About Us - St. George Orthodox Syrian Church, Thiruvanvandoor

About Kochupally

St. George Orthodox Syrian Church, Thiruvanvandoor, is a parish of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church under the Diocese of Chengannur.

New Sanctuary

Old Sanctuary

Rebuilding

St. George Orthodox Syrian Church, Thiruvanvandoor, was established on July 8, 1956, under the Niranam Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Popularly known as "Kochupally", this church was founded through the tireless efforts of the Metropolitan of the Niranam Diocese, His Grace Thomas Mar Dionysius, Rev. Fr. Geevarghese Thottathil, and other faithful members.

During that period, due to offers of financial assistance from other Christian denominations, a majority of the people of Thiruvanvandoor, who were parishioners of Umayattukara St. Thomas Church, abandoned their Orthodox faith and embraced other beliefs. This departure of the faithful prompted His Grace Thomas Mar Dionysius Metropolitan and Rev. Fr. Geevarghese to construct a new church in the area to support the remaining community.

To comfort the believers who held fast to their Orthodox faith, land was purchased to build a small church. A thatched-roof shed was built on it, and the first Holy Liturgy (Holy Qurbana) was offered on July 8, 1956. By the Metropolitan's decree, Rev. Fr. Geevarghese Thottathil was appointed as the vicar on July 11, 1957. This small church was declared as a chapel of the Umayattukara Church in the name of St. George Sahada by order of the Metropolitan.

After the tenure of Rev. Fr. Geevarghese Thottathil, his son, Rev. Fr. T. G. Zachariah, served as co-vicar from 1971 and later as vicar. During his administration, the parish built its own cemetery vault, expanded the church building, and became an independent parish with Holy Qurbana celebrated every Sunday. Rev. Fr. Zachariah rendered commendable service to this parish until 1993. Guided by the grace of God and the active participation of subsequent priests and parishioners, the parish has progressed continuously. Today, the church known as Kochupally stands as a spiritual refuge for the people of Thiruvanvandoor.

Fr. Tiju Abraham serves as the Vicar of the parish. For the current financial year, Liju Abraham (Thachenparambil ) serves as the Trustee, and T. V. John (Oondamparampil kaleeckal) serves as the Secretary. The parish governance is actively supported by the managing committee members: Jessily Mathai (Jerrin villa), Mathew V. V. (Vaniyapurackal Kandathil ), P. V. John (Padinjare vaniyapurackal), Thomas O. C. (OondamParambil), Susamma Babu (Karumbil).

Reconstruction Journey

Milestones of Faith & Unity

Over the decades, the historic old church building fell into a severely dilapidated condition, eventually becoming unsafe for worship. Recognizing the urgent need, the then Vicar, Rev. Fr. Dr. Ninan K. George, took visionary leadership to construct a new church. The final Holy Qurbana in the old church was celebrated on November 1, 2020, drawing a close to a cherished chapter of the parish's history.

Constructing a new church during the global COVID-19 pandemic presented immense challenges. Undertaking this reconstruction took painstaking effort to raise the necessary funds. However, through the grace of God and the self-sacrificing hard work of the leadership, the parish received generous support from its members, non-members, and numerous well-wishers worldwide.

The foundation stone of the new church was laid on December 26, 2020, by His Grace Mathews Mar Timotheos, Metropolitan of the Chengannur Diocese. Following months of dedicated labor, the new church was consecrated on February 11, 2022, by His Grace Mathews Mar Timotheos. This beautiful new sanctuary stands today as a testament to the community's unwavering faith and unity.