The shaping of modern Kerala is definitely the result of the social, political, economic, cultural and religious processes that took place in the land in the 19th and 20th centuries. The various social reform movements, caste based movements, religious movements were instrumental in shaping modern Kerala. There were number of caste based organizations which tried to reform and modernize the life and behavioural patterns of the people in general and in particular the members of the caste. The roles of the Catholic Church and its organizations in this social process have always been a matter of enquiry for the historians and sociologists. This paper is not to say that for the all developments Catholic Church was instrumental instead it tries to understand and explain the role of Catholic Church and those who were inspired by the Christian values in this social transformation process. Over the years how church has defined itself into an ecclesial1 structure which sounds to the emerging needs of the society and to act as a catalyst2 for social transformation is also under consideration here. Over the years the church in Kerala became a social, political and economic power and reached into the status of an influential community here too.

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