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MALANKARA MAR THOMA SYRIAN CHURCH Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church is traditionally believed to have been founded by Saint Thomas (Mar Thoma), one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ, and known by the name of the Apostle, in the year AD 52, Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar is one of the oldest denominations of Christianity. The Church defines itself as "Apostolic in origin, Universal in nature, Biblical in faith, Evangelical in principle, Ecumenical in outlook, Oriental in worship, Democratic in function and Episcopal in character”. Headquartered at Thiruvalla in Kerala, in India, the church has followers across the globe. Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church (Malankara Mar Thoma Suriyani Sabha as it is called in native Malayalam) is one of the oldest groups of praticing Christians in the world. Believed to be followers of one of the original disciples of Jesus Christ - St. Thomas, also called Didimus or Thomas, the doubter  . The logo of the church consists of a shield emplazoned

SYRO-MALANKARA CATHOLIC CHURCH The Indian Church had an apostolic foundation in 52 AD through the evangelisation mission of St. Thomas, one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. It came in contact with the Syro-Chaldean Church of the Middle East and consequently adopted the East Syrian Liturgy. The Portuguese extended the Padroado agreement in their evangelization programme over India and wanted to bring the Indian Church of the St. Thomas Christians under this jurisdiction. The Portuguese missionaries, ignorant of the Oriental traditions of the Indian Church, had the conviction that anything different from the Western Church was schism and heresy. Hence they wanted to Latinise the Syrian Christians of India. The initial resistance slowly gave way to discontentment, which ended up with the revolt in 1653 known as the Koonan Cross Oath. Thus, the one Church of the St.Thomas Christians was split into two. A large majority of the broken-away-group hesitated to sever ties with Rome and t

MALANKARA ORTHODOX SYRIAN CHURCH The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church was founded by St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, who came to India in A.D. 52. Atleast from the fourth century the Indian Church entered into a close relationship with the Persian or East Syrian Church. From the Persians, the Indians inherited East Syrian language and liturgies and came to be known as Syrian Christians. In the sixteenth century Roman Catholic tried to unite the Syrian Christians to the Roman Catholic Church and this led to a split in the community. Those who accepted Catholicism are the present Syro-Malabar Catholics. Later Western Protestant missionaries came to Kerala and worked among Syrian Christians; That also created certain splits in the community. In the seventeenth century the Church came to a relationship with the Antiochene Church which again caused splits. As a result of this relationship the Church received West Syrian liturgies and practices. At present the Church