St. Mary’s & St. Jude Orthodox Church, Kazhakoottam

St. Mary’s and St Jude Orthodox Syrian Church, Kazhakootam (Kazhakuttom) is a parish under the Thiruvananthapuram diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church lead by our present Vicar Rev.Fr.Varghese Kunjukunju. This church started itself as a small chapel in 2009. The Diocesan Bishop H.G.Dr. Gabriel Mar Gregorious declared it as a Parish in August 2011 and Very Rev. Joseph Samuel Karukayil Cor-Episcopa is the Founder Vicar.

St. Mary’s and St Jude Orthodox Syrian Church provides opportunities for people to worship God. Our worship includes praise, thanksgiving, confession, petition, reading of the Scriptures, and dedication. The Holy Eucharist is offered every Sunday in Malayalam and all the faithful are encouraged to take part in it. The church has St. Mary’s League, Youth League and Sunday school and regularly conducts Bible study classes, retreats, evangelistic meetings, social and charitable activities.

The Indian Orthodox Church (also known as Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Orthodox Syrian Church of the East), is a prominent member of the Oriental Orthodox Churches family. The Church traces its origins to St. Thomas the Apostle, who came to India in AD 52. St Thomas preached the gospel, established 7 parishes in Kerala in Southern India and ordained priests. Christian writers and representatives of the Churches, from the 4th century refer to the evangelistic labours of St. Thomas in India, during the first century.

Official name of the Indian Orthodox Church – Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church – can be explained as: ‘Malankara’ is another name for Kerala, ‘Orthodox’ is the category of Christian faith and tradition it follows (distinguishes it from the Roman Catholic and Protestant faiths), and ‘Syrian’ comes from the Syriac language which was the liturgical language of the church for centuries. The church which St Thomas established remained as a strong community within Kerala for 19 centuries, without expanding itself to other parts of India.