Foundation

The St. Thomas Christian Museum is situated at Mount St. Thomas, the Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the Syro-Malabar Church, Kakkanad, Kochi, Kerala. With a Decree dated, 15 December 2000 Mar Varkey Vithayathil, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church, erected St. Thomas Christian Museum at Mount St. Thomas. The Decree says: “Preservation and protection of the documents and artifacts concerning the ideas and events that shaped and continue to shape the religious and social consciousness of a people is of paramount importance in giving a sense of belongingness, direction and the correct values in life to the posterity of that people. It has been the desire of the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church that such a process be encouraged and speeded up in the Syro-Malabar Church in a more systematic and organized manner. Therefore having considered the importance and urgency of the matter in the Syro-Malabar church the synod of bishops in its session held from 30th October to 11th November 2000 decided to erect a museum at Mount St. Thomas under the auspices of the Syro-Malabar Liturgical Research Centre”. On 30 March 2001 the Major Archbishop issued a circular letter addressed to all the faithful of the Syro-Malabar Church regarding the preservation of historical and cultural heritage and announcing the opening of the St. Thomas Christian Museum at Mount St. Thomas. The St. Thomas Christian Museum was formally inaugurated by the late Major Archbishop Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil on 10 November 2001 in the presence of the Synod of Bishops of the Syro-Malabar Church and ecumenical representatives of all the seven Churches of the Thomas Christian tradition.