The St.Mary’s JSO Cathedral of Kandanad is believed to be about more than 1500 years old. Since its inception, the church was renovated, remodeled and rebuilt on several occasions and the edifice in its present magnificent form appears to have been completed in AD 1910. Various stages of its construction are recorded at relevant portions in the mammoth structure. For instance, on the timber wall along the Madbho,it is inscribed: “the wood work completed in 1909, the gilt work in 1910 and the Holy Qurbono conducted on 9th Medam 1910”.

Similarly the massive pillars erected at the outer corridor are etched with the year “1931”. The village Kandanad lay along the border of erstwhile Travancore and Cochin. Though it belonged to Travancore, its culture is markedly Kochiite. This may be due to the village’s close proximity to Kochin royalty (Thripunithara, the former seat of Kochin kings) as also its immediate urban contact comes from the main city of Cochin state namely, Ernakulam,

hardly fifteen kilometers north. The people are mostly Christian farmers, small and big. Indeed, the economic viability of agriculture has dwindled and its adverse impact has prompted the community to seek other profitable enterprises and the educated have gone after greener pastures, the Gulf-boom assisting in no mean measure and the village has prospered with modern amenities and has acquired almost semi-urban status now.
The village’s day invariably begins with loud knoll of the huge bell at St.Mary’s Church and villagers are infallibly chimed into wakefulness every morning. The church is situated 1.5 km. east of Udayamperoor where the historic ‘Synod of Diamper’ was held on 10th June 1599 and 3 km. west of the renowned MarThoman Jacobite Syrian Church at Mulanthuruthy.