Parish History

Portuguese documents attest that the first church in Thodupuzha was established in the 16th century. The year 1543 is given in the Church documents as the founding date of the Thodupuzha church.

After the Synod of Diamper in 1599, Dom Alexis Menezes, the Archbishop of Goa, visited the church at Thodupuzha.

Western historical records testify that church at Thodupuzha existed till 1745. But the later history of that church at Thodupuzha is unknown. It is believed that the church may have been destroyed in 1750 during Marthandavarma's campaign against Vadakumkoor Kingdom, based in Thodupuzha, or during the attacks by Tamil raiders.

In 1852, Archbishop Loudovico Martini of St. Teresa, the Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly, granted permission to build a new church at Thenamkunnu, Thodupuzha.

The new church at Thenamkunnu was named after the Archangel St. Michael. The Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly after granting the required permission to build a new church, presented a beautifully carved wooden statue of St. Michael to the new church. The statue of the St. Michael gifted by the Archbishop that day is now enshrined above the main altar of the Thenamkunnu Church. Since then, people of Thodupuzha have reverently called the Archangel St. Michael as the 'Malakha Valyachan'.

When the construction work of the church in Thenamkunnu began with the permission of the Archbishop, there were some hostilities. On this occasion, a local cheiftain named Mundakkal Raman Nair of Manakadu reached the place and ended the hostilities and provided the necessary protection and other assistance to build the church. As a token of gratitude for the help rendered by Mundakkal Raman Nair, the custom of presenting Anjakaalum Koppum (rice and groceries) to his family every year on the main feast day of the Thenamkunnu church began. This tradition continues to this day.

Due to the limited space in the hundred-year-old Thenamkunnu church, it was decided to build a new church in Thodupuzha town and on November 6, 1960, Mar Mathew Pothanamuzhy, the then Bishop of Kothamangalam, laid the foundation stone for the new church. The first church named after the Archangel St. Michael and cemetery were retained in Thenamkunnu. Mar Mathew Pothanamuzhi consecrated the completed town church on December 12, 1971.

The new church in Thodupuzha town was established in the name of the renowned 3rd century Roman martyr St. Sebastian. The people of Thodupuzha sought the intercession of St. Sebastian to get protection from all epidemics, diseases and dangers.

On June 04, 2005, Mar George Punnakottil, the then Bishop of the Diocese of Kothamangalam, elevated the Thodupuzha Church to a Forane Church by decree no. 158/2005. The parishes of Kalayanthani, Kallanikkal, Nediyakadu, Thalayanadu, Ponnamthanam, Pannimattom, Vettimattom, Anchiri, Alakode, Chittoor and Thodupuzha East were included in the newly erected Thodupuzha Forane.

As the number of Christians in the rapidly developing town of Thodupuzha increased, the need for a new church arose due to the limited facilities in the town church. On December 10, 2006, Mar George Punnakottil, laid the foundation stone for the new town church near the U.P run by the parish. On February 13, 2014 Mar George Mathatikandathil, the Bishop of Kothamangalam, consecrated the new town church. Following the consecration of the new Church, the old Town Church, which had fallen into disrepair, was demolished.

On the occasion of the 800th anniversary of the Death of St. Francis of Assisi, when the Franciscan Jubilee Year was declared by Pope Leo XIV from January 10, 2026 to January 10, 2027, the St. Sebastian’s Forane Church Thodupuzha, with St. Francis of Assisi as its co-patron, was declared as a Franciscan pilgrimage centre until January 10, 2027 by Mar. George Maththikandathil, the Bishop of Kothamangalam, on May 22, 2026.