St. George church at Cherai, popularly known as Cherai Cheriapally, was founded by a few parishioners of the nearby St. Mary's church (Valiyapally) on 12th October 1871. It was a fire that occurred in the old church which prompted them to establish a new church in this village. On that day when the mishap happened, a marriage ceremony was about to take place in the Valiyapally which had to be shifted to another place, where Cheriapally is presently situated.  Later the groom's father, Mazhuvancheryparambath Avira Chacko, bought this land for the new St. George Cheriapally with the consent of the Maharaja of Kochi. The first Holy Qurbono in this church was celebrated by Fr. M C Yakub Kathanar, the son of Avira Chacko.

The construction of a permanent church building was completed only after 30 years of its founding. On 12th October 1901, Mor Gregorios Geevarghese Chathuruthil (Parumala Thirumeni) consecrated the newly built church and dedicated it in the name of Mor Geevarghese Sahdo. The three thronos' (altars) in the church were named after St. George who is the patron saint of the church, the Holy Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist.

This Church (Cheriapally) at Cherai comes under the diocese of Kochi. Mor Athanasius Geevarghese Metropolitan, the present secretary to His Holiness for Indian Affairs in Damascus, had served this church as its Vicar in early 1990's. The ancestral house of the late lamented Catholicos of the East Aboon Mor Baselios Paulose II Bava of blessed memory is situated very near to this church.

The door at the entrance of the church & the nearby 'Pallimeda'

 

 Sources:

            1.  Kochi diocesan directory published in 1972

            2.  Photos taken on July 3, 2006

 

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