Church · Mattancherry
Holy Cross Church (Coonan Kurisu Palli), Mattancherry
An old stone cross hung with rosaries and pilgrims’ candles.
Holy Cross Church, also called Coonan Kurisu Palli, stands on Bazaar Road in Mattancherry, beside Our Lady of Life Church. Its centre is an old cross that has stood here since 1550, when Portuguese missionaries built a chapel to the Holy Cross. Locals call the cross Kuriyachan, which means Father Cross.
Friday is the pilgrimage day here, when pilgrims come to the cross. Each first Friday of the month, a veneration of the Holy Cross takes place at 7:30 pm. Come for that service if you want to see the cross in use rather than just looking at it.
On 3 January 1653, a large group of St Thomas Christians tied a long rope to a standing cross on the northern side of the Mattancherry church. They swore they would never submit to the Portuguese, and that oath is now called the Coonan Cross Oath. Tradition says the cross bent in sympathy with the oath-takers, which gave the church its popular name, the Bent Cross Church.
What the cats hear
Worth knowing
- No parking nearby; the street is narrow and busy.
What visitors liked
- Deep historical significance — site of the 1653 Coonan Cross Oath.
- Peaceful, spiritually uplifting atmosphere.
- Well-maintained, elegant architecture.
Did you know
On 3 January 1653, St Thomas Christians tied a long rope to a standing cross in Mattancherry and swore not to submit to the Portuguese.
The church holds a veneration of the Holy Cross at 7:30 pm on the first Friday of every month.
Tradition says the Mattancherry cross bent in sympathy with the oath-takers, which gave the church its popular name.
The cross at Holy Cross Church in Mattancherry has stood since 1550, according to the church.
Events
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