When Joanna Bishop from Stockholm steps into the newly-built St. George Church at Edapally in Kochi, her blue eyes widen in wonder. There is plenty to be wonderstruck about. The large painting of Jesus Christ with outstretched arms behind the altar is awash in dazzling light rays made of gold leaf. Thirty-four feet high images of Jesus Christ being baptised by John the Baptist and of The Last Supper flank the altar. The floor is granite, while the furniture is teakwood.
The church can accomodate around 5,000 people. “Plus, there is space for another 2,000 people on the outside deck,” says Father Sebastian Vazhapally, who became a parish priest four-and-a-half years ago.
Its construction began in 2000 and it was consecrated on April 19 by Cardinal Mar George Alencherry, the head of the Syro-Malabar church, during a function attended by Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and singer Yesudas. The building is cooled by air pumped in through large vents by machines in the basement.
“The style is Portuguese-Kerala,” says Father Sebastian about the arched windows and buttresses facade, intricate Corinthian columns and Kerala-style mandalams. “The committee overseeing the construction visited 40 churches to see their designs before deciding on this style. The building is shaped in the form of an octagon.”
There is a 19-foot tall golden cross on top of the church’s dome. Interestingly, the number of steps to reach the entrance is 33, the age of Jesus Christ when he died. There are two bell towers at a height of 82 feet. The total built-up area is a massive 88,000 square feet. The cost of building the church: `33 crore.
“All the money has come from the donations of the faithful,” says Father Sebastian. “Like in Sabarimala, there is a deeply-held belief that if you ask a favour from St. George, it is usually granted.”
The priest knows of nurses who prayed for getting jobs in Europe, the US and the Middle East. When their wish comes true, they donate their first salary—around `2 lakh—to the church.
“It is the one of the largest churches in India,” says Father Sebastian. “This church has been built for the people of all faiths: Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Parsis,” he says.
Recently, Father Sebastian saw a burqa-clad lady accompanied by a younger woman and three children enter the new St. George Church, pray devotedly and put some money in the donation box. “I was curious enough to approach the elderly lady,” says Father Sebastian. When he spoke to 65-year-old Ameena Thottungal (name changed), he found out that she had been going to the old St. George Church, adjacent to the new church, for the last 36 years. For 10 years after her marriage, she did not bear children. On the advice of her Christian neighbour, she prayed at the old church. Within months she became pregnant.
“I am accompanied by my daughter and grandchildren,” says Ameena. “I am grateful to St. George.”
Meanwhile, Joanna finishes her tour of the church. “There is so much of decorative work,” says the 28-year-old. “It looks beautiful. The churches in Sweden are simpler, but then Christianity is declining in Europe. It is nice to see that the Church is thriving in India.”