Mateer Memorial CSI Church, an iconic landmark in the State capital, will celebrate its 180th congregational day on Sunday.
Over these years, the capital city has witnessed the evolution of the church from a rented house in Pettah to the heritage structure where it currently functions. It was the first Christian Protestant congregation in the city.
The beginning
The congregation was formed by the missionary John Cox on May 13, 1838, when worship service was launched for a small group of the faithful at his rented house in Pettah. The service was initially conducted in Tamil, the prime language in the region then. The English service commenced in the same year at the Cantonment church, near the present University Library, says church secretary Y.C. Thampi Sam Raj.
“It was John Cox’s successor Samuel Mateer who purchased 16 acres of land from a British captain Davidson to establish the present LMS Compound. The construction of the Mateer Memorial CSI Church was completed in 1906 after Mateer’s death. Around the same time the congregational worship was shifted to the church,” he said.
Mostly granite
The then Travancore Chief Engineer A.H. Basto adopted the Gothic style of architecture with granite being the major component of the structure. Other notable features included its Celtic cross made of cut stone and a square bell tower with vestibule beneath.
Dr. Thampi said the congregation consisted of over 2,000 families. The church had 25-odd sub-centres. Worship services were being conducted in Malayalam, English, and Tamil. Preserving the Anglican tradition, the church has one of the largest harmony singing choir in the city, numbering around 100 people.
On Sunday, former bureaucrat D. Babu Paul will deliver the special message in the combined worship and communion service to mark the occasion.
