St Paul's Mar Thoma Church
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
St. Paul's Mar Thoma Church, Chathenkary (Malayalam: ചാത്തങ്കരി സെൻ്റ് പോൾസ് മാർത്തോമ്മാ പള്ളി) is a prominent parish church of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church. It is located in Chathenkary, a small village in the Pathanamthitta district of the Central Travancore region in Kerala, India.
| St. Paul's Mar Thoma Church, Chathenkary | |
|---|---|
| Chathenkary Mar Thoma pally | |
 | |
| Location | Chathenkary, Thiruvalla, Pathanamthitta District, Kerala |
| Country | India |
| Denomination | Mar Thoma Syrian Church |
| Tradition | Syrian |
| History | |
| Founded | 1902 |
| Dedication | St Thomas |
| Architecture | |
| Groundbreaking | 1932 |
| Administration | |
| Diocese | Niranam Maramon Diocese |
| Clergy | |
| Vicar | Rev Abraham Cherian |
The church was founded in 1902 and serves as a key parish within the Mar Thoma Syrian Church tradition, which traces its origins to the arrival of Saint Thomas the Apostle in Kerala in AD 52. The current building's groundbreaking occurred in 1932. The parish is recognized for its role in local community worship and activities, rooted in the broader history of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church, established as a reformed Oriental Protestant denomination in the 19th century following a reformation movement in 1836.
A significant figure in the church’s history is Kovoor Iype Thoma Kathanar (1842–1917), popularly known as Kovoor Achen, who was the first priest of St. Paul's Mar Thoma Church