The Church of Our Lady of Life at Mattancherry was one of the first churches built by the Portuguese in the suburbs of the city of Santa Cruz de Cochin. Built in the second half of the 17th century, the original church was constructed in wood and had a roof of vegetal matter. It underwent several transformations until it was finally built in stone and mortar, following a general tendency of the churches in this area. At first, the church mainly served the community of Saint Thomas Christians living in the area who dedicated themselves to the pepper trade. On January 3, 1653, a large group of Saint Thomas Christians held a meeting in the churchyard, where they took a solemn oath before the cross at the entrance which led to a complex process of opposition between this community and the Portuguese religious authorities. The church corresponds to the original model of a Mannerist church in its architectural plan, a model disseminated in the middle of the 16th century and which was characterised by an interior of a simple nave with no lateral galleries. It is almost identical to the Church of Our Lady of Hope at Vypeen.