Archdiocese of Trivandrum (S)

Trivandrum Major Archdiocese is part of the Syro Malankara Catholic Church. The Major Archeparchy of Trivandrum comprises Trivandrum, Mavelikara, Marthandam and Pathanamthitta dioceses as well as the Syro-Malankarese Apostolic Exarchate in the United States of America (suffragans). Its boundaries are civil districts of Trivandrum, Kollam, Alapzha, some parts of Pathanamthitta and Nagorkoil districts in Tamil Nadu. The eparchy of Mavelikara consists of the presbyteral districts of Adoor, Ayoor, Kattakada, Kazhakkoottam, Kilimanoor, Kottarakara, Nedumangad, Neyyatinkara, Parasala, Punaloor and Thiruvananthapuram. The archdiocesan headquarters is at Pattom in Thiruvananthapuram.

Language

Malayalam, Tamil and English are in use in the territory.

History

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church (also known as Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, Malankara Syriac Catholic Church) is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See. The Church is one of the Saint Thomas Christian Churches centered in Kerala, India, which trace their origin to the evangelism of Saint Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. Among the Eastern Catholic Churches, the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is a major archepiscopal Church, headed by Major Archbishop and Catholicos Baselios Mar Cleemis, who was elected in 2007.

The liturgy of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is of the Antiochene rite, West Syrian in character. The liturgy today is celebrated in Malayalam, Syriac, English, Tamil, and Hindi.

The Church was established in 1930 when it split from the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, an Oriental Orthodox Church, and subsequently entered into communion with the Holy See. The Malankara Church itself had emerged out of the split within the Saint Thomas Christian community of the 16th century; previously the entire community had comprised a province of the Church of the East, or the Nestorian Church, based in Persia. However, the collapse of that Church and influence from the Portuguese, who tried to bring them under the Latin rite of the Catholic Church, led to a rift in the community. Eventually, the majority entered into communion with Rome as the Eastern Catholic Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, while the rest formed the Malankara Church and aligned with the Syrian Orthodox Church. Taking only five members of his church with him, Mar Ivanios had founded the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, on Sept. 20, 1930. Pope Pius XI. through the Apostolic Constitution Christo Pastorum Principi of June 11, 1932, established the Syro-Malankara Hierarchy for the reunited community and erected the archiparchy of Trivandrum with the eparchy of Tiruvalla as its suffragan.The metropolitan eparchy of Trivandrum was established in 1932. Mar Ivanios was enthroned as its first metropolitan archbishop.

Transportation

The territory is well connected with roads and railway and air. A new port in Vizhinjam is also coming up. The nearest airport, Thiruvananthapuram is about 6 kilometers away from the headquarters of archdiocese.

Climate

The city's climate is a mix of a tropical savanna climate and a monsoon climate. As a result it does not experience distinct seasons.. Thiruvananthapuram is the first city along the path of the southwest monsoon and gets its first showers in early June. The city gets heavy rainfall of around 1,700 mm per year. The dry season sets in by December. December, January and February are the coldest months while March, April and May are the hottest.

Economy

The economy of Thiruvananthapuram archdiocese is a mix of agriculture, industry and government sector. Thiruvananhtapuram being the state capital has 60 per cent of the work force in the governmental sector. But during the last 15 years, Thiruvannathapuram has been transformed into a techie capital with around 45,000 software professional working in many IT firms. The city contributes 80 percent of software exports from the state. The opening of many private television channels in the state made Thiruvananthapuram the home of several studios and related industries. India's first animation park, Kinfra Film and Video Park, is situated here.

Religion

Mavelikara was once part of the principality of Onattukara and has been a centre of religious harmony, culture and arts for several centuries. As a testament to its link to that flourishing center of Buddhist culture, Mavelikara is one of the rare places in Kerala where one can find The statue of Buddha in seated position, which is dating back to the 9th century AD.