THRISSUR: “For He sees that even wise men die; the stupid and the senseless alike perish, And leave their wealth to others,” says the Holy Bible indicating the universal fact that be it wise or unwise, all will die one day.
Recognising the universal truth, this church in Ollur has been continuing the tradition of not allowing the booking of family tombs thereby ensuring a grave for every parishioner.
St Antony’s Forane Church, also known as Little Rome, was established in 1718. The church has intricate works on its altar, especially a variety of sculptures of angels. The annual feast of St Raphael is famous locally. As per reports, over 5,000 images of angels have been carved out on various canvases in the church. The church also carries a memorial stone of the liberation struggle held in 1959.
It was in 1953, when Fr Paul Pakkassery served as the vicar of the church that the decision not to allow the booking of the grave was taken. “The real driving force behind such a decision was the lack of adequate space in the cemetery. Ollur church is among the largest parishes in the state. When parishioners died, the church authorities found it difficult to allot slots for burial as there was a shortage of space in the cemetery.
Moreover, the graves owned by families who paid for them could not be used by others. This led to a difficult situation,” said Catholic historian George Menachery, who is also a member of the parish. Originally the church had about 3000 families and 20,000 parishioners under it. Later 18 regions disassociated from the main church and set up their own parishes.
“It was a democratic decision made by the authorities of Ollur church. Now, the parishioners under Ollur church don’t have to worry about the money needed to bury the dead. All they have to do is follow the customary funeral prayers as instructed by the church. Otherwise, when a person in the family dies, the relatives had to worry about available space in the cemetery, expenses for the burial, etc,” added Menachery. He noted that the decision benefited the majority of parishioners in Ollur, who come from middle class families.
At present, a member of the catholic community has to pay several lakhs of rupees to book a family tomb in a church cemetery, be it urban or rural areas. The higher the population density, the higher the fee for booking or owning a tomb. With the growth in population and constraints on land, burial seems to be a major challenge, especially in urban areas. However, the Ollur church does not face the issue as it has taken a decision not to allow owning a grave or booking it by paying an advance amount.
Menachery also pointed out a disadvantage. The parishioners of Ollur would miss having a family grave, through which the ancestors could have remembered, he said. “I have seen tombs of about 400 years old in England. So the families will remember the names of people who lived several years ago and whose legacy they carry. But we will miss such an opportunity,” he added.