Kerala, Asia’s first Christian center, today opened its first air-conditioned church. “Most of our parishioners work overseas and they wanted a cool place to pray,” Father Santhosh Azhakath, parish priest of St. George’s Malankara Catholic Church, Pulikeezhu, told ucanews.com.

The parish, which comes under Tiruvalla archdiocese, has only 63 families but managed to renovate their 70-year-old church in 31 months at the total cost of 10 million rupees (US$222,220), 65 percent of which was raised by the overseas parishioners.

“Now, we can pray without distractions,” the priest said.