Francis Xavier, SJ, venerated as Saint Francis Xavier, was a Spanish Catholic missionary and saint who co-founded the Society of Jesus and, as a representative of the Portuguese Empire, led the first Christian mission to Japan.
Thodupuzha is a municipal town located in Idukki district, in the Indian state of Kerala, that covers an area of 35.43 km2 (13.68 sq mi). It lies on the banks of Thodupuzha river, which merges with the Kaliyar and Kothamangalam rivers at Muvattupuzha to form the Muvattupuzha river. Thodupuzha is 53 km (33 mi) from Kottayam, 75 km (47 mi) from Kattappana and 60 km (37 mi) south east of Kochi. Thodupuzha is 197 km (122 mi) from the state capital, Trivandrum. The geographical classification of the Thodupuzha Region is Malanad or Keezhmalanad.
Arthunkal is a coastal town and a major pilgrim centre in the south Indian state of Kerala. It is 40 kilometre south of Cochin city and 21 kilometre north of Alleppey town. It is a rapidly developing satellite town of Kochi. Arthunkal lies in the taluk of Cherthala, which is in turn a part of the district of Alleppey.
Johann Ernst Hanxleden (1681–1732), better identified as Arnos Pathiri, was a German Jesuit priest and missionary, best known for his contributions as a Malayalam and Sanskrit poet, grammarian, lexicographer, and philologist. He lived in India for most part of his life and became a scholar of Sanskrit and Malayalam languages before authoring Puthen Pana, a poem on the life of Jesus Christ, Malayalam–Portuguese Dictionary, the first dictionary in Malayalam as well as two linguistic treatises, Malayalavyaakaranam and Sidharoopam.
Fort Kochi, also known by its former name Fort Cochin is a neighbourhood of Cochin (Kochi) city in Kerala, India. Fort Kochi takes its name from the Fort Manuel of Cochin, the first European fort on Indian soil, controlled by the Portuguese East Indies. This is part of a handful of water-bound islands and islets toward the south-west of the mainland Kochi, and collectively known as Old Cochin or West Cochin. Adjacent to this is the locality of Mattancherry. In 1967, these three municipalities along with a few adjoining areas, were amalgamated to form the Kochi Municipal Corporation.
St. Antony's Forane Church is a Syro-Malabar Catholic church and the first church in India named after St. Antony. It was founded in 883 AD. This church is one of the famous pilgrimage centers in Kerala. It is renowned for the feast of St. Joseph on March 19. The origin of Thattil family in Thrissur is linked with one of the army Chief of The King of Kochi. He was killed in a battle with Zamorin of Kozhikode at a place called Enamavu in Thrissur. As a mark of respect and memory of this great warrior, King promised to construct a church, where his body is buried. Accordingly, his body was buried in Pazhuvil in Thrissur and a church was constructed there. Thattil Clan, Which has its origin in the ancient Christian settlement of Pazhuvil Located in the western part of Thrissur District, 17 km from the city in the Thrissur-Thriprayar Road. By virtue of its nobility and culture this family finds an important place among the ‘Nazrani’-Thomas Christians of Kerala – families, legendarily claiming to be the descendants of those ancestors directly baptized by St. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Lord Jesus Christ. Thattil Mapila who belonged to this clan and whose tomb is situated in the graveyard of Pazhuvil Catholic Church was built in the year 883 AD and catered to the spiritual needs of the Christians including those in Thrissur and its outskirts. Ollur is only one of the chapel of Pazhuvil Forane Church at that time. Arnos Padiri poem writer of Puthen pana buried here in1732. The tomb of Arnos Padiri is here.
Edathua is a small village in Kuttanad, Alappuzha district, Kerala, India. It is located 12 km from Thiruvalla city center, National Highway 183 and the Thiruvalla railway station.
Kadukutty is a village and Gram panchayat in the Chalakudy block in the Thrissur district, state of Kerala, India. It is surrounded by the Chalakudy river on three sides.
Ernakulam refers to the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. Ernakulam is the most urbanised part of Kochi and has lent its name to Ernakulam District.
Wadakkancherry is a major town in Thrissur, Kerala. Up until 1860, this area was part of Chelakkara Taluk. Now, it is the headquarters of Talappilly Taluk. Wadakkanchery obtained municipality status from the government by merging with the Mundathikode panchayath and it is the only town in Thrissur District to be raised as municipality recently. There are two places with similarly pronounced names: Wadakanchery and Vadakkenchery.
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Trivandrum is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church. Its episcopal see is Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, India. It shares its see with the major archeparchy of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, the Major Archeparchy of Trivandrum. The archdiocese a metropolitan see of an ecclesiastical province with four suffragan dioceses.
The Roman CatholicDiocese of Cochin is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church in the city of Cochin, India. Established in the year 1557, The Roman catholic Diocese Of Cochin is the second diocese in India after the Arch Diocese Of Goa. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Verapoly. The diocese serves Latin Catholics of Malabar.
Muttuchira is a village in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India.
Valiathura' was a major port of Thiruvananthapuram city the capital of Kerala, India. It is one of the oldest port in India. This was once the only port along the South Kerala coast. When Kochi became the prominent port in Kerala, Valiyathura lost its significance as a major port. Now, Valiathura is considered as a fishing port.
Velur or Veloor is a village and panchayat in Kunnamkulam Taluk, Thrissur district, Kerala, India with a population of 22,155. Other places close to Velur are Kechery, Wadakkanchery etc.
St. George's Syro-Malabar Forane Church, locally known as Edapally Church is a Catholic pilgrimage church in Edapally, Kochi, India. It is considered as Asia's largest shrine dedicated to Saint George, about five million people visit it every year.
The St. Antony's Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church is located at Ollur, Thrissur city in Kerala, India. The church belongs to Syro-Malabar Catholic Archdiocese of Thrissur. According to rough figures there are around 4,000 Christian families in the parish. Because of the huge presence of Christian people in Ollur, with its religious, educational, medical, social-service, and secular organisations and institution, Ollur has been called as Chinna Roma. The church is constructed on a hill-top which is the highest location in the area. The church is surrounded by a huge protective compound wall called Elephant Wall. When Thrissur Vicariate Apostolic was erected in 1887, Ollur was the richest, most populous, and influential parish, so much that the Vicar of the Ollur parish were included in Adolph Medlycott's four-member diocesan apex council. St. Anthony's Forane Church has 18 churches under its jurisdiction.
Christianity in the state of Tamil Nadu, India is the second largest religion in the state. According to tradition, St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles, landed in Malabar Coast in AD 52. In the colonial age many Portuguese, Dutch, British and Italian Christians came to Tamil Nadu. Priests accompanied them not only to minister the colonisers but also to spread the Christian faith among the non-Christians in Tamil Nadu. Currently, Christians are a minority community comprising 6% of the total population. Christians are mainly concentrated in the southern districts of Tamil Nadu - Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli.
Champakulam Kalloorkadu St. Mary's Basilica is an ancient Christian Church in Kerala. It belongs to the Syro-Malabar Church under the Archeparchy of Changanacherry. It is a Forane church, with several parishes under it.
St. Francis Xavier's Church, Sampaloor, popularly known as Sampaloor Palli, is a parish church coming under the Diocese of Kottapuram of the Archdiocese of Verapoly. It is situated along Palayamparambu Road, at Sampaloor, Mala in Thrissur district of the south Indian state of Kerala. The church is best known for hosting a number of Christian saints and missionaries including Francis Xavier, John de Britto, Arnos Pathiri and Constanzo Beschi.
Velur, Thrissur, Kerala 
