St Thomas Cathedral,[1] also known as the Cathedral of Pala, is a Catholic church that follows the Syro-Malabar rite and is located in the town of Pala[2][3] in the state of Kerala in the south of the Asian country of India. It serves as the mother church of the Syro-Malabar Diocese or Eparchy of Palai ( Eparchia Palaiensis) which was created in 1950 through the bull "Quo Ecclesiarum" of Pope Pius XII.
The church was founded in the year 1002 July 3, by four Syrian Christian families. These four Christian families of Palai were Tharayil, Koottumkal (brother of Tharayil Mappila), Erakonny and Vayalakombil. They engaged mainly in agriculture and trade. The traditional written history is that the Pala church founded by these families. Tharayil Thomman Mappila and Vayalakombil Thomman Mappila seek the permission to build a church at Pala. But the royal dynasty of the Meenachil Kartha (karthavu) asked them to bring two more families. Erakonni family joined with them And still they Were in need of one more family. So Tharayil mappila brought his own brother's son from kaduthuruthy to Pala and their family name turned as Koottumkal family, in order to construct the church. Meenachil Karthas gave land on the banks of meenachil river and the church was constructed. These four families stayed in and around the church and opposite to the church.
- ^ "St. Thomas Cathedral, Pala, Kerala, India (Syro-Malabar)". www.gcatholic.org. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
- ^ Varghese, Theresa (1 January 2006). Stark World Kerala. Stark World Pub. ISBN 9788190250511.
- ^ Reily, Suzel Ana; Dueck, Jonathan (13 April 2016). The Oxford Handbook of Music and World Christianities. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199859993.