Little Flower Church , Elamkulam

Elamkulam Little Flower Church is a Roman Catholic, Syro-Malabar Parish, belonging to the Diocese of Ernakulam-Angamally. Today, with a strength of more than 1200 Registered families, this Parish is an internationally notable worshiping community.

Elamkulam was situated on the Hill Palace Road, connecting the Palace of the King of Cochin in Tripunithara, to the Durbar Hall in Ernakulam. It was a village with a few hutments, surrounded by paddy fields. Slowly, as the area developed, housing colonies came up all around.

Mar Augustine Kandathil, the former Arch Bishop of Ernakulam, foresaw more than half a century ago, the potential of Elamkulam becoming the centre of Cochin City, and a small Chapel in honour of St. Philomena, under the Konthuruthy Parish of Tripunithura Forane Church, was constructed here in 1948, and the First Holy Qurbana was celebrated on 13th of March the same year.
Gradually the Syrian Catholic Community increased in the area and this necessitated the construction of a Church in place of the Chapel.
With abundant blessings from God Almighty and the liberal financial backing from the Arch diocese, a well designed church was constructed in 1952. Mar Augustine Kandathil, having a great devotion to the Little Flower of the Child Jesus, dedicated the new Church in honour of St. Theresa of Lisiuex. In the following years, the number of families attached to the church fast grew in number. With the enthusiasm and encouragement of Cardinal Mar Joseph Parecattil, the Church established its own Cemetary and also founded a Carmalite Convent. The number of families was so great that many new churches were subsequently formed; the Karanakodam – St. Jude’s Church, Elamkulam – Matha Nagar Church, Kadavanthara – St. Joseph’s Church.

The Little Flower Church, which was a filial Church of Konthuruthy Parish, obtained the status of an independent and full-fledged Parish on 1st of August, 1959. The Parish was brought under the Forane District of St. Mary’s Basilica, Ernakulam in 1997.
The hard and sincere work of the Vicars, combined with the whole hearted co-operation of the parish families and the various religious and non-religious organisations attached to the church, gave birth to a golden age spiritually and as a community. This growth in numbers necessitated a large church, along with Sunday School facilities, a Parish Hall and a Presbytery. The Parishioners, under the leadership of the Vicar, Rev. Fr. Sebastian Pynadath, wholeheartedly took up the project. The foundation stone for the new Church was laid by Mar Thomas Chackiath in 1999. The Church as we see it now was blessed on 2nd October 2004, by Cardinal Mar Varkey Vithayathil.