|
St. Thomas the Apostle according
to the Indian tradition landed at Kodungalloor (Cranganore), the
capital of the then Chera Empire
in the year 52 A.D. Persians,
Greeks and Romans found
Kodungalloor as an important
center for their trade.
St. Thomas
preached the Gospel wherever he
went. According to
the Malabar tradition, seven
Christian communities were
established by him,
including Palayur of this
archdioceses.
H.H. Pope Leo XIII of
illustrious memory, by the
epoch-making bull “Quod Jam
Pridem” of Mary 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 two of the most
ancient Christian centers ie,
Kodungalloor and Palayoor, the
former being the cradle of
Christianity in India. Mgr.
Adolphus 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
reorganized the two Vicariates
into three : Trichur, Ernakualm
and Changanassery with Indians of
the Syro-Malabar rite as their
Vicars Apostolic. Accordingly
Mar John Menacherry 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 21st December 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 and having
Trichur, Changanassery and
Kottayam as its suffragan
Eparchies. Mar, Francis
Vazhappillly 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
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
civil district of Coimbatore. On
June 20, 1974, Pope Paul VI by
the bull “Apostolico Requirente”
divided the Eparchy of Trichur
erecting the Eparchy of Palakad
which consisted of the civil
districts of Palakkad and
Coimbatore. Again on June 22, 1978, Pope Paul VI Separated the
entire taluk of Kodungalloor,
greater Part of Mukundapuram and
small portions of Paravoor and
Aluva to the North of the river
Chalakudy from the Eparchy of
Trichur and erected the Eparchy
of Irinjalakuda by the Apostolic
bull “Trichuriensis Eparchiae”
The long awaited expectation of
the faithful of the Eparchy of
Trichur was fulfilled on 18th
May 1995 when the Pope John Paul
II raised the Eparchy to the
Metropolitan status, Eparchies
of Irijalakuda and Palakad as
its suffragans and Bishop Mar
Joseph Kundukulam as its first
Metropolitan Archbiship.
The Present Archieparchy of
Thichur has the following
boundaries –
North : Bharathapuzha in
Malappuram district and Trichr -
Palakkad district boundary, West
: Arabian Sea, East : Trichur District Boundary, South :
Southeran boundary of Valapad
village and Karuvannur,
Karanchira, Kurumali, Mupliyam
river
|
