A church in Cospicua opened its doors to the Indian community on Sunday morning, delivering Mass in Malayalam for the first time in its history.

Around 30 people attended the Mass at St Theresa church delivered by Fr Jaison Puthumadasser, a priest from the Indian state of Kerala where Malayalam is the official language.

Fr Puthumadasser arrived in Malta around two weeks ago and will live here for some two to three years to deliver mass weekly at the Cospicua church.

Speaking to Times of Malta, the priest called the occasion a “blessing” and said he was “thrilled” to deliver mass in Malayalam.

“There are many [Keralan] people here... They all came here for work opportunities but... they need to have their spiritual needs met as well. I am here to look after their spiritual needs,” he said.

Fr Jaison Puthumadasser recently arrived in Malta and will be delivering mass in Malayalam weekly in Bormla. Photo: Jonathan Borg.

Paola resident and storekeeper Milton Chirakkaparambil Borgian said it was a “special moment” to attend mass in Malayalam in Cospicua, while his flatmate Akhil Varghese explained they normally had to travel further to attend mass in their language.

“We usually go to Msida, but it’s far away... here it is interesting and much closer to us,” said Varghese.

Mass in Malayalam is new to Cospicua but is already being offered elsewhere across Malta including in Birkirkara, Birżebbuġa and St Paul’s Bay, members of the congregation explained.

Student Anu Anna Abraham said she normally attended mass delivered in English in Floriana, but that it was “very good” to be able to hear the service delivered in her mother tongue close to her home in Senglea. 

Around 30 people attended mass on Sunday. Photo: Jonathan Borg.

And while much of the service would have been familiar to Maltese audiences, such as the delivery of the Eucharist, the word “amen” and, of course, the surroundings, not only was the language of the mass different but so was its music.

Pharmaceuticals worker Jidho David Simon prepared and performed the music which, while containing elements familiar to Western audiences such as organ playing, was largely based on traditional Indian music and sung in Malayalam.

“It’s traditional Christian Indian music - different from Indian music but similar in a way,” he said, adding that while he was used to taking part in church music back in Kerala, he spent three days preparing for Sunday’s mass.

A familiar sight: one young boy fast asleep over his father's shoulder throughout the service. Photo: James Cummings.

Speaking to Times of Malta after the mass, Fr Juan De Bono, a fellow priest at the church and monastery said he was pleased to welcome Fr Puthumadasser. “He’s part of our community now,” he said.

Kerala has the largest Christian community in India, accounting for around six million people or one-fifth of the country’s entire Christian population, according to the Pew Research Centre.

According to census data, in 2021 there were more than 7,000 Indian nationals living in Malta.