Old Church

The St. Thomas, known as Didimose, came to Malankara of Kodungalloor in AD-52 his missionary activities in Mesopotamia, Media, Persia, Bactria, Ethiopia. The then Kodungalloor has ruled by Chera Kings. Ambazhakad, which was then known as Ambalakkad on the banks of river Chalakudy was of village people survived by agriculture. The villagers of Ambazhakadu used to go to Kodungalloor for the sale of their agricultural commodities.

The Gina religion came out as strong during their period 400-300 BC. Mathilakam temple, Koodalmanikyam temple of Irinjalakuda where the temple built by the Ginas. The Aryans invasions to kerala happened during the AD 700-800 period. The Vadakkumnatha temple of Thrissur, Bhagavathy temple of Kodungalloor were the temple built in Buddhist style and they were supposed to be Buddhist temple. The historian assumes that the rhyme “Sathyam saranam, Buddham saranam Gachami” is the Buddhist mantras. The “Swami saranam, Ayyappa saranam” are nothing but the true repetition of this Buddhist mantras. The cast systems such as Vaisya, Kshathriya, Brahmana, Sudra is cause upto leaving during this period of Aryan invasion.

It is assume that the Ambazhakad church built on AD-300 during the Gina period. During this period there is a growth of Christians in Kodungalloor, Ambazhakad and Ankamaly. The parent church of the villagers of Koratty was Ambazhakkad. The commandant of Koratty Kaimal the then ruler was a Christian belong to a family of Kavalakkat in Koratty itself. During the reign of the highness Koratty.

The historical documents confirms that there had been a seminary and St. Pauls college in Ambazhakad. In addition to this there was a press the Hugarian priest Arnos came to Ambazhakkad in 1661, when the Dutch conquered the Fort of Kochi. The press, college etc. have been destroyed during the reign of Tippu Sultan in 1789. Tippu built a fort right from Krinshankotta to Pazhukkara and a military center in the present Palayamparambu.

Meladoor church was built in 1952 as evident from the historical documents available in Ambazhakkad. It was started in a thatched shed in Vennoor and was associated with a school. The prayer and rosary were regular in the primitive church. The church from the shed has been then shifted to the present day LP school. And idols of Infant Jesus and St: Joseph & St: Mary concreted there. In 1921 the Raja of Kochi took over the charge of the school, and the same year the diocesan of Kochin visited the school. The idol of Infant Jesus shifted from there to the present day church in 1925. The shed had been rebuilt in 1926. The present church of Meladoor was built by Rev. Fr. G.T Maliyekkal who was the vicar of the parish for 22 years from 1957-1979. Now the number in the parish members increase and reached in the stage of reconstruction. The parish such as Snehagiri, Vennoor and Annamanada were separated from the parish of Meladoor.

Infant Jesus of Meladoor is often referred as a “Kochu midukkan” by Rev Fr. G.P Maliyekkal. It is just because whatever have been asked to him it will be given. A recent story of parish underlined the fact. A person offered a sum of 2000 Rupees to the church and prayed for the wish to build a new house. It was true that nothing was in his hand to build the house when he revealed his wish. It is wonder to say that next year he could furnish a new house and the arrow of St. Sebastian was revered in the new house. Even now he could not explain how this happens and he described it as a miracle. A number of examples are available like those cured from disease, those escapes from major accidents, those who secured their life by getting a good job and good partner etc.

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