Munnar 25 May 2024 (CCBI): Mount Carmel Church in Munnar was elevated to the status of Basilica during the Eucharistic celebration held on Saturday 25 May 2024. The declaration was solemnly announced by Most Rev. Sebastian Thekethecheril, Bishop of Vijayapuram, marking a historic milestone, as the first basilica in the high ranges of Kerala in the Western Ghats.
The formal decree of declaration, issued by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, was read in Latin by Most Rev. Justin Madathiparambil, Auxiliary Bishop of Vijayapuram, with its translation into Malayalam presented by Msgr. Joseph Navaz, the Chancellor of the diocese.
In his homily during the Holy Mass, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, President of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) and the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Church, conveyed that the conferment of Basilica status upon Mount Carmel Church is a profound manifestation of God’s benevolence towards the people residing in the high ranges. This recognition, he affirmed, underscores the Divine’s unwavering love and attention bestowed upon the inhabitants of this region.
With reverence, Cardinal Cleemis expressed his conviction that this newly consecrated Basilica shall serve as an inexhaustible wellspring of blessings, gracing the multitudes who seek solace and spiritual nourishment within its hallowed precincts. Furthermore, he commended the tireless efforts of the Vijayapuram Diocese, lauding their commitment to rendering humanitarian services that alleviate the plight of the populace in the high ranges.
Archbishop Thomas J. Netto of Trivandrum Latin Archdiocese, Bishop John Nellikunnel of Idukki, Bishop Ambrose Puthenveettil of Kottapuram, Bishop Gheevarhese Mar Aprem, Auxiliary Bishop of Kottayam, Bishop Peter Remigius, Bishop Emeritus of Kottar, Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General, CCBI, Rev. Dr. Charles Leon, Secretary CCBI Commission of Vocations and Fr Thomas Tharayil, Deputy Secretary of Kerala Regional Latin Catholic Bishops Council were the main concelebrants.
During the solemn liturgical ceremonies, a momentous occasion unfolded as Fr. Michael Valayinchiyil was formally installed as the first Rector of the Basilica. The main celebrant bestowed upon him this esteemed role by solemnly placing the biretta upon his head, a symbolic gesture of profound significance.
The Holy Mass was concelebrated by a multitude of priests hailing from the Vijayapuram diocese and neighbouring ecclesiastical territories, their presence lending a profound sense of unity and reverence to the sacred occasion.
The faithful from every parish within the Vijayapuram diocese embarked on a pilgrimage to this newly consecrated Basilica, participated in the Eucharistic celebration, and received specially bestowed indulgence. Thousands of individuals from diverse walks of life bore witness to this historic event, their souls touched by the radiant effulgence of God’s benediction.
The establishment of Mount Carmel Church in Munnar dates back to 1898. Fr. Alfonse Maria De Los Angeles, O.C.D., the zealous and spirit-filled Carmelite missionary from Spain who was then ministering in the Archdiocese of Verapoly, came to Munnar on foot in 1898. As per the request, the managers of the tea estates had given him a piece of land, and he built a temporary shed with wood and straws and offered the Holy Mass in the same year, which enkindled the lamp of the Catholic Christian mission in the Munnar region.
In 1909, a small church was built in the place of a temporary shed. Most Rev. Angel Mary, the then Metropolitan Archbishop of Verapoly, brought Munnar church under the jurisdiction of the parish at Aluva in the year 1919. In 1934, on January 21, the foundation stone of a new church in Munnar was laid, and the present church was blessed on April 17, 1938, by His Excellency Bonaventure Arana OCD, the first Bishop of Vijayapuram. On February 5, 1943, the Munnar community was raised to the status of a parish.
Mount Carmel church in Munnar, the first Catholic church in the high ranges, celebrated the Quasquicentennial Jubilee in 2023. During the jubilee year, the CCBI 33rd Plenary Assembly, held from November 11 to 12, 2023, voted and approved the request of Bishop Vijayapuram to elevate Mount Carmel church as a Minor Basilica and forwarded the appeal to the Holy See.
Mount Carmel Basilica in Munnar is the 32nd basilica in India and the 12th basilica in Kerala. Recently, on February 24, 2024, the St. Teresa’s Church in Mahe in the diocese of Calicut was also elevated to the status of a Minor Basilica.
Dr Stephen Alathara