CHURCHES & MONASTERIES
Rakkad
ST. MARY'S CATHEDRAL

 
 

The St. Mary's Cathedral at Rakkad was founded in the year AD.1687 by the Patriarchal delegate Mor Ivanious Hidayatulla Bava who accompanied Maphryono ST. BASELIOS YELDHO as thanksgiving ('nercha' in Malayalam) to their safe travel to Malabar coast.  This church, situated in the Angamali diocese, is one of the historically important parishes of Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church.  There are a few well known Syriac inscriptions in the church wall which has caught the attention of many scholars.  On October 22, 2008 when His Holiness Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas, the Patriarch of Antioch & all the East and the Supreme Head of the Universal Syrian church, visited the church, the holy father declared it as 'Cathedral Nercha Pally', a unique status rendered upon in memory of the famous 'Nercha' (thanksgiving) by Mor Ivanious Hidayatulla.

The main Thronos of the cathedral is established in the name of the Mother of God and the altars on either side are dedicated to Apostle St. Thomas and Mor Geevarghese Sahdo.  The Church has two shrines, one in the name of Chathuruthil St. Gregorios (Parumala Thirumeni) and the other named after Mor Geevarghese Sahdo.  The main feast of the church falls on 2nd and 3rd of December. 

 

Main Source:   

 Directory of the Angamali diocese, 2003

 

Address:

St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Church,

Rakkad,  Mekkadambu Post

Muvattupuzha - 682 316

Google map locating the church

                 Google map locating the church

 

His Holiness the Patriarch Ignatius Zakka-I Iwas declaring the Rakkad St. Mary's Church,

a "CATHEDRAL NERCHA PALLY", in a function held on 22 October 2008

 

 

 
Rakkad St. Mary's Church in 2004 and its adjoining pallimeda (office building)
 
Rakkad St. Mary's Church (View from East and the main entrance to the church)

 

 


This is not an official site of the Rakkad Church