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Manarcad Church
St. Mary's Cathedral, Manarcad
Marthamariam Cathedral
Manarcad ChurchLocation in Kerala, India
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 10 km from the town of Kottayam in Kerala, India and a destination for people on annual pilgrimages seeking the blessings of the Virgin Mary.The practice of the eight-day fast (ettu nombu) and the celebration of the Feast of Virgin Mary's birth between September 1–8 every year form part of an ancient tradition that continues to attract millions of devotees. During fast days, hundreds of thousands of people from the far corners of the world come to Manarcad to seek the blessings of the Virgin Mary. During his 2004 apostolic visit, Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka II, Patriarch of Antioch and all the East and Supreme head of the Universal Syrian Orthodox Church, elevated St Mary's to the status of 'Cathedral' and 'Universal Marian Pilgrim Centre'.

History

According to tradition, the forefathers of the church fasted and prayed for a holy place to pray and perform religious ceremonies for pilgrims. On the eighth day of prayer, they all had a vision. The holy fathers drew a parallel between the Virgin Mary and the 'Sakshipettakam' created by Mossaih according to the order of God. The circumference of this 'Sakhshipettakam' was 8 muzhams (around 12 feet (3.7 m)), a number equal to the eight salvation secrets of the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus Christ. Their vision was to build the church in a forest with a calf and cow lying down and where fish and deer could be caught in an area scattered with Acacia Instia and canes.

The stone inscriptions found at the church reveal that the church was built more than a 1000 years ago. Archeologists have found out that these stone inscriptions were memorial stones set up at the tombs in 910 CE and 920 CE and the writing on them are in Malayalam and Tamil scripts prevalent 600 years ago. The church was rebuilt on several occasions including during the 16th century when all churches in India were rebuilt in the Portuguese style. It is possible that the Manarcad church was reconstructed at that time using the Kottayam Cheriya Pally St. Mary s Orthodox Syrian Church and St. George Orthodox Church, Puthuppally as a model.

Parish and traditions

The Manarcad Cathedral and the eight-day fast continue to attract millions of worshippers seeking the blessings of the Virgin Mary. Today, the Manarcad Parish consists of more than 2,500 families spread over 12 contiguous areas who are led by a team comprising a vicar and eight assistant vicars. A number of educational institutions including St.Mary's College, religious and social service institutions and a modern hospital fall under the auspices of the church.

During the eight-day Fast in September, the helpless and the hapless throng to the church to pray to the Virgin Mary for their diseases to be cured, for children if they are childless, for protection against calamities and to have their wishes fulfilled. There are numerous testimonials by people who have received blessings.

Stone cross

According to legend, in order to install a huge stone cross in the church, the devotees went to ask for help from an elephant owner who was staying in Puthupally some 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) distant. Since the elephant was resting and receiving treatment, the owner refused the request. The devotees returned in desperation and to their surprise saw the stone cross had been erected. It was properly installed and before the cross stood the elephant.

The traditional lamps lit around this cross by devotees are a peculiarity of the church. Devotees used to move around the cross on their knees after bathing in a pond. Psychiatric patients and chronically diseased patients praying beneath the cross for the restoration of their health is a common phenomena.

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 - The Feast of the Virgin Mary's birth

Administration

St. Mary's Cathedral, Manarcad is the biggest church under the Kottayam Diocese of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church. The Church has always been an integral part of the Universal Syrian jacobite Church under the Patriarch of the See of Antioch. Metropolitan - H.G. Thomas Mor Timotheos, Kottayam Diocese
Vicar - Very Rev. E.T. Kuriakose Corepiscopos Ittiyadathu
Associate Vicars - Very Rev. Kuriakose Corepiscopos Kizhakkedathu, Very Rev. Kuriakose Corepiscopos Karukayil, Rev. Fr. Kuriakose Kalayil, Rev. Fr. Mathews Vadakkedathu, Rev. Fr. Mathews Manavathu, Very Rev. Andrews Corepiscopos Chiravathara, and Rev. Fr. M.I. Thomas Mattathil

Groups

Sunday school

The Church's first Sunday School was started in 1926 and at present there are sixteen Sunday Schools functioning in this parish to inculcate Christian faith in children and to develop their spiritual culture. They are also trained to develop their latent leadership qualities. More than 1,600 children learn spiritual lessons from 275 instructors at these Sunday Schools. which jointly participate in VBS, Teachers Seminars and Christmas Carols.

St. Mary's Ladies Group

The goal of the Ladies Group is to attain spiritual enlightenment and nobility of mind. Members of the group visit patients and pray for their recovery. They also extend financial help to poor patients. It is the duty of members visiting those in distress and sorrow to alleviate their suffering by offering spiritual advice. Eighteen branches of this Ladies Group function in the parish.

St. Mary's Youth Association Manarcad

St. Mary's Youth Association Manarcad is a youth organisation which works alongside Manarcad Cathedral and conducts and participates in charity work including aiding the homeless, assisting for poor students and carrying out religious indoctrination.The organisation which is involved in various kind of media activities like publishing monthly magazine Kolo Suryoyo which briefing church activities and happening around the churches

Elder's Forum

This group consists of elders who are over 60 who discuss spiritual matters, assess the functioning of various religious bodies and lay down guidelines in such matters.

Hail Mary League

It is a spiritual and cultural body that works for the spiritual upliftment of young girls.

Prayer meetings

The prayer meetings conducted in these parish is on ancient instruction of this parish. The prayer groups that used to engragate in the good old days have grown into organised prayer meetings. They function fervently in different parts of this parish

The Small Church and the crosses

As the reformation movement gathered momentum, the Small Church was built just opposite the main church on the main road. On eight-day festival Fast days and Sundays there is Holy Mass in the morning at the Small Church. From the time of its construction, all funeral ceremonies have been conducted at the Small Church.

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.

Prayers and religious ceremonies

On the sixth day of the eight-day Fast, the deeply religious and very colourful Rasa procession carrying thousands of ornamental umbrellas and several gold and silver crosses takes a route around these crosses and the Small Church Pilgrims' Quarters

Facilities were constructed in 1976 on the northern side of the church to provide shelter to pilgrims arriving from far away places who wish to attend services and ceremonies in the Pallimeda (Office complex) built in 1934. The 1972 Manimalika and two parish halls constructed in 1973 and 1990 comprise the remaining buildings at the church compound.

Schools

• 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)

References

1. "History". St Mary’s Jacobite Syrian Cathedral. Retrieved 18 March 2012.
2. "Manarcad St. Mary's Cathedral Administration". Retrieved April 11, 2010.

External links

• Official site
• Kolo Suryoyo : Official Monthly Magazine of St. Mary's Youth Association Manarcad
  • Social Media

        * Unofficial Popular Facebook account
        * Unofficial Popular Youtube Channel
        * Orkut Community

• Marian shrines
• Christianity in India
• Saint Thomas Christians
• Syriac Orthodox Church