Manarcad Church
| Manarcad Church | |
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| St. Mary's Cathedral, Manarcad | |
Marthamariam Cathedral
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 Manarcad Church
Location in Kerala, India
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| Location | Manarcaud, Kottayam district, Kerala |
| Country | India |
| Denomination | Jacobite Syrian Christian Church |
| Website | manarcadstmaryschurch.org |
Manarcad Marthamariam Cathedral (St. Mary's Cathedral), is a Jacobite Syrian Christian Church located about 9 km from the town of Kottayam in Kerala, India and a destination for people on annual pilgrimages seeking the blessings of the Virgin Mary. During his 2004 apostolic visit, Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas elevated St Mary's to the status of Cathedral and Universal Marian Pilgrim Centre. There are more than 2000 families in this parish and it is one of the largest Christian parishes in Kerala.
Contents
Feasts
- January 15 – A feast invoking the blessings of the Virgin Mary on agricultural seeds
- February 26 – Sunero Feast
- May 6 – Commemoration of St. George
- August 15 - Virgin Mary's Ascension Day
- September 8 - Feast of the Virgin Mary's birth; millions attend the annual 8-day celebration, known as Ettunombu Perunnal, during which an image of Christ and the Virgin is unveiled.[1][2][3]
Administration
- Vicar: Kuriakose Cor Episcopa Ittiyadath
- Co-vicars: Kuriakose Corepiscopos Kizhakkedathu, Kuriakose Corepiscopos Karukayil, Kuriakose Kalayil, Mathews Vadakkedathu, Mathews Manavathu, Andrews Corepiscopos Chiravathara, and M.I. Thomas Mattathil[4]
The Small Church and the crosses
The Small Church was built just opposite the main church on the main road. Eight kilometers east of Kottayam town, on K.K. Road, at Manarcad Junction, lies a Cross of the Church. The church and all church establishments are all only around 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) north of this cross. There is another cross set up half a kilometer west of the Churchyard at Kottayam.
Schools & Hospitals
- St. Mary's CBSE School, Manarcad (established 1993)
- St. Mary's Higher Secondary School (established 1949)
- St. Mary's IT College (established 1978)
- St. Mary's Nursing School (established 1976)
- St. Mary's College (established 1981)
- St Mary's Hospital
Spiritual Organizations
Sunday School
The first Sunday school was established in 1926 and there are now 16 such schools under this parish. They inculcate Christian faith in children and develop the spiritual culture in them. They are also trained to develop their latent leadership qualities. More than 1,000 children learn spiritual lessons from 50 instructors at these Sunday schools, which jointly participate in VBS, teachers' seminars and Christmas carols.
Vanitha Sanajam
They function with the aim of enabling the ladies to attain spiritual enlightenment and nobility of mind. The members visit patients and pray for their recovery. They also extend financial help to poor patients. Members visit those who are in distress and sorrow, and alleviate their suffering by offering them spiritual advice. 18 unit of this organization functions in the parish.
Youth Association
References
- ↑ "Annual feast of St. Mary begins today ", The Hindu, August 31, 2010.
- ↑ "Manarcad church festival on September 1", The Hindu, August 29, 2011.
- ↑ "'Ettunombu' festival concludes at Manarcad church", The Hindu, September 8, 2011.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
