About Ss. Gervasis & Prothasis Forane Church in Kothanalloor, Kottayam

The church of Ss. Gervasis and Prothasis (Kantheesangal) is situated enroute from Kottayam via Vaikom to Ernakulam (Kochi): from Ettumanoor seven kilometers north: from Kaduthuruthy seven kilometers south.

There is no definite proof about the date of the foundation of the church of Kantheesangal at Kothanalloor. It is said that the Persian Missionaries established a christian community at Kothanalloor in 826 AD (second year of Malayalam Era). The “St. Thomas Cross” of Kothanalloor which is also known as the “Kothanalloor Cross” is a rare Persian cross in Kerala. It was probably brought by these Persian Missionaries. It was installed in the Pallikunnu Church which was the first church built in Kothanalloor. The cross was shifted to the present church (the fourth one) on 18th December 1985. The same Cross (Persian cross), is now exhibited in a small chapel constructed near the protopresbytery of the parish. It was installed there by Mar Joseph Kallaragatt on 18th December 2007 (Commemoration of the Miraculous Cross of Mylapore: December 18, 1547). Kothanalloor Cross (Marthoma Sliba) recalls the ancientness, tradition, faith and growth of the Christian community at Kothanalloor (J .Vazhuthanapally, Archaeology of Mar Sliba, Jerusalem, 1988 & J. Vazhuthanapally, Kurisinte Bhoshatham, Cicar & Hirs Publications, Changanachery, 1998). The ancient christian community was under the patronage of B.V.M. The statue of Blessed Virgin Mary erected on the facade of the church speaks of the tradition.


The meaning of “Kothanalloor” is “a rural village that is covered with beautiful greeneries.” In 1220 there was a Christian migration from Udayamperoor to this beautiful land of green vegetation. They took with them the Holy Picture of Kantheesangal (Mar Sapor and Mar Phrod), the patron saints of their parish. As years passed by this parish of Kothanalloor which was till then dedicated to the Holy Virgin Mary was dedicated to these Kantheesangal, Mar Sapor and Mar Phrod, who were identical twins and ordained Bishops from Persia.


Mar Sapor and Mar Phrod were sent to Kerala in 825 by the great Metropolitan or Catholicos of Seleucia Ctesiphon, the capital of the Persian Empire. Mar Sapor had his headquarters in Cranganore (Kodungalloor) and Mar Phrod in Quilon. As there was an internal uprising in Cranganore between Jews and Arabs (Muslims), the Christians who supported the Jews in the insurrection, had to run away from there and Mar Sapor settled down in Udayamperoor with his followers. These Persian Missionaries Mar Sapor and Mar Phrod who were buried at Quilon were doing a lot of miracles and wonders during their life-time and after death. (Fr. Bernard Thoma: Mar Thoma Christianikal, Pellissery Publication, 1992: Pages 252-255). Hence, they were declared SAINTS (Kantheesangal) by the local church. St.Thomas Christians were glad to build Churches in their honour and to celebrate their feast (Mathew Maduckakuzhy, Purathana Christava Kendrangaliloode, VoI.l, Kanjirapally, 1994 Page 121).For centuries St. Thomas Christians were leading an exemplary and peaceful life both in the religious field and in the civil sphere. Spontaneously they adopted and integrated many liturgical elements and canonical institutes of the East. They adapted and Christianized the socio- cultural customs and the Hindu rituals which were compatible with the Catholic faith.

THE ARRIVAL OF THE PORTUGUESE

The European Missionaries and traders who came over to Kerala did a lot of trouble and havoc in the above-said fields. Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese Navigator landed in Kozhikodu on May 21, 1498. St. Thomas Christians welcomed the Portuguese traders most heartily. The Portuguese found that the practice of the St. Thomas Christians of Kerala were entirely different from their Latin Church - practices. They came to the conclusion that these Christians are heretics.

As the Bishops of St. Thomas Christians of Kerala came from Persian Chaldean Church, the Portuguese considered them to be Nestorians. The Portuguese Latin Archbishop of Goa, Dom Alexis Menezes convened the illfamous synod of Diamper (Udayamperoor soonahados). The synod started on 20th June, 1599 and ended on 26th June. In the wake of the Diamper Synod there began the systematic latinization of St. Thomas Christians. The XXVth Decree of the synod was about Mar Sapor & Phrod. The Synod commanded that all the churches which are dedicated to Mar Sapor and Mar Phrod be dedicated to “All Saints” and that the festivities that were kept in honour of Ss. Sapor and Phrod be kept on All Saints Day which is on the first of November; and that the Nerchas which were given on the feast days of Mar Sapor and Mar Phrod be given on All Saints Day; and that in future there be no more churches dedicated to Mar Sapor and Mar Phrod. It was also decreed in that Synod that churches be dedicated and festivities be held and prayers be made only to Saints Canonized and approved by the Catholic Church. (Dr.Scaria Zacharia, Editor, The Acts and Decrees of the synod of Diamper, Published by Indian Institute of Christian Studies, Hosanna Mount, 1994 Page 194). The synod of Diamper paved the way for protest and division among the St. Thomas Christians. The faithful of Udayamperoor were very sad because of the Decree against Mar Sapor & Mar Phrod. Hence the cunning Archbishop introduced to Kerala Ss. Gervasis and Prothasis of Milan, Italy who were martyrs and identical twin brothers like Sapor and Phrod.

At present Ss. Gervasis and Prothasis are the heavenly Patron Saints of the church at Udayamperoor (A.D. 510), the church at Kothanalloor (A.D. 826) and the church of the Catholics at Akaparambu (A.D. 1541). The Church founded by the Persian Missionaries at Akaparambu in A.D. 825 (First year of the Malayalam Era) now belongs to the Patriarch’s Party [Bava Kakshi=Syrian Orthodox (Jacobite) Church]. The church of Udayamperoor is of historical importance, it preserves the antiquities as a museum does. At Akaparambu Jacobite Church we see the treasury of arts and historicity. Kothanalloor church is different from the above two churches; it is a Pilgrim centre and Shrine.

The first church of Kothanalloor was situated on the top of a small hill now called Pallikunnu. Kavumpurath RAJA of the Royal Dynasty of Vadakkumkoor had marital relation with a young lady of Palakkattu Nair family at Kothanalloor and the Raja used to live there with her.Occasionally he was making comments and remarks against the celebrations in the church. One day early in the morning when a devout lady came to the church with her children to kindle candles before this St. Thomas Cross (Mar Thoma Sliba), they found that the church was burnt to ashes. The Christian community came forward in protest.

The Thanthri (Main astrologer) of the locality contacted the christians in order to pacify them and to find a solution to the grievances of the christians regarding the burning of their church. And hence, Mamalassery Kaimal one of the dependants of the Vadakkumkoor Royal family was good enough to give the christians three acres of landed property exempt from all taxes. The Kaimal also gave financial help to the christians to construct the new church. As from a legal contract the Kothanalloor parish even now gives the above said Mammalassery family "AnchekaIum Koppum" (lt is a technical and symbolic term used for a gift / award / in kind : 5.25 litre Rice, Coconut, Pumpkin, Elephantyam, a bundle of pappad, Molasses, Arecanut, betel leaf etc. At Kothanalloor at present the award is given in cash.) every year in January in connection with the main feast of the parish : the feast of the Circumcision of Infant Jesus.

The existing church is the fourth one and is constructed by Father Kuriakose Mayilaparampil of happy memory. ln the new church the first Holy Mass was celebrated in February 1901 ( Decree No. 27: February / Kumbhom 1,1901 : Makil Mar Mathai Methran, Vicar Apostolic, Changanacherry: Yogapushthakom VoI. l, Pages 13 & 14 ). Now there are 701 Catholic families in this parish with 3479 parishioners. On 3rd of July, 2005, Ss.Gervasis and Prothasis Church was raised to the status of Protopresbyterate (Forane Church) (Decree No. 508 : 29-06-2005, Mar Joseph Kallarangattu, Bishop of Palai, Yogapushthakom Vol. Vl Pages 01 - 03).

Hundreds of pilgrims visit Kothanalloor church to obtain favours through the intercession of Ss. Gervasis and Prothasis. Couples, married for five to twelve years, who long for an offspring come to these twin Saints and Pray earnestly and their prayers are answered positively.The youth who seek after jobs inland and abroad give reports about their success in the field through the intercession of these saints. Students who appear for examination take their pen and pencil before the Saints and pray for success. Children who are suffering from different diseases are brought before these Saints.By applying the solemnly blessed oil, poured in the Nilavilakku (lamp) before the Holy statues of the Saints, skin diseases are rubbed off. There has been a remarkable increase in the reports of favours received through the intercession of the Saints.

Every Friday there is Holy Mass and Novena in honour of Ss.Gervasis and Prothasis (06.30 a.m. and 5.00 p.m.). The feast of these Saints is celebrated on 19th of June. The peculiarity of this feast is the Get-Together of Twins which was started in the year 2007. On 19th of June 2007, twenty five sets of twins were attended the feast which grows higher to ninety three sets of twins in the year 2008. There were 151 sets of twins and three sets of triplets here in the year 2009 to take part in the Get-Together and to intercede the blessings of the Twin Saints, who came even from very distant places. There are 55 sets of Twins in this parish. 17sets of Twins from other parishes have received the sacrament of Baptism in this Church. The main feast of this parish (December 25 - January 02)