Our Lady Queen of Peace Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church is one of the 23 Eastern (Oriental) Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome. It is the second largest Eastern Catholic Church after the Ukrainian Church and the largest of the Saint Thomas Christian denominations, with 5 million believers.
The Church is an Apostolic Church which traces its origin to St Thomas, the Apostle, who landed at Cranganore, Kerala, India in 52 AD and founded seven Christian communities. St Thomas was martyred in 72 AD at Mylapore, near Chennai/Madras, India.
The early Christian community in India was known as St Thomas Christians or Nazranikal, meaning followers of Jesus of Nazarene. The word Syro-Malabar means Syrian Christians of the Malabar Coast (Kerala).
Today, Syro-Malabar Catholics live, work and contribute to communities across the globe, with 35 Eparchies (Dioceses), four of which are overseas. The Church is actively involved in education, social development and healthcare, running 4,860 educational institutions, 262 ecclesiastical institutions and 2,614 health and charitable institutions.
Rooted in the Syro-Malabar tradition and united in worship, culture and service.
Syro-Malabar Church in the UK
During the early 2000s, the National Health Service faced an acute shortage of nurses. Overseas recruitment programmes brought highly skilled, trained and dedicated nurses from Kerala to hospitals across the UK, including Merseyside.
Catholic nurses who migrated to the UK joined local parishes, as regular church attendance was an important part of their spiritual life. Their desire to celebrate the liturgy in their own mother tongue led to the development of Syro-Malabar Mass centres across the country. With very few Syro-Malabar priests available at the time, priests travelled extensively to serve the faithful.
As the community grew in numbers and spirituality, Syro-Malabar chaplains were appointed in various dioceses, followed by the establishment of the Catholic Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain. The community is estimated to include more than 55,000 Syro-Malabar Catholics in the UK.
Today, members actively participate in local parishes and communities while preserving their culture, heritage and rite.
Faith that travels across generations
Worship in our own rite, while serving and contributing to the wider community.
Syro-Malabar Church in Liverpool
The Syro-Malabar faithful residing in the Archdiocese of Liverpool established seven Mass centres across the Archdiocese: Sacred Heart Church, Liverpool; Holy Name Church, Fazakerley; Sacred Heart Church, Warrington; St Luke’s Church, Whiston; Holy Cross Church, St Helens; St Mary’s Church, Wigan; and St Mary’s Church, Southport.
Recognising the community’s spiritual needs, the Archbishop of Liverpool appointed a chaplain. The community’s long-held dream was to establish a parish with a permanent place of worship and bring members scattered across the Archdiocese together under one umbrella.
Under the leadership of Fr Jino Arikkatt, former Syro-Malabar Chaplain in Liverpool and the first parish priest of Our Lady Queen of Peace Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Litherland, and with the support of His Excellency Mar Joseph Srampickal, Bishop of the Catholic Syro-Malabar Eparchy of Great Britain, the community advanced considerably in its spiritual life.
The community remains deeply grateful to His Grace Most Reverend Malcolm McMahon, Archbishop of Liverpool, for offering Our Lady Queen of Peace Church at Litherland and its facilities as a permanent place of worship. We are also grateful to Fr Mark Madden for his welcome and continued support, and to the parishioners of Our Lady Queen of Peace for the sacrifices they have made. We are delighted to work and worship together as one community.
Cultural Identity
The Syro-Malabar community is not only a faith group but also an ethnic and cultural community. Its members have showcased cultural events and traditions unique to the community on many occasions.
Members speak Malayalam and preserve traditional art forms such as Margamkali, passed down through generations over centuries. The liturgy and worship of the community differ from those of other Catholic traditions and have been preserved across generations.
The community is enthusiastic about safeguarding this cultural uniqueness while integrating fully into the wider society in which its members live.
A living apostolic tradition
Malayalam and Margamkali
Heritage and belonging
A Community United in Faith, Heritage and Service
Our Lady Queen of Peace is a home for worship, fellowship and service—bringing together the Syro-Malabar community in Liverpool while sharing our faith and contributing to the wider community.
