10 Years of Syromalankara.church

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10 Years of Syromalankara.church

Syromalankara.church celebrates a decade of publishing Syro Malankara Catholic Church News today. The website has over 550 news articles spanning the last 29 years of our history.

The website came into being as there was no single point of reading news about the Syro Malankara Catholic Church from across the globe back then in 2006. Today, with the proliferation of the web, there is a lot of news being generated annually. In addition, under the auspices of His Beatitude Baselios Cardinal Cleemis and the Holy Synod Fathers, the church has seen tremendous growth and initiatives that has contributed to an increase in news about our church.

I look forward to continuing this journey with you, the readers into the next decade of the website.

I have many plans to take the website beyond just news and to contribute to the spiritual development of all Malankarites. However paucity of time often derails the launch of these ideas. As the next decade of the website unfolds, I call upon volunteers who would like to be a part of the family to contribute news, develop new ideas and help maintain the website. In case you share my passion and want to be a part of this journey forward, please contact me here.

Happy Reading!

Rev. Sr. Jocelyn Edathil SIC, the first Indian Origin Religious Sister to take her Profession of Faith in USA

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Rev. Sr. Jocelyn Edathil SIC, the first Indian Origin Religious Sister to take her Profession of Faith in USA

On Saturday, August 6, 2016, on the feast of the Transfiguration, Jocelyn Edathil made her religious profession as a member of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ in the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. The liturgical service was held during the celebration of the Holy Qurbono at the Syro-Malankara Catholic Cathedral, Elmont, New York. The Holy Qurbono and the liturgy of the Religious Profession were presided over by His Excellency Dr. Thomas Mar Eusebius.

Sr. Jocelyn is the first religious sister from and for any Christian Church of Indian origin in America.

Reverend Mother Little Flower SIC, the Mother General of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Imitation of Christ, Mother Karunya SIC, the Provincial Superior of the Trivandrum Province of the Congregation and many Bethany Sisters from the US, India and Germany also participated in this celebration. So also, many Reverend Fathers, Sisters and around 600 Faithful took part in the celebrations.

The St. Mary, Queen of Peace Syro-Malankara Catholic Eparchy in the USA and Canada extends hearty congratulations and prayerful best wishes to Sr. Jocelyn SIC.

Beatification Process for the Servant of God, Mar Ivanios, is over

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Beatification Process for the Servant of God, Mar Ivanios, is over

The procedures for beatification, the first step in the canonisation of the Servant of God, Mar Ivanios, the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, have completed at the Major Archdiocese level.

During the phase of Beatification, the Postulation established by the Major Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, to promote the Cause of Canonisation, gathered testimony about the life and virtues of the Servant of God, Mar Ivanios. Also, the public and private writings were collected and examined.

This documentary phase of the process has taken many years to conclude. The results, along with the bound volumes of documentation, or Acta (Acts) runs into 97,180 pages.

There will be a valedictory function at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, on August 25, 2016 in commemoration of having completed the work. The function will begin with a thanksgiving mass and Mar Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, the Major Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram, will preside over the function along with the Synodal Fathers.

As part of the function, the Episcopal Delegate Rev. Dr. Micheal Vattappalam will handover the documents to the Major Archbishop Mar Baselios Cardinal Cleemis. Rev. Dr. Saju Augustine will attest that there is no objection in handing over the documents to the Major Archbishop.

The team for the cause of canonisation will sign the documents and the Postulator, Bishop Thomas Mar Anthonios will seal the documents into 136 boxes to be handed over to Rome via the Apostolic Nunciature in India in the 1st week of September, 2016. The Major Archdiocese will retain a copy of the documents in its archives.

Mar Ivanios – Road to Canonization 2016

Mar Baselios Youth Excellence Award 2016

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Mar Baselios Youth Excellence Award 2016

The State government will hold discussions with banks to ensure that students are made to repay their education loans only after they secure a job, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said. He was speaking after presenting the Mar Baselios Youth Excellence Award for the Best Engineering Student in the State to Nisha Mariam Johnson here on Friday.

“Not everyone in our society can fund their education. They have to depend on education loans. But, some of the banks are behaving like modern-day Shylocks in forcing the students to repay their loans, causing much difficulty to students and their families. The government intends to hold meetings with the banks to ensure that students are given time till they secure a job,” he said. Pointing out the case of State Bank of India, which has handed over the responsibility of getting the students to repay to a private company, he said that such measures were unfair.

‘Let students benefit’

“The private company which forcibly collects these education loans gets to keep 50 per cent of the money. Why not give this 50 percent to the students?” he asked. The Chief Minister said that there have been complaints about the quality of the engineering education and some of the colleges in the State. “We need to find a solution to this fall in quality. We are working on a system by which expertise from outside can be brought to the classrooms,” he said.

Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis Catholicos presided over the function. The Mar Baselios Youth Excellence Award is instituted by the alumni association of the Mar Baselios Engineering College for the Best Engineering Student in the State.

Ms. Johnson passed out of the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram this year. The award, consisting of Rs.1 lakh cash prize, a memento and a citation, was awarded to her based on her excellent academic and extra-curricular achievements.

Smt. Gayathri Krishnan IAS (Sub Collector- Pollachi) Dr T.M George (Principal), Prof. Viswanadh Rao (Vice Principal) and Rev. Fr Wilson Tattaruthundil (College Bursar) were present during the ceremony.

Sri Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates Asha Kiranam Southern Zone Meet held at Girideepam

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Sri Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurates Asha Kiranam Southern Zone Meet held at Girideepam

The Chief Minister Sri. Pinarayi Vijayan appreciated the Asha Kiranam Cancer Programme of the Catholic Church during the volunteers’ meet of Asha Kiranam cancer care programme conducted by the Social Service Societies of the southern catholic Diocese of Trivandrum. He Said: “Asha Kiranam Cancer Care Project of Caritas India is one of the best social projects for the care of cancer patients.” His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos presided over the function held at Girideepam Convention Center on Friday 5th August 2016.

His Grace Most Rev. Dr M. Soosa Pakiam (Archbishop of the Latin Archdiocese), His Grace Most Rev. Vincent Samuel (Bishop of Neyyathinkara), Vicar Rev. Fr Biju Julian (Episcopal Vicar, Kollam), Rev. Fr Frederick D’souza (National Director, Caritas India), Rev. Fr Paul Munnjeli (Assistant Director), Rev. Fr George Vallikattil (Director, Kerala Social Service Forum), Rev. Fr Bovas Mathew (Director, Malankara Social Service Society), Rev. Fr Lenin Raj (Director, Trivandrum Social Service Society) and Rev. Fr Pius Malyar (Director, Kollam Social Service Society) participated in the meet.

Suvisesha Sangham, Third Batch

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Suvisesha Sangham, Third Batch

The first session of training for the third batch of Suvisesha Sangham was held at the Catholicate Centre, Pattom between 29 and 30 July 2016. Rev. Fr Antony Kakkanatt, Rev. Sr Francina D.M and Rev. Sr Mary Prasada D.M guided the classes. Holy Confession, Holy  Qurbono at Tomb Chapel, Eucharistic Adoration, and Dhoopaprarthana were conducted during the training programme.

78 members from 41 parishes participated in the programme.

His Beatitude attended the ordination of Mar Kurian Vayalumkal

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His Beatitude attended the ordination of Mar Kurian Vayalumkal

Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, participated in the ordination of Mar Kurian Vayalumkal, the new Archbishop of Ratairia, which was held at Christ the King Cathedral on Monday, 25 July 2016. Mar Kurian Vayalumkal is also appointed as the diplomatic representative of Vatican (Apostolic Nuncio) to Papua New Guinea. His Beatitude said, “Self dedication is the need to go ahead and show the world the essence of the word.”

Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolekkatt, head of the Knanaya Archieparchy of Kottayam, led the consecration proceedings at the Cathedral. Archbishop Michael Louis Fitzgerald, former Apostolic Nuncio to Egypt and CBCI secretary general Theodore Mascarenhas assisted the Archbishop. Auxiliary Bishop of Kottayam Archdiocese Mar Joseph Pandarasseril welcomed the gathering.

Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos celebrated Holy Qurbono at the tomb chapel of St. Alphonsa

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Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos celebrated Holy Qurbono at the tomb chapel of St. Alphonsa

His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, celebrated Holy Qurbono at the tomb chapel of St. Alphonsa on 24 July 2016, on the occasion of the feast of St. Alphonsa at Bharananganam, Kottayam. During the homily His Beatitude said, “Suffering is the easiest means to move in the Path of God”.

Rector of the Pilgrim centered received the Catholicos and thousands participated in the Holy Qurbono.

Recalling the virtuous life of St. Alphonsa, His Beatitude said “She had a spiritual eye to see God. It is the mercy of God. When our eyes are closed with worldly thoughts, we cannot see God. Comparing with the suffering of St Alphonsa, our sufferings are very menial. She taught us that suffering is not in vain. We should experience the inner healing which we achieve through suffering. We should not leave humility and simplicity even when we reach the heights of our life.”

Catholic bishops express serious concern over Dalit atrocities in India

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Catholic bishops express serious concern over Dalit atrocities in India

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) has expressed serious concern over the increasing attacks against Dalits in various parts of the country.

Persecution of Dalits and backward caste people in the name of meat consumption and protection of cattle has become the “order of the day,” regrets CBCI president Cardinal Baselios Cleemis.

A press statement from the cardinal on July 22 urges those “in responsible position” to refrain from activities that deny citizens’ their dignity and equality guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.

Dalits, who have suffered marginalization and social backwardness for millennia, are further inflicted with more pain and deaths even in an independent and democratic India, says the head of the country’s more than 18 million Catholics.

The prelate cites the July 18 thrashing of a seven-member family in Una town of Gir Somnath district in Gujarat as the latest incident of attack against Dalits. A group of gau rakshaks (cow protectors) beat up the family for allegedly skinning a dead cow. Three of the alleged attackers were arrested the next day.

The beatings sparked the most serious protests by Dalits in years in Gujarat, with seven youths trying to kill themselves in protest by taking pesticide in different parts of the state, an act that further inflamed tempers.

In earlier case on July 9 in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, paramilitary forces gunned down six Dalit and tribal people, including a two-year-old child, under the pretext of combating Maoists. Cardinal Cleemis says this incident occurred when the massive killings of Dalit Christians in Kandhamal in 2008 were fresh in people’s memory.

The prelate’s statement points out that the country had recorded more than 27,000 cases of violence against Dalits in 2014 and that such cases saw a 29 percent increase in the past two years.

Expressing the Church’s solidarity with the Dalits, the cardinal urges the state and federal governments to take immediate action against those promoting violence against the Dalit people.

Turning to his own Church, the cardinal condemned the attack against Bishop Galela Prasad of Cuddapah, a Dalit, and demanded strong legal action against the prelate’s attackers, who are upper caste priests.

Bishop Gallela Prasad of Cuddapah was attacked on April 25 when he was returning from a religious function at Karunagari in Kadapa district. Kadapa is some 425 km south of Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana state. It was later revealed some priests of the diocese had masterminded the attack.

63rd Feast of Commemoration of the Servant of God Mar Ivanios

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63rd Feast of Commemoration of the Servant of God Mar Ivanios

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church celebrated the 63rd Feast of Commemoration of the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios on Friday, 15 July 2016 at St Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. His Eminence Timothy Michael Cardinal Dolan, the Archbishop of New York was the chief guest at the celebrations.

The padayatris from Ranni-Perunnadu along with other groups of pilgrims reached the Cathedral on 14 July 2016 and His Beatitude received the padayatris at the door of the Tomb chapel. It was followed by the Evening prayer and the Candle procession.

The Fifteen day long celebration concluded with a solemn Holy Qurbono celebrated by His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos on 15 July.

Cardinal Dolan was accorded a warm reception at the Cathedral gate and garlanded by Baselios Cardinal Cleemis. Hundreds of people lined up along the sides of the road leading to the tomb of Archbishop Mar Ivanios to receive the cardinal. Cardinal entered the chapel at the tomb of Mar Ivanios for the prayer. The priests in holy vestments moved to the Cathedral in procession and at the back stood His Beatitude, Cardinal Timothy Dolan and other bishops. After the procession the prayer of the third hour was recited and the Holy Mass followed with Baselios Cardinal Cleemis being the main celebrant.

His Eminence Cardinal Dollan delivered the homily during the Holy Qurbono and His Eminence highlighted the features of the spirituality of Mar Ivanios: Trust in God, Imitation of Christ, Unity and Reconciliation. Cardinal compared the event of reunion led by Mar Ivanios with Jesus’ act of multiplying the loaves of bread stressing the point that Mar Ivanios was an instrument in the hands of God in the formation and growth of Malankara Catholic Church. It was his ardent desire to imitate God that reinforced him to begin Bethany Ashram.

His Grace Most Rev. Dr Abraham Viruthukulangara, the Archbishop of Nagpur, Archbishop Most Rev. Thomas Mar Koorilos, Most Rev. Yoohanon Mar Chrystosom, Most Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios, Most Rev. Joseph Mar Thomas, Most Rev. Abraham Mar Julios, Most Rev. Vincent Mar Paulose, Most Rev. Jacob Mar Barnabas, Most Rev. Thomas Mar Anthonios, Most Rev. Samuel Mar Irenios, Most Rev. Philipose Mar Stephanos and around 300 priests concelebrated the Holy Qurbono. It was followed by Dhoopaprarthana and Nercha.

Homily of Timothy Cardinal Dolan

63rd Mar ivanios 10

Praised be Jesus Christ!

Now and forever!

I do indeed praise Jesus Christ for the honor and the joy of being with you, fellow pilgrims, for this Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Mar Ivanios Day.

What an inspiration you are with your prayer, presence, processions, and pilgrimage.

I praise Jesus Christ for the happiness of being with my brother cardinal and dear friend, Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, the Major Archbishop-Catholicos of Trivandrum, who so graciously invited me for this occasion.

I praise Jesus Christ for brother bishops and priests, for deacons and seminarian, consecrated women and men religious, and for the wonderful faithful people of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

I praise Jesus Christ for the gift of Mar Ivanios, as we devoutly gather at his tomb on the 63rd Anniversary of his heavenly birthday.

The deep faith of Mar Ivanios was like the mustard seed spoken of by Jesus, like the five loaves multiplied miraculously by Jesus; he began 86 years ago with only five people, trusting that truth and unity would be victorious. Today we rejoice in the harvest with ten dioceses and an exarchate.

Personally, I thank you, dear members of the Syro-Malankara Catholic family, for the gift you are to the Church universal. From the beginning, Mar Ivanios had a special affection for America, visiting us in 1948, meeting President Truman, my predecessor, Cardinal Francis Spellman, and stopping by the seminary of the Archdiocese of New York, St. Joseph’s. He nurtured a lifelong friendship with the Franciscan Friars of the Atonement in New York.

Today, we in America praise Jesus for your priests, sisters, and lay faithful whose deep Catholic faith, joy, and sense of family is an inspiration to us all.

I praise Jesus Christ for the apostolic work of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association, which allows us to accompany you with our prayers and alms, and am glad that Monsignor John Kozar is here with us.

I praise Jesus Christ for the lessons Mar Ivanios has taught us: especially his trust, his emphasis on the Imitation of Christ, and his thirst for unity and reconciliation.

First, his trust! Next week, I will be in Krakow for World Youth Day with Pope Francis, and will visit the Divine Mercy Shrine. “Jesus, I trust in Thee,” the aspiration made famous by St. Faustina, would resonate with the prayers of Mar Ivanios. To dare to begin his project of a revived Syro-Malankara Rite; to trust that five people could multiply to 500,000; to initiate religious congregations and educational endeavors when logic and worldly reason told him all of this was silly and impractical… only a man of deep trust could have persevered. From heaven today, as with Jesus, Mary, and St. Thomas, he watches this huge crowd, his descendants, this Servant of God is not surprised, as he turns to Jesus and says, “Jesus, I trusted in you!”

The second lesson Mar Ivanios teaches us is his stress on the Imitation of Christ. It is said that a student learns what the Master teaches, but a disciple imitates how the master lives. “The life of Christ is all the wisdom we will ever need,” wrote Mar Ivanios. “For me, to live is Christ,” as St. Paul taught. No wonder Mar Ivanios dedicated his two new congregations to the Imitation of Christ. “Imitate Christ so the people will imitate you,” he told the Bethany Fathers and Bethany Sisters. When he founded his schools, he would tell the new faculty and students, “The Gospel is our most excellent textbook.”

Today, as we honor him, we honor Christ. When we walk with Mar Ivanios, as thousands of you did, we walk with Jesus.

The third lesson is unity and reconciliation. Because Mar Ivanios imitated Christ, he loved the Truth, for Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life.” And the Truth is that we are all one with God as our Father and Jesus as our Savior.

No wonder he chose Veritas vos liberabit, “The truth will set you free” as the motto of the college which bears his name.

In a culture of lies, we need the Truth;

In a world of division and fear, we need unity;

On a planet of violence, antagonism, and suspicion, we need reconciliation.

That’s why the Church, the world, needs Mar Ivanios! You, his spiritual children light up the world, as your candles did last night during the procession.

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