Marth Mariam Cathedral

Mart Mariam Cathedral is the cathedral of the Chaldean Syrian Church of India, part of the Assyrian Church of the East. It is located in Thrissur City in the state of Kerala, and is the city's first Christian church.

The church established in 1814 by Chaldaya Suriyani (half Catholic- half Nestorian) faction of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and was originally known as Our Lady of Dolours Church. Abraham Kathanar of Palai was the head of the Chaldean Syrian faction in 1814, whose headquarters was at Thrissur. The other faction of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was Roman Syrians (East Syrians Latinized as per the directions of Diamper Synod1599) whose head was Sankurickal Geevarghese Kathanar and headquarters was at Alappuzha. The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic church in communion with the Pope, the head of Catholic church).In 1860 Chaldean Catholic bishop Mar Thoma Rocos arrived in India and his headquarters was Thaikkattussery,Ernakulam Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and returned to MiddleEast in 1862. In 1874 the Chaldean Catholic bishop Elias Mellus arrived in India by the request of ChaldeanSyrian faction and convinced a large part of the Syro-Malabar Christian community to accept him as their bishop.

The group supporting Mellus was based in Our Lady of Dolours. They eventually broke with the Catholic hierarchy and formed the Chaldean Syrian Church which is part of the universal Assyrian Church of the East. They retained the Our Lady of Dolours building, but renamed it(revived the old name) Mart Mariam. In 1929 the Chaldean Syrian Catholics(Independent group) who left from Mart Mariam Church, Thrissur joined/returned Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and erected a new building, the Basilica of Our Lady of Dolours.Mar Raphel Thattil belongs to this group. Mart Mariam church,Thrissur now serves as the cathedral of the Chaldean Syrian Church of India which is part of the universal Assyrian Church of the East.