The Basilica of Our lady of Mount Carmel & St Joseph, popularly known as Varapuzha Basilica, is in Varapuzha, a northern suburban town of Kochi City in the Ernakulam district of Kerala state, India. It was built in 1673. The basilica is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Joseph. The solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady is celebrated as an annual sixteen-day confraternity festival, from 31 July to 15 August. The basilica is also famous as a pilgrimage centre in the southern part of India. It serves as the mother church for 14 churches.
This church was the seat of the metropolitans until 1904. The headquarters was then shifted to the town of Ernakulam, for easier administration. As the original seat of the Latin bishop, the church holds a unique place in the history of Latin Catholics in the area. Presently the church offers solace to the faithful who gather there for the powerful intercessions of Our Lady and St. Joseph.
In 1653 Fr. Mathew of St. Joseph reached Goa as a missionary. The old Varapuzha Church was built in 1673.
On 20 February 1700 Pope Clement appointed Carmelite Missionary Fr. Angelus Francis as the Vicar Apostolic Malabar. All those who guided the life and activities of the Church from 1700 AD to 1886 AD were known as "Vicar Apostolics". On 13 March 1709 the Holy See suppressed the Malabar Vicariate, and the Varapuzha Vicariate was erected officially. In 1886 the Varapuzha Vicariate was raised to the status of archdiocese. Until 1904, Varapuzha was the official residence of the Archbishops of Varapuzha. From 1886 onwards the bishops took charge and care of the diocese of Varapuzha from this place named "Varapuzha".
On 1 September 1886 the Varapuzha Vicariate was officially raised to the status of archdiocese, and Rev. Dr. Leonardo Mellano OCD was consecrated as the first archbishop of the Archdiocese of Varapuzha.
In those years the Varapuzha Church was the only Catholic Church of this locality. At that time this was the home to all the Syrian Catholics of this locality.
The famous Carmelite Missionary Fr. Paulinus (missionary from 1744 to 1780) in his famous book India Orientalis Christiana describes this church as the "Church of Latin and Chaldean rites".
The church has two patron saints: Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Joseph; the latter resulted from the special devotion of its founder Fr. Mathew of St. Joseph.
The old church underwent a major uplift and reconstruction in 1927 when its old front doom collapsed in 1919.
In 1886 the Archdiocese of Varapuzha was established, and the church became the cathedral church of the archdiocese. This status remained with the church until 1936, when St. Francis Cathedral was built in Ernakulam
The church is the final resting place of 28 Carmelite missionaries, including eight bishops of the Diocese of Varapuzha
When Tipu Sultan (1750–1799), the notorious Muslim conqueror, attacked, plundered and killed many, Varapuzha was providentially left out being an island, but it became the place of refuge for all from all religions and castes. The Carmelite missionaries took care of all of them.[citation needed]
In 1682 the Carmelite missionaries of Varapuzha requested the Propaganda Fidei for the construction of a seminary for the formation of the indigenous clergy.[citation needed]
In 1685 the seminary was closed down. A new seminary was built in 1766 in Varapuzha. At that time it accepted candidates from both Latin and Syrian rites.[citation needed]
In 1790 this seminary was closed following the attack of Tipu Sultan, the Muslim conqueror. The seminary was reopened in 1832. In 1866 the Syrians were shifted to the Puthenpally Seminary.[citation needed]
From 1659 to 1904, sixteen bishops and two archbishops guided the diocese from this place. In those days all travels and transportation were through water.[citation needed]
In a letter dated 11 December 2020, the office of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments approved the application of the Archdiocese of Verapoly to elevate the status of the former cathedral of Varapuzha to a minor basilica. As a minor basilica, it will be one of only 28 nationwide and 10th in Kerala, and the first one in the country to be named after St Joseph.[1]
Venerable Mother Eliswa of Blessed Virgin Mary TOCD
The tomb of the Venerable Mother Eliswa (1831–1913), the Mother Foundress of the first indigenous Carmelite Congregations (CTC and CMC) in St. Joseph's Convent, Varapuzha, is here.
Gallery
Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Salve statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Varapuzhathamma
Miraculous Image of St Joseph
St Joseph
Old Altar of Varapuzha Basilica
Churchfeast 2019
Santo Entierro
Risen Lord
St Sebastian
St Sebastian Karikattuthuruth
Church Feast
Fatima@Varapuzha
Gesu Bambino
Rosary month Celebrations
Ancient Statue of Our Lady of Dolours
Tomb of Venerable Mother Eliswa Vakayil of BVM TOCD.
The Syro-Malabar Church, also known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic Church based in Kerala, India. It is a sui iuris (autonomous) particular church in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO). The major archbishop presides over the entire church. The incumbent Major Archbishop is Raphael Thattil, serving since January 2024. The Syro-Malabar Synod of Bishops canonically convoked and presided over by the major archbishop constitutes the supreme authority of the church. The Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the church is based in Kakkanad, Kochi. Syro-Malabar is a prefix reflecting the church's use of the East Syriac Rite liturgy and origins in Malabar. The name has been in usage in official Vatican documents since the nineteenth century.
The Archeparchy of Changanacherry is a Syro-Malabar Catholic archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and also Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu. It is one of the largest Catholic dioceses in India in terms of area. Joseph Perumthottam is the current Metropolitan Archbishop, serving since 2007. Thomas Tharayil has been the auxiliary bishop since 2017. Suffragan eparchies of the Changanassery archeparchy includes Palai, Kanjirappally-Nilackal, and Thuckalay-Thiruvithancode.
The Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly is the major archeparchy and the see of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It has been the major archeparchy since 1992 when the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was elevated to the status of a major archiepiscopal church with Ernakulam-Angamaly as the primatal see. The major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly is the main bishop of the jurisdiction, at the same time the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The eparchies of Kothamangalam and Idukki are the two suffragan eparchies of the major archeparchy.
The Diocese of Quilon is a Latin Church ecclesiastical jurisdiction or diocese of the Catholic Church based in the southern Indian city of Kollam. It is a suffragan in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Trivandrum. The Diocese of Quilon covers an area of 1,950 km2 that contains a population of some 4.8 million. At least 4.8% of the people in the area are Catholic.
Varappuzha, IPA:[ʋɐɾɐːpːuɻɐ], is a northern suburb of the city of Kochi. It is a census town in Paravur Taluk, Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala. Situated around 15 km (9 mi) from the city centre and 8 km (5 mi) from Edapally, the areas lies in the NH 66 connecting Vytilla with North Paravur. Its specialty is that considerably large-scale paddy cultivating area is situating western part of Varapuzha which is called Devaswompadam, specialised with Pokkali paddy cultivation and interim crop as fish cultivation locally called 'Kettu'. The common work of the natives are fishing and agriculture. Varapuzha is known for its fish market.
The National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom aka Vallarpadam Basilica located in Vallarpadam, a suburb in Ernakulam, in the city of Kochi, is a minor basilica and a major Christian pilgrimage centre in India. Around 5 million people visit the basilica every year. People from all parts of the world irrespective of caste or creed go to the church to seek the blessings of the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus, popularly known as "Vallarpadathamma".
Charles Lavigne, S.J. was a Catholic bishop of the Latin Church from France who was appointed as the first Vicar Apostolic in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church Vicariate of Kottayam on 20 May 1887. After shifting the seat of Kottayam Vicariate to Changanacherry on 16 September 1890, his term ended on 28 July 1896. He later served as the first Bishop of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka from 27 August 1898 until his death at Marvejols in France on 11 July 1913.
Mathew Makil was the second Vicar Apostolic and the first indigenous Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Kottayam (Changanacherry), which is the Syro Malabar Archeparchy of Changanacherry today. Mathew Makil was also the first Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Kottayam, which is the Knanaya Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam today. In 1896, he became the Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of Changanacherry, and in 1911, when a new Vicariate Apostolic of Kottayam was constituted exclusively for the Knanaya Catholics, Mathew Makil was transferred to Kottayam as its first Vicar Apostolic. He died at Kottayam on 26 January 1914 and he was declared as Servant of God on 26 January 2009.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuching is a Metropolitan Latin archbishopric of the Roman Catholic Church in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is however remains dependent on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
This is a timeline of the history of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India.
The Archdiocese of Verapoly (Verapolitana) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church, composed of Latin Catholics of Malabar and headquartered at the city of Cochin, in the south Indian state of Kerala. The archdiocese has administrative control over the suffragan dioceses of Calicut, Cochin, Kannur, Kottapuram, Sultanpet and Vijayapuram. The headquarters is located in Kochi along the Malabar Coast in India. It was originally formed as the Vicariate Apostolic of Malabar in 1657 and became a metropolitan see in 1886. Verapoly is the anglicised name of Varapuzha.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore/Madras and Myliapor is an archdiocese based in the city of Madras, in India. It took also the name of the ancient diocese of Mylapore, now a part of Chennai.
The Roman CatholicDiocese of Cochin (Malayalam : കൊച്ചി രൂപത)(Português:Diocese de Cochim)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.
St. Philomena's Forane Church, popularly known as Koonammavu Church is situated in Koonammavu, a northern suburban town of Kochi City of Kerala state, India. This is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in India, built in 1837 AD. Even though the church is dedicated to the Virgin Philomena, Saint Chavara Achan's feast is celebrated in every year as the annual festival, a nine-day festival lasting from 26 December to 3 January along with Holy Christmas and the New Year. The church is also popular among non-Christians as a pilgrimage centre and this seventh Forane of Roman Catholic Metropolitan Archdiocese of Verapoly serves as the Catholic Forane Church of 12 churches listed below.
Church of Our Lady of Velankanni, Chariyamthuruth
Christ the King Church-Christnagar, Varapuzha
St. Antony's Church, Kongorpilly, Koonammavu.
Church of Our Lady of Rosary, Maloth, Koonammavu
Church of Our Lady of Nativity, Muttinakam, Varapuzha
St. Joseph's Church, Neerikode, Alangad.
Little Flower Church, Panayikulam
Sacred Heart Church, Thevarkad, Varapuzha.
Infant Jesus Church, Thundathumkadavu, Varapuzha.
Amalolbhavamatha Church, Valluvally, Koonammavu
Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Joseph's Minor Basilica, Varapuzha
St. Antony's Church, Chennur, Varapuzha.
Our Lady of Immaculate Conception Church, popularly known as Manjummel Palli, is a parish church coming under the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly. It is situated along the Eloor - Muttar Road, about 8 km from Kalamassery at Manjummel, in Kochi, Kerala. It was blessed on 4 December 1892 and is one of the century-old churches in Kerala.
Eliswa Vakayil TOCD, religious name Eliswa of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the foundress of the first indigenous Carmelite congregation for women in India. She was the first religious sister from Kerala, the southern most state of India; she established the first convent school, boarding house and orphanage for girls in Kerala.
The Latin Catholics of Malabar Coast, aka Latin Christians of Kerala or Malabar Latin Catholics are a multi-ethnic religious group who constitute the ecclesiastical provinces of Verapoly and Trivandrum, which follow the Roman Rite liturgical practices of the Latin Church, on the Malabar Coast, the southwestern coast of India. They are predominantly Malayali people and speak the Malayalam language, though a subgroup of Luso-Indians speaks the Cochin Portuguese Creole. They trace their origins to the evangelization of Malabar Coast by the Dominican, Franciscan, Jesuit and Carmelite missionaries, mainly French and Portuguese.
Joseph Attipetty was the first native bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly.
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