Madre De Deus Church - Vettukadu Church

The Church of Madre De Deus means Mother of God and is especially renowned among pilgrims and tourists for the King's Feast of Christ. The Church of Madre de Deus, holds more than 500 years of history. It is historically believed that the famous missionary, St. Francis Xavier, visited Vettukad somewhere in between 1543 and 1547 to evangelize the faithful of this area.The letters P. wrote Francis S. J. Peres Addressed to the Superior General of the Society of Jesus in Rome in the year 1568 reveals that the parish of Madre Deus Vettukad had 175 Christians. In the letter it is reported that when St. Francis Xavier reached Vettukad, he was amused to see there a small chapel and a granite cross. This is clear evidence of the fact that a good number of faithful Christians existed in Vettukad long ago from the 15th century.

1934, during Rev. Fr. period. Godwin began construction of the present church and was completed in 1937 during Rev. Fr. Michael John's period. Then, under Valiyathura forane and the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Trivandrum, the Vicar General of the Diocese of Kochi, Monsinjor Leon De Souza blessed the church and grew into a parish. Here Christ the King blesses with all His love and compassion, and believed that His devotees had miraculous power over them.The 'Feast of Christ the King' celebration lasts for 10 days, on the final day of which the grand feast takes place. It is celebrated on the last Sunday of the liturgical year corresponding to the 3rd Sunday of November every year. During these ten days, a plethora of religious rites are performed all through day. The second last day sees a grand procession with the image of Christ the King that goes round the entire parish. A high mass led by the Archbishop of Trivandrum Arch Diocese, sermons, and blessing marks the final day experiencing an outpouring of about 50,000 devotees.