Our History

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church based in Kerala, India. The church has its roots in the Malankara Church, which was founded in the 1st century by St. Thomas the Apostle. The Malankara Church was originally part of the Assyrian Church of the East, but it gradually became more influenced by Syriac Christianity.

In the 16th century, the Malankara Church came into contact with the Portuguese, who brought Roman Catholicism to India. Some members of the Malankara Church converted to Roman Catholicism, but many others resisted and formed their own church, known as the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

In the early 20th century, a group of Malankara Orthodox Christians sought to reunite with the Catholic Church. In 1930, they were received into the Catholic Church by Pope Pius XI and formed the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. The church maintains its own distinct liturgical and spiritual traditions, which are based on the Syriac tradition.

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church has grown significantly in recent years, both in India and around the world. Today, the church has around 500,000 members, with the majority living in Kerala. The church is led by a Major Archbishop, who is based in the city of Trivandrum.