Moothakara

St. Peter’s Church

The history of Moothakara is interwoven with that of the Christians of Quilon. In 1610 the first Church of Moothakara was built which is believed to have been swept away by the sea. In 1778 De Clements Joseph S.J. the Bishop of Cochin who was not allowed to enter Cochin settled down in Moothakara. A chapel and residence was built in 1780 by Fr. Salvador Dennis. Bishop Joseph stayed here and in 1791 he died and was buried in the Church. In the 19th century Christians from Tamil Nadu (Bharatha Christians from Tuticorin) migrated to Moothakara for fish vending. It is believed that the Tamil connections of Moothakara dates back to the 17th century. Jesuit missionaries report of a parava Christian community in Quilon in the 17th century. The feast of St. Peter in Moothakara is unique because on that day as the sea is symbolically opened with the keys of Peter by the Parish Priest. Devotion to Infant Jesus started in 1987 and now Moothakara is a pilgrim centre much to the credit of Rt. Rev. Msgr. Marshal Paliath. The new Church was built by Rev. Fr. Antony John and blessed in 1998 by Bishop Joseph Fernandez.