KOCHI: St Mary’s Orthodox Cathedral, Ernakulam, is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The ‘Navathy Celebration’ will be inaugurated by Catholicos of the East Moran Mar Baselios Mar Thoma Paulose-II at the Cathedral on Monday.
The history of the Church can be traced back to 1922, when early migrants and settlers led by visionaries P V Philip Vakil, Rao Sahib, P K Varghese, M T Varkey and M A Chacko purchased 28 cents of land near the boat jetty. “A hall was constructed at the southern side of the land, to be used as church. On October 6, 1926, the provisional church was consecrated by Fr Geevarghese Murimattathil, vicar of the Ayyampilly Church, with the assistance of Fr M P Pathrose Mookencheril (the late Pathrose Mar Osthathios) and Fr Jacob Mureekal who served as the first vicar of the St Mary’s Orthodox Church,” stated an official release.
As the parish grew, it was decided to build a bigger church. St Mary’s Church was elevated to the status of Cathedral in 2001 by the Catholicos of the East.