Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St Joseph's Minor Basilica,Varapuzha

This Church was the seat of the Metropolitans until 1904. The headquarters was then shifted to the town of Ernakulam, for easier administration. As the original seat of the Latin Bishop, the church holds a unique place in the history of Latin Catholics in the area. Presently the church offers solace to the faithful who gather there for the powerful intercessions of Our Lady and St. Joseph.

1. 1653 Fr. Mathew of St. Joseph reached Goa as a missionary
2. The old Varapuzha Church was built in 1673.
3. On 20 February 1700 Pope Clement appoints Carmelite Missionary Fr. Angelus Francis as the Vicar Apostolic Malabar.
4. All those who guided the life and activities of the Church from 1700 AD to 1886 AD were known as "Vicar Apostolics".
5. On 13 March 1709 the Holy See suppressed the Malabar Vicariate and the Varapuzha Vicariate was erected officially.
6. 1886 the Varapuzha Vicariate was raised to the Status of the Archdiocese.
7. Till 1904 Varapuzha was the official residence of the Archbishops of Varapuzha.
8. From 1886 onwards the bishops took charge and care of the diocese of Varapuzha from this place named "Varapuzha".
9. On 1 September 1886 the Varapuzha Vicariate was officially raised to the Status of the Archdiocese and Rev. Dr. Leonardo Mellano OCD was consecrated as the first Archbishop of the archdiocese of Varapuzha.
10. In those years the Varapuzha Church was the only Catholic Church of this locality. At that time this was the home to all the Syrian Catholics of this locality.
11. The famous Carmelite Missionary Fr. Paulinus (missionary from 1744-1780) in his famous book "India Orientalis Christiana" describes this Church as the "Church of Latin and Chaldean rites".
12. This Church has two Patron saints; Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St. Joseph, the latter resulted from the special devotion of its founder Fr. Mathew of St. Joseph.
13. The old Church underwent a major uplift and reconstruction in 1927 when its old front doom collapsed in 1919.
14. In 1886 when the Archdiocese of Varapuzha was established and this Church became the Cathedral Church of the Archdiocese. This status remained with this Church till 1936 when St. Francis Cathedral was built in Ernakulam
15. This Church is the final resting place of 28 Carmelite Missionaries including 8 Bishops of this Diocese of Varapuzha
16. When Tipu Sultan (1750-1799) the notorious Muslim Conqueror attacked, plundered and killed many, Varapuzha was providentially left out being an island, but it became the place of refuge for all from all religions and castes. The Carmelite missionaries took care of all of them.
17. In 1682 the Carmelite Missionaries of Varapuzha requested the Propaganda Fidei for the construction of a Seminary for the formation of the Indigenous Clergy.
18. In 1685 the Seminary was closed down. A new Seminary was built in 1766 in Varapuzha. At that time it accepted candidates from both Latin and Syrian rites.
19. In 1790 this seminary was closed following the attack of Tipu Sultan, the Muslim conqueror. The Seminary was reopened in 1832. In 1866 the Syrians were shifted to the Puthenpally Seminary.
20. From 1659 to 1904, sixteen Bishops and two Archbishops guided the diocese from this place. In those days all travels and transportation were through water.
21. The church was elevated to the status of a minor basilica in 2021 through an edict issued by Pope Francis.

1. Fr. Bartholomew of the Holy Spirit (+ 1 February 1680)
2. Fr. Caithan of St. Joseph (+ 1689)
3. Fr. Amathius of St. Elias (+ 1698)
4. Fr. Matheus of St. Joseph (+ 1691)
5. Fr. Justin of Our Lady of Dolors (+ 4 August 1709)
6. Dr. Angelo Francis (+ 1712)
7. Fr. Innocent of St. Onupra (+ 27 January 1714)
8. Fr. Arsenus of St. Teresa (+ 27 August 1723)
9. Fr. Renatus of Immaculate Conception (+1726)
10. Fr. Innocent of St. Leopold (+ 31 October 1734)
11. Dr. John Baptist Maria of St. Teresa (+ 6 April 1750)
12. Fr. Floren D’Cruz of Jesu Nazaren (+ 26 July 1773)
13. Fr. Clement Pianis of Jesus (+ 19 October 1782)
14. Fr. Francis of St. Eliseus (+ 31 December 1794)
15. Fr. Lorence of St. Rosina (+ 20 January 1797)
16. Dr. Louis Maria of Jesus ( + 12 November 1802)
17. Dr. Raymond of St. Joseph (+ 7 August 1816)
18. Dr. Francis of St. Ann. (+ 1844)
19. Fr. Peter Paul of Sacra familia (+ 19 July 1850)
20. Fr. Antony of St. Mary ( + 26 March 1856)
21. Dr. Bernadine of St. Teresa D’Schola (+ 5 September 1868)
22. Dr. Marcelinus of St. Teresa (+ 21 March 1892)
23. Fr. Philip of St. Joseph (1 May 1893)
24. Fr. Cammillus of Presentation ( + 21 June 1894)
25. Dr. Leonardo of St. Aloysius (+ 19 August )
26. Fr. William of St. Teresa (+ 1902)
27. Fr. Elias of St. Joseph (+ 21 January 1907)
28. Bro. John Mary of the Heart of Jesus ( + 12 February 1918)

By God’s will and Providence the present Varapuzha Basilica, Monastery and the Parish continues to be in the safe hands of the Discalced Carmelites. This Parish was the nodal centre of the Catholic Church of Kerala. The fact that the present nearby 14 Parishes were once belonging to this Varapuzha Parish itself shows the extension and the great missionary and pastoral activities of our Predecessors. In 1837 Koonammavu, 1874 – Cheranalloor, 1882 – Kothad, 1892 – Pizhala, 1932 – Chettibhagam and Chennoor, 1935 – Neerkode, and small chapels at various places like Panayikulam (1946), Eloor North –Christ the King (1950), Edayar (1951), Thundathum kadavu (1970) Eloor West (1980), Cheranalloor (1985) all these parishes were separated from the Varapuzha Parish. These are the everlasting monuments of the great Carmelite growth and vitality of Varapuzha. In earlier times all the parish priests were Carmelite missionaries. They themselves were calling Varapuzha with another fondled name; "the little Rome of the East".

The tomb of the Servant of God, Mother Eliswa (1831–1913), the Mother Foundress of the first indigenous Carmelite Congregations (CTC and CMC) in St. Joseph’s Convent, Varapuzha, is another authentic proof of the great Carmelite Legacy of those Missionaries who preached the Gospel and the Carmelite Charism here.

In a separate letter dated January 27, 2021, the office of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments approved the application of the Archdiocese of Verapoly to elevate the status of the former cathedral of Varapuzha to a Minor Basilica.

At the request of His Excellency, Most. Rev. Dr.Joseph Kalathiparambil, Archbishop of Verapoly, expressing the prayers and desires of the clergy and the lay faithful, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, with the power of faculties given to it by the Supreme Pontiff Francis, very willingly bestows upon the former cathedral, Varapuzha, which is dedicated to God in honor of Our lady of Mount Carmel & St Joseph, the title and dignity of a Minor Basilica.

As a Minor Basilica, it will be one of only 28 nationwide and 10th in Kerala, and so far the first one in the country to be named after St Joseph.

Sundays 6 am, 8 am, 9.30 am, and 5 pm

Saturdays 5.45 am, 7 am, 5.30 pm

First Fridays 5.45 am, 7 am, 6 pm

Week days 5.45 a.m, 7 am

Novena: Our lady of Mount Carmel - Saturday; St Antony of Padua - Tuesday

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  Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
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  Ancient Statue of BVM
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  Salve statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
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  Varapuzhathamma
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  Miraculous Image of St Joseph
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  St Joseph
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  Old Altar of Varapuzha Basilica
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  Churchfeast 2019
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  Santo Entierro
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  Risen Lord
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  St Sebastian
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  St Sebastian Karikattuthuruth
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  Church Feast
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  Fatima@Varapuzha
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  Gesu Bambino
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  Rosary month Celebrations
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  Relic of Holy Cross
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  Ancient Statue of Our Lady of Dolours
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  Tomb of Servant of God Mother Eliswa Vakayil of BVM CTC
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  Renovated Varapuzha Basilica

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Verapoly
• National Shrine Basilica of Our Lady of Ransom, Vallarpadam
• St. Philomena's Forane Church & St. Chavara Pilgrim Centre