About the Parish
St. Anthony's Forane Church and the Shrine of St. Raphael the
Archangel, Ollur is in the Syro-Malabar Archdiocese of Trichur. Today it
forms an important part of the Thrissur City Corporation. The Christian presence
in the parish is so strong with its many religious, educational, medical,
social-service, and secular organizations and institutions that for the past two
centuries it has been called CHINNA ROMA or Little Rome. When the Trichur
Vicariate Apostolic was erected in 1887 spreading from the Bharatha River to the
Aluva River Ollur was the richest, most populous, and influential parish, so
much so the vicar of the parish and a priest from the parish were included in
A.E. Medlycot's four-member diocesan apex council. Although many parishes have
been formed from the mother parish of Ollur there are still nearly four thousand
Catholic families in the parish whose spiritual needs are met by the Forane
Vicar and parish priest assisted by two or three priests in addition to the
dozens of Rev. Sisters who work in the parish institutions often along with
their separate chaplains. There are thirteen KURISHUPALLIES in the parish
and nearly fifty Family Assemblies (Units) under six regions. The festival of
St. Raphael the Archangel is the most important festival falling on October 23rd
and 24th of each year. The festival in honor of St. Sebastian in the month of
January is the second major festival. The parish celebrates some 73 feasts and
festivals in the calendar year. The art works and architecture of the church
have won national recognition for their antiquity, excellence, use of indigenous
materials, talent, and styles.
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