LESSON 22 – MALANKARA CHURCH AND KNANAYA COMMUNITY
Lesson 22 – Malankara Church and Knanaya Community
Another name for Kerala is Malankara. It means ‘the land of mountains’. So the church established here is known as Malankara Church.
In AD 52, St. Thomas, a disciple of Jesus, reached Kerala. He spread the gospel and established the church. After St. Thomas became a martyr, Malankara Church found it difficult to continue without a leader. Many believers returned back to Hinduism. There was no one to lead the believers in Christianity.
It is in this instance that in AD 345, a group of people migrated from Edessa to Malankara, under the guidance of Knai Thoma. We, the Knanaya community, are the descendants of this group of people.
This migration created a rebirth to the Malankara Church. This is how the leadership was given to the people of Kerala. Metropolitan of the Syrian Church Mor Joseph of Uraha along with Priests and Deacons became the leaders of the Malankara Church. This is the basis of the relationship between Knanaya Syrian Church and Antioch.
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