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ܬܘܠܡܕܐ

Guided liturgy

Sacred Spaces & Objects

Course outline

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Spaces & orientation

From porch to sanctuary

The traditional plan places the porch, nave, chancel, and sanctuary in order from west to east. Actual buildings differ in their dimensions and arrangement.

EAST ↑ Sanctuary end

WEST ↓ Entrance end

Traditional sequence, not to scale. North is to the left.

The western porch

Mondalam

The porch or vestibule stands before the nave in the traditional four-part plan. Estwo (ܐܣܛܘܐ) is the Syriac name for the portico. Mondalam is its Malayalam name.

Meaning in worship

The Tukoso (ܛܘܟܳܣܳܐ), the book of rubrics or liturgical directions, recalls this as the place where catechumens, people preparing for Baptism, once stood. That historical description does not assign unbaptised visitors a place in church today.

Notice & participate

Identify the entrance and the transition into the assembly’s space.

Sources for this explanation
  • Tukoso · Malankara Syrian Catholic Church (2014)

    PDF p. 17

    Malayalam rubrics, consulted with an English study translation. Page numbers identify PDF leaves, which may contain two printed pages. Local application and later directives require confirmation with the parish.

Syriac spellings follow the TULMODO glossary.

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