St. Thomas Ecumenical Church, Nilackal

Nilakkal St. Thomas Ecumenical Church is one of the earliest Christian churches in Kerala, India. This church is one among the Ezharappallikal (seven and a half churches) believed to be established in 54 AD by St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ.^[2]

St. Thomas Ecumenical Church, Nilackal
St. Thomas Ecumenical Church, Nilackal
Religion
Affiliation	Christianity
District	Pathanamthitta
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Independent Ecumenical church
Leadership	Various Episcopal Churches
Year consecrated	54 AD
Location
Location	Angamoozhy, Kerala, India.
State	Kerala
Geographic coordinates	(9°22′27″N 77°00′07″E)
Architecture
Type	Mix of Kerala and Persian
Completed	A.D 54 [1]

Nilakkal, also known as Chayal is a forest area, but once it was a place of great importance carried on trade with Madhura and Thirunelveli.^[2] Even though there is no historical evidence of the missionary work of St. Thomas in Nilackal, some assumptions of St. Thomas's establishment of a church in this place is written in old metal plates and other historian writings.^[1]

Since the old church is in a dilapidated stage, a new church has been constructed in a site not far from it. The new church is at Angamoozhy, 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from Nilakkal, almost 52 kilometres (32 mi) east to Ranni in Pathanamthitta District of Kerala. At present time, this church functioning as an ecumenical church maintained by various Episcopal Churches in India.^[3]

References

1. "Nilackal". pathanamthittatourism.com. District Tourism Promotion Council, Pathanamthitta Dist. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
2. Whitehouse, Thomas (1873). Lingerings of light in a dark land: researches into the Syrian church of Malabar (1873 ed.). William Brown & CO. p. 39.
3. "'Nilackal ecumenical church a symbol of unity'". The Hindu. 30 January 2011.