The largest shrine of

St Sebastian Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Diocleti ...

in the world, the church known as Arthunkal St. Andrew's Basilica and St. Sebastian's International Shrine in

Arthunkal Arthunkal is a coastal town and a major pilgrim centre in the south Indian state of Kerala. It is 40 kilometre south of Cochin city and 21 kilometre north of Alleppey town. It is a rapidly developing satellite town of Kochi. Arthunkal lies in ...

, Cherthala, Alappuzha district,

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

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 country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, was constructed by waning just Portuguese missionaries in the 16th century. The grand annual feast of

Arthunkal in January, which lasts for a month accompanied by millions of pilgrims is one of the important celebrations and major attractions in India.The feast of shrine Basilica also known as makaram perunnal. The church was rebuilt in 1584 under the vicar Jacomo Fenicio, an Italian Jesuit whose devotees claim to possess powers to heal the body and mind. Devotees fondly referred to him as "Arthunkal Veluthachan", "fair skinned father". Fenicio died in 1632. Eight years after his death, the church was rebuilt again, this time reoriented to face west towards the long white-sand beach on the shores of the

Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...

. In 1647, a statue of St. Sebastian, struck with arrows all over his bleeding body (he was executed on the order of the Roman emperor

Diocletian Diocletian (; la, Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, grc, Διοκλητιανός, Diokletianós; c. 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed ''Iovius'', was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Gaius Valerius Diocles ...

for embracing the Christian faith) sculptured in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

, was brought and placed in the Arthunkal church. Arthunkal St Andrews Basilica, the first Parish of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Alleppey The Roman Catholic Diocese of Alleppey ( la, Alleppeyen(sis)) is a diocese centered on the city of Alleppey in the Ecclesiastical province of Trivandrum in India. It lies along the Arabian Sea between the dioceses of Cochin and Quilon, covering ...

was elevated to the status of Basilica by Catholic Church authorities on 9 July 2010. Arthunkal Basilica became the first Basilica in the diocese of Alleppey and the seventh basilica in Kerala and the third basilica of the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

Latin church , native_name_lang = la , image = San Giovanni in Laterano - Rome.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , alt = Façade of the Archbasilica of St. John in Lateran , caption = Archbasilica of Saint Joh ...

. ( Thumpoli (

Thumpoly Thumpoly is coastal town in the Alappuzha District and is a famous well-known Christian Marian pilgrimage shrine of Kerala. Thumpoly church ( St.Thomas church,Thumpoly) is an ancient church built by the Portuguese and was established in t ...

) Church, the second most important church in the Diocese of Alleppey , is expected to receive the status of the second `Minor Basilica´ in the Diocese.

Gallery

File:Arthunkal old Church.jpg, Old Church at Arthunkal File:Arthunkal StAndrews Church.JPG, Front View of Church File:Arthunkal Church Sideview During Feast.jpg, Arthunkal Church during Feast

References

{{Churches of Kerala Basilica churches in Kerala Rebuilt churches in India Churches in Alappuzha district Roman Catholic churches completed in 1584 16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in India

Gallery

See also

References