Abo Alexious in front of the St Paul’s Church – 25th October 1937.
Metropolitan Alvares Julius I
Catholicos and delegation with Bishop of the Church of Ceylon and Fr. Basil Jayawardhanae on 26th Oct 1937
Catholicos and delegation with Bishop of the Church of Ceylon and Fr. Basil Jayawardhanae on 26th Oct 1937
Nativity Greetings from the Catholicos of the East
Dr Ajesh T Phillip (Chief Project Coordinator)
(OCP- MARP – Dept. of Church Research and Studies- Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE)
July 2015
The role played by two legends- Mor Julius Alvarez I and Mar Theodosius Alexious in expanding the mission outreach of Indian Orthodox Malankara Church is far more important than we understand. With the blessings of Mar Dynosyious Joseph II and Mor Gregorious Geevarghese; Mar Julius Alvarez began ‘Orthodox Mission’ among the marginalized people of Portuguese Goa, British India and Ceylon. The Mission was known by the name ‘Independent Catholic Mission’ or ICM. Under this mission about 50 churches were established in various parts of Ceylon, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Bombay, England, and Hawaii and so on. During the time (1876 H.H Peter III of Antioch) the Indian church had seven dioceses, each with an average of 21 churches.
Both Metropolitans were true patriots and fought for the freedom of their nation and were very about their faith and church. They lived for the freedom and autocephaly of their church. Both were persecuted by the Roman Catholic Church.
Padre Alvares established his mission in 1887 at Karwar and Ceylon. It flourished tremendously and it reached its climax in 1898. Due to continues persecution from the Roman Catholic Church, ill health of Mar Julius and scarcity of local priests, the mission activities slowed down by 1919. Unfortunately the mother church was not able to provide the sufficient back up to the Latin rite. After the deimse of Mor Julius I in 1923, there was no efficient successor and a shepherded.
Mar Theodosious was born in 1888. He was ordained as Koruyo in 1907and Samsono in1909. Young Chandi Kunju (Alexious) was very active in church activities. From As a good observer and true believer he was impressed monastic life and activities of Mor Julius I. Deacon Chandy was ordained as a Priest in 1919 and was tonsured as Monk on 1920. After the death of Mor Julius I, his vestments and belongings were collected from the Judge of Goa High court by Fr. P. G Koshy. Those were handed over to St. Dynosious of Vattassery. Later it was kept under the custody of Mar Ivanious Geevarghese and Fr. Chandy.
He became the superior of the Oder of Imitation of Christ (Bethany Monastery Perunadu), and received the new name Alexious. Abo Alexious was elected as bishop (Mor Theodosious) in1934 for Kollam.
By the time he had already begun his journey through the mission fields of Mar Julius I. He visited London many times in 1933. There he visited Abby’s Monastery (Under Alvarez lineage), St Milagris Convent of Cauly fathers (Anglo-Catholic church).
In 1933 Mar Theodosius visited Ceylon and met with the faithful of Orthodox Syrian and Latin rite churches of Alvarez mission. He visited the bishop house of Church of Ceylon (Anglican Church of Sri Lanka under the Canterbury Archbishop) along with Fr. Basil Jaywardana and developed a good relation with them. They discussed about the ecumenical relation between the church of Malabar and the Church of Ceylon. In 1937 Oct 24, a delegation of the Orthodox Church of the East (Mar Theodosius Alexious, Catholicose of the East His Holiness Baselious Geevarghese II, Fr. M. P Mathew and Dn. K B Koshy ) visited Colombo and stayed at the Presbyterian Guest House (Bishop house) and Celebrated Divine Liturgy at St. Pauls Church. Later they visited Alvarez mission churches at Hulsdorf, Petta, and Wovendel along with Fr. J M T Alvarez, Fr. J De Mello. On 25th Orthodox Syrian Christians of Ceylon gave a garden party to the delegation at Suvasa. On 26th they attend the holy liturgy of the church of Ceylon and returned back on 27th evening.
After the visit appointed many Malayalee priests to churches in Lanka. They are Fr. K B Mathews, Fr. A David, Fr. Youhanon etc. In 1939 Mar Theodosius send three women to St Margaret’s convent for monastic training. They were Ms. T K Thankamma, Ms C.Z Annamma, Ms. K A Deenamma. After two year training, in 1941 they were elevated as Nuns for the Bethany convent situated in Travancore. After 1942, there was some political problems in Colombo, but the communication between Bethany convent, St Paul’s Church and St. Margret’s convent last for few more years.
The bishop of the Anglican community in Sri Lanka has expressed his interest in reestablishing the relationship with Indian Orthodox Malankara Church. For the same they have communicated with church hierarchy of IMOC.
Mar Theodosius was a great visionary and true successor to Mar Julius I. There is an urgent need to refocus on the contributions of the two legendary missionary champion of Malankara.
Source:
OCP-MARP
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