Yakob Mar Elias Metropolitan Brahmavar Diocese laid the
foundation stone for the renovation of the cathedral on 4 th August 2013. The renovation committee
was reformed during this time. During the tenure of Rev. Fr. C A Issac, our Catholicos His Holiness
Baselios Mar thoma Paulose II had visited our Cathedral for the first time and declared our Bishop
Alvares and Rev.Fr.R.Z. Noronha as“Blessed”. The senior citizens care home “Aasro” was also
inaugurated during the same time.
Consecration of the renovated Cathedral:
The newly built church was consecrated on 12th and 13th January 2018 by His Holiness Baselios Mar
Thoma Paulose II , H.G Dr Geevarghese Mar Coorilose, Metropolitan Diocese of Bombay, H.G Dr
Joseph Mar Dionysius, Metropolitan Diocese of Kolkata, H,G Dr Geevarghese Mar
Yulios,Metropolitan, Diocese of Ahmedabad . H.G DrAbraham Mar Seraphim Metropolitan, Diocese
of Bengaluru and His Grace Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, bishop of Udupi Diocese (Roman Catholic ) were
Present.
Renovated St Mary's Orthodox Syrian Cathedral, Brahmavar was declared as a pilgrim centre by
Catholicos H.H Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, on the second day of the consecration of the
Cathedral on Friday 12th January 2018. The consecration of the renovated Cathedral is a major
milestone in the 130 glorious years of our church’s history. Blessed Noronha had said in his first
sermon “this land will yield gold” and we are now witnessing that his words are turning into reality.
With this, the torch of hope lit by our ancestors in this holy land has been handed over to the next
generation and we are hoping that the upcoming generations will also carry forward the good work
and add many more milestones to St. Mary’s Orthodox Syrian Cathedral.
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