In the backdrop of the Second Vatican Council redefining the Catholic Church as the People of God and a communion of communities, when His Grace Archbishop Soosa Pakiam assumed leadership of the Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram in 1990, steps were taken to build this local church as a communion of communities. Small Christian Communities (SCCs), each comprising 15-20 families, were formed in every parish. Embracing the vision of the Church as the People of God, various initiatives were launched to enable the Church to reach out to the people, and for the faithful to find their place within the Church.
As a result, Catholic believers residing in the Manacaud region for work and other reasons, who had until then belonged to the Palayam Cathedral Parish, came together to form a small community. This community held its first gathering on May 20, 1991, and began functioning as a basic Christian community under the name St. Stanislaus Unit. The unit was initially included under the Secretariat Ward of the Palayam St. Joseph’s Cathedral Parish. It started with 15 families, and meetings were held every two weeks, rotating between homes. Birthdays, wedding anniversaries, and memorial services for the departed were part of these gatherings. The community also organized pilgrimages within and outside the state, pleasure trips, and Christmas–Onam celebrations as means of fellowship.
It was in the monthly meeting held on November 6, 1991, that the idea of establishing a Catholic church in the Manacaud area took root. During a gathering on February 28, 1992, His Grace Archbishop Soosa Pakiam participated and the matter of building a church was presented to him. His response, filled with prophetic insight, was: “You must become prophets — and everything will be fulfilled.” What followed thereafter became history — the Word became flesh.
Efforts began to find a suitable location for the church. Around the same time, priests from the Salesian Congregation, who were seeking land and buildings in Thiruvananthapuram city for their street children rehabilitation project, were encountered. From then on, both groups moved forward in mutual collaboration. On August 16, 1996, 18 cents of land were purchased in the name of the Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram at the starting point of the East Fort–Kovalam Road, on its western side. Nearby, the Salesian Congregation also purchased 23 cents of land along with a building close to Manacaud junction and relocated their institution, which had been temporarily operating in Chalai under the name Bosco Veedu, to this new location.
Thus began a strong and unbreakable relationship between the Catholic community of Manacaud and the Salesian Congregation. Members of the St. Stanislaus Unit gathered at Bosco Veedu for Holy Mass, prayers, and other devotional practices. On December 7, 1997, based on an agreement between the Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram and the Salesian Province of Bangalore, this small Christian community functioning in Manacaud was elevated as an independent substation under Palayam Cathedral Church.
That same year, with the support of the Salesian Congregation, construction of the church began. From the outset, the project faced numerous obstacles, including unexpected opposition from various quarters, vandalism of completed structures, false propaganda aimed at disturbing communal harmony, and even physical assaults against the priests. After a legal battle lasting two and a half years, these challenges were overcome, and the church construction was successfully completed. The church was consecrated on May 24, 2002, and began functioning as an independent parish. The parish and church were established under the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians. The Don Bosco Centre, the main base of the Salesian community in Thiruvananthapuram, continues to function adjacent to the church. Salesian priests provide spiritual and pastoral leadership for the Manacaud parish. Today, there are 105 families in the parish, organized into six B.C.C. (Basic Christian Community) units, representing different rites within the Kerala Catholic Church. In the heart of the state’s capital city, this church continues to sow seeds of goodness, radiate the light of holiness, and share the sweetness of the Gospel. Welcoming all who believe in divine worship, this church has become a sanctuary of refuge and hope. People from various religious backgrounds come to the church to lay down the burdens of their lives, to pray, and to offer their vows and offerings.