St. Thomas

According to the Indian tradition, St. Thomas the Apostle landed at Kodungalloor (Cranganore), the capital of the Chera empire in the year 52 A.D. Persians, Greeks and Romans found Kodungalloor an important centre for their trade. St. Thomas preached the gospel wherever he went, and founded 7 1/2 churches. The apostolate of St. Thomas was fruitful among the people of Kerala. According to the Malabar tradition seven christian communities were formed in seven different places before he was martyred in 72 A.D. His body was brought to Mylapore and was buried in a holy shrine.

From the 4th century, St. Thomas Christians established relationships with the Church of Persia. Bishops who came to India from that Church also had their residence at Kodungalloor while they held the title of the "Metropolitan and Gate of All India". The ' Metropolitan ' changed his residence from Kodungalloor to Angamali in the 16th century due to certain political reasons.

After the death of Mar Abraham in 1577, the St. Thomas Christians were subjected to Latin Bishops from 1699 and continued to be so until 1887. H. H. Pope Leo XIII of illustrious memory by the epoch making bull "Quod jam pridem" of May 20, 1887, separated the Syrian Catholics of Malabar from the jurisdictions of Padroado as well as the Vicariate of Verapoly and erected for them two Apostolic Vicariates of Trichur and Kottayam. The Vicariate of Trichur had within its territory Kodungalloor and Palayoor, the cradles of Christianity in India. Msgr. Adolph Edwin Medlycott was the first Vicar Apostolic of Trichur.

Nine Years later, by the Brief "Quae Rei Sacrae" of July 28, 1896 the same Holy Father reorganised the two Vicariates into three: Trichur, Ernakulam and Changanacherry with Indians of the Syro-Malabar rite as their Vicars Apostolic. Mar John Menachery became the first native Vicar Apostolic of Trichur. The rapid and remarkable progress that the Syrian Catholics made under the Indian bishops in the course of a few years was highly appreciated by the Apostolic See and as a result, on December 21, 1923 by the bull "Romani Pontifices" of Pope Pius XI, the Syro-Malabar Hierarchy was established, raising Ernakulam to the status of a Metropolitan See with Trichur, Changanacherry and Kottayam as its suffragan eparchies. Mar Francis Vazhappilly was the first Bishop of Trichur. In 1887 the Vicariate of Trichur was bounded on the East by the Western Ghats, on the South by the Periyar (Aluva), on the West by the Arabian Sea and on the North by the river Bharatha. When by "Quae Rei Sacrae" of July 28, 1896 the three Syrian Vicariates were erected, the river Chalakudy was made the southern boundary of Trichur Vicariate. Pope Pius XII, by the bull "Saepe Fidelis" of April 29, 1955 extended the jurisdiction of the bishop of Trichur to the whole of the Latin diocese of Coimbatore. On June 20, 1974, Pope Paul VI by the bull "Apostolico Requirente" divided the Eparchy of Trichur erecting the Eparchy of Palakkad which consisted of the civil districts of Palakkad and Coimbatore. Again on June 22, 1978, Pope Paul VI separated the entire taluk of Kodungalloor,the greater part of Mukundapuram and small portions of Paraur and Aluva to the north of the river Chalakudy from the Eparchy of Trichur and erected the Eparchy of lrinjalakuda by the Apostolic bull "Trichuriensis Eparchiae". Pope John Paul II inaugurated the centenary celebrations of the Eparchy of Trichur on 7th February, 1986 at St. Thomas Nagar, Trichur in the presence of about one million people. On 20th May, 1987 the centenary day was celebrated. The concluding functions on 9th August 1987 were presided over by Simon Cardinal Lourdusamy, Prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches. The eparchial renewal project Evangelisation Decade EV-X was inaugurated on 30th December, 1990. After the erection of the Syro - Malabar Major Archiepiscopate the eparchy of Trichur is in the forefront of the renewal efforts in the Church.

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