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Kerala - God's own Country

Home >> Places To Visit >>Churches of Kerala

St. Francis Church - Kerala

Fort Cochin is believed to be the oldest European Settlement in India and St. Francis Church was the first European Church to be built in India.  The history of this Church reflects the colonial struggle of European powers in India, from the 15th to 20th Centuries.

        The Portugese were the first Europeans to discover the sea route to India when Vasco da Gama landed at Calicut in 1498.  Two years later, on 24th December 1500, Portuguese ships under the command of Admiral Cabral visited Cochin and the Rajah of Cochin permitted them to engage in trade.  In 1503, Alphonso Alburquerque was given permission by the Rajah to build a fort at the mouth of the river which constructed mainly of the stems of cocunut trees bound with iron bands, whilst the rampart of stones and sand formed the inner defence.  Within the Fort they erected a church of wood which was dedicated to St. Bartholomew and which occupied the site on which the more spacious structure of the Franciscans later arose.  In 1506, Dom Francisco Almeyda, the Viceroy, was permitted by the Rajah of Cochin to build a new city of mortar and stone.  The buildings were roofed with tiles, a privilege hitherto confined to the palace of the local prince and to the temples in which he performed puja.  The Portuguese vowed that, apart from the fortifications, the first permanent erection would be a house for Divine worship.  The new Church, was completed in 1516 and dedicated to St. Antony.

        Towards the end of 1524, Vasco da Gama returned to Cochin (Which he first visited in 1502) where he died on Christmas eve of that year and was buried in this Church.  Fourteen years later, his remains were removed to Portugal and deposited at Vidigveria where they remained until 1872 when they were removed to Lisbon.

    The Church remained in the Order of St. Francis until the arrival of the Dutch in 1663.  One of the first acts of the Dutch was to order all European Catholic priests to quit their territory, after which they demolished all the convents and churches of the place, except the Church of the Franciscans which they reconditioned and converted into their Government Church.  On 8th January, 1664 they celebrated their first service with a parade of all arms on the Anniversary of their entry into the city.  During the reconditioning, the stone alter and the wiring guilded screens were removed and taken to the Church of Vypeen, which the Dutch permitted the Roman Catholic to build in 1665, and the Communion table and rostrum furniture were installed in their stead.  A tablet over the west door indicates that the Church was renovated in 1779.

     The change of name of the patron saint was presumably due to the Anglicans, for it was not until 1870 that any reference was made to St. Francis Church.  The gravestones let into the walls of the church were taken from the floor of the nave in 1886.  On the northern side can be seen Portuguese gravestones.  The Dutch gravestones are on the Southern Wall.  The Vasco da Gama stone is on the ground at the southern side.  A tablet inside the building over the west door shows that it was repaired by the Government of Madras in 1887, being the fiftieth year of the reign of Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland and Empress of India.

     The Church possess an interesting link with the past in the form of the Doop Book the old baptism and marriage register from 1751 - 1804 which may be seen in the vestry.  It was maintained for 40 years in the handwriting of Predikant Cornelies and was sent to London in 1932 for the leaves to be repaired by experts.  It was then rebound in the original style.  A photostat copy takes the place of the original for scrutiny by visitors.

        Now the Church is owned by the Church of South India (CSI) and there is regular worship in this church on every Sundays and commemorative days.  On week days it is kept open for visitors and tourists.

Churches

St. Mary's Church || St. Francis Church || Kodangallore Church 

Niranam Church || Holy Virgin Mary Church