The Mother of God Church, also known as the Madre de Deus Church ("mother of God" in Portuguese/Latin), is a church located in Vettukad in Kerala, India's Thiruvananthapuram district. The current church building was constructed in 1934 and finished in 1937 and has since grown into a small township with a Christian population of 6,770.[when?] There is evidence[vague] that Christians[specify] have existed in Vettukad since the 15th century. Madre de Deus is known for its Feast of Christ the King celebration, which it has been celebrating for more than 500 years. Organisations such as the Kerala Catholic Youth Movement (KCYM), Legion of Mary, Sodality, Vincent de Paul, and TSSS[expand acronym] actively work with the church.
History
Cemetery Vault at the church
St. Francis Xavier is thought to have visited Vettukad sometime between 1543 and 1547 to evangelise the region but found a population of Christians already there. In 1568, Madre De Deus had a parish of 175. The current church was built under Rev. Fr. Godwin A. Gudinho in 1934 and completed under Rev. Fr. Michael John in 1937. It was subsequently blessed by Monsinjor Leon De Souza, Vicar General of the Cochin Diocese, and grew with the help of St. Antony’s Forane Church and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trivandrum. A new cemetery vault was added to the parish in 2008, increasing the capacity by more than 100.
The Feast of Christ the King takes place over ten days, starting on the last Sunday of the liturgical year corresponding to the third Sunday of November every year.[clarification needed] The celebration includes a number of religious rites, following by a grand procession on the penultimate day. A feast, as well as a high mass led by the Archbishop of Trivandrum Archdiocese and other religious rituals, take place on the final day. Overseas parishioners, such as those in the UAE (at St. Michael's Church) and the United Kingdom, celebrate the festival from abroad.
Leadership
The parish council is elected every two years and functions based on the bylaw approved by the Trivandrum Archdiocese. The council is chaired by the parish priest and includes the vice president, secretary, treasurer, pastoral ministry convener, education ministry convener, social action ministry convener, youth ministry convener, B.C.C.[expand acronym] coordinator, and other council members elected from the wards.
