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Angamaly, St. George Basilica |
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Name: |
Angamaly, St. George Basilica | |||||||||||||
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Estd: |
2nd Century | ||||||||||||||
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Feast Day: |
23-Apr | ||||||||||||||
| E-mail: | rectorangamaly@gmail.com | ||||||||||||||
Website: |
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| Telephone (O) | +91 484- 2452678 | ||||||||||||||
| Contact: St. George Basilica! Angamaly Ernakulam 683572 | |||||||||||||||
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History |
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| As per the local traditional belief Angamaly was considered to be the origin and main centre of St Thomas Christians and from there it flourished entire Malabar( Kerala). There were Archdecons and bishops resided at Angamaly during the Sangam period itself. It is recorded that the first church of Angamaly dedicated to St. George (AD 450) was used both by the catholics and Jacobites till 1750. In this church there was a chapel which was dedicated to St. George where both the Catholics and the Jacobites conducted their services in cordial manner emerges the ecumenism between these two communities. The second church was the church of Hormisdas the Cathedral church which was either built or renovated by Mar Abraham exclusively used by the Catholics. It was in 1570s that Mar Abraham started the construction work of this church of St.Hormisdas. The present St. George Basilica is a basilica in Kerala India. It is the largest of its kind in South India and covers an area of 24000 sq. ft. Visited daily by over 160 people each working hour it is one of the most visited structures in Kerela. It stands as the biggest church in Kerala having an area of 24000 sq.feet and can accommodate 8000 people at a stretch. The alter covers 2000 sq.feet and is furnished with statues of Holy men in glittering crystal and in metal. At a time 50 priests can celebrate the Holy mass in Altar. A 24 feet length statue of crucified Christ along with St.Mary and St.John is affixed on the Altar. The dome of the church is about 185 ft height from the floor which is mounted with a globe weighing 750 kg and a stainless steel 450 kg. The 16 windows surrounding the dome is decorated with the portraits of the Apostles and the 64 windows of the church are imprinted with the Holy Men and the incidents of the New and the Old Testaments on Belgium glass. Pope Benedict XVI raised the Forane church into a Minor Basilica. The Official declaration function was conducted on 27th August 2009. | |||||||||||||||
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