CONSTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH

Gradually the number of disciples in the seminary substantially increased and they were all particularly drawn in by the Saintly Bishop’s devout life of prayers. All these people could not be accommodated in the meagre space of the Azhippura. So His Grace Mar Gregorios mostly had his rest and sleep on a verandah to the south of this building. Yet another room (known as ‘The New Room’) was built to solve this problem. As and when this work was finished, the Bishop shifted his residence to the new room.

A temporary church for prayers and rites was already there in the land donated by Arikupurathu Family in 1885. This was originally built by Arikupurathu Karanavar for their spiritual needs when they fell off with the Niranam Church. The devout and prayerful Mar Gregorios wanted to rebuild this temporary church into a befitting beautiful church. The Bishop had no special capital for this. Making use of the personal gifts he received and the donations from the various parishes, he built the church and an adjoining seminary building at a cost of approximately Rs. 20,000 on 27^th January 1895. On the feast day of Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Metropolitan Mar Gregorios himself conducted the temporary consecration of the church and offered the Holy Qurbana in the presence of Metropolitan Joseph Mar Dionysius.

Kabar Of Thirumeni

This church is dedicated in the names of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. The saintly Metropolitan is buried in the northern corner of the church were the octagonal altar and the rectangular ‘Haikla’ of the church join together (the saintly Metropolitan was taken to his heavenly abode on 2nd November 1902. The Holy Episcopal Synod Canonized him as a saint in 1947).