St. Peter's and St. Paul's Orthodox Syrian Church is an

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in Devalokam, near Kottayam, India. The church serve ...

church situated in

Kolenchery Kolenchery is a town and the easternmost suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous c ...

, in Ernakulam, Kerala, India. It was established in the seventh century. Due to the issues between the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and

Jacobite Syrian Christian Church The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), or the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in India also known as Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Jacobite Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, ...

, the church was non-functional for few years and functioned as shared church from 1995. In 2006 a Jacobite member of the Kolenchery Church filed a suit over the administration of the church. The case proceeded from the lower courts and reached the

Supreme Court of India The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...

. On 3 July 2017 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Malankara Church, and the church has since been governed by the constitution of 1935.

Tomb of Mar Thoma VII

While visiting the parishes, the

Mar Thoma VII Mar Thoma VII was a Bishop of the Malankara Church from 1796 and the 7th Malankara Metropolitan from April 1808 to July 1809. He was born in Pakalomattom family in Kurichithanam, Pala.He was well known as an efficient administrator, deeply re ...

died at Kandanad Church; his body was taken to

St. George's Church, Kadamattom Kadamattom Church is an ancient Malankara jacobite syrian orthodox Church, located in Kadamattom near Kolenchery, in Ernakulam district, Ernakulam district, Kerala History The church is believed to have been established in the 9th century by Ma ...

and on the way they entered to Kolenchery Church to pay homage. As Kolenchery Church was also his quarters for some time, the parishioners demanded that the body be buried there. It was agreed and Mar Thoma VII was buried at Kolenchery church on 22nd Mithunam (5 July), 1809.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Peter and Saint Paul's Church, Kolenchery Churches in Ernakulam district Syriac Orthodox churches in India 7th-century churches in India