Knanaya community traces its origin back to a Jewish-Christian immigrant community. They migrated from Southern Mesopotamia to the Malabar (present Kerala, a state in India) Coast of Cranganore (Kodungalloor) in AD 345 under the leadership of an enterprising merchant Thomas of Cana (Knai Thomann). This migration is considered as a turning point in the history of St Thomas Christians of Malabar. The original community consisted of about 400 people belonging to 72 families of seven clans. A bishop by name Uraha Mar Yousef, four priests and several deacons were among them. They confined themselves into an endogamous community by keeping their tradition and culture but co- existed peacefully among the St. Thomas Christians in India. These colonists were welcomed by Cheraman Perumal, the king, and were given permission to settle down in Kodungalloor. Later, Cheraman Perumal bestowed them with 72 royal privileges, and it was recorded on copper plates (Knai Thomman Cheppedu). According to the copper plates, these privileges were given to Thomas and his colleagues and to all his descendants as long as the sun and moon exist. These privileges are considered precious since all these privileges have influenced the community’s social life as well as the social status in the past years.
All Knananites were Syrian Christians until the historic ‘Koonan Kurisu Sathyam’(A pledge by about 25000 Syrian Christians held on to a rope tied to a leaning cross) when some of them accepted Jacobite faith and joined Jacobite/Orthodox Church; others remained with the Roman Catholic faith. However, they continued to keep their culture, tradition and practicing endogamy through the centuries.
On August 29, 1911 a new Vicariate Apostolic of Kottayam was erected exclusively for the Knanaya Community by the apostolic letter “In Universi Christiani” of His Holiness Pope St Pius X and Mar Mathew Makil was transferred to Kottayam as Vicar Apostolic.
On December 21, 1923 the Vicariate Apostolic of Kottayam was raised to an Eparchy by Pope Pius XI. Pope John Paul II by a sovereign decision on December 23, 2003 reconfirmed its identity and allowed to maintain the status quo of the Archdiocese of Kottayam. On May 9,2005 the Major Archbishop Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil issued the Decree “The Eparchy of Kottayam,” elevating the Eparchy of Kottayam to the rank of a Metropolitan See, and appointed Mar Kuriakose Kunnasserry as the first Metropolitan of the newly erected Metropolitan See of Kottayam.
Knanaya families started arriving in Australia since 1969, until 2000 their numbers were limited to a handful of doctors, engineers, teachers, nurses and some other highly skilled professionals. Since 2000, a second wave of migrants comprising many nurses and other medical professionals reached the golden shores of Australia and Pacific. Knanaya families from other European destinations also started arriving here due to favourable climatic and economic conditions. Above all many Knanaya students who arrived here for higher education added flair and flavour to the social life of our community in Australia.
First Knanaya Catholic gathering in Sydney took its inception in 2009 and started family gathering at homes by combining families around Sydney. Sydney Knanaya Catholic Association (SKCA) was registered under New South Wales Government Fair Trading Registry of co-operatives and association on 13th January 2012.
SKCA celebrates Easter, Christmas, Onam and other family gathering through out the year. Annual General Body meetings are conducted as per SKCA Bylaw requirements.
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