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Saint Geevarghese Mor Gregorios, popularly known as Parumala Thirumeni (Bishop of Parumala), (15 June 1848 – 2 November 1902) was a Metropolitan of the
Malankara Church The Malankara Church, also known as ''Puthenkur'' and more popularly as Jacobite Syrians, is the historic unified body of West Syriac Saint Thomas Christian denominations which claim ultimate origins from the missions of Thomas the Apostle. ...
. Parumala Thirumeni became the first person of Indian origin to be canonised as saint. In 1947, the
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in Devalokam, near Kottayam, India. The church serve ...
declared Mar Gregorios as a saint, making him the first canonized Christian saint from India. In November 1987, the
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
canonized him as a saint.Canonized Father's of Syriac Orthodox Church in India
/ref>


Early life

St. Gregorios was born in Pallathetta family in the Chathuruthy house at Mulamthuruthy near
Cochin Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of K ...
,
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
on 15 June 1848. His parents were Mathai Gheevarghese and Mariam Gheevarghese."Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala", The Order of Mar Gregorios
/ref> He was called by the name ‘Kochaippora’ and was given the baptismal name ‘Geevarghese’. Geevarghese had two brothers and two sisters; Kurian, Eli, Mariam and Varkey.St. Gregorios Of Parumala – Metropolitan Geevarghese Mar Gregorios
/ref> Geevarghese was the youngest. Geevarghese's mother died when he was a small boy and since then he was under the loving care of his elder sister Mariam.
/ref> At a very young age, Geevarghese had shown interest in spiritual matters. His devotion, humility and above all, his ability to sing the traditional
Syriac Syriac may refer to: *Syriac language, an ancient dialect of Middle Aramaic *Sureth, one of the modern dialects of Syriac spoken in the Nineveh Plains region * Syriac alphabet ** Syriac (Unicode block) ** Syriac Supplement * Neo-Aramaic languages a ...
hymns beautifully and perfectly, came to the notice of his uncle Malpan Geevarghese. The uncle wanted to raise his nephew to be a priest and his family members, who knew Geevarghese's character too agreed to the Malpan's request.


Priesthood

St. Gregorios of Parumala was taught by his uncle Geevarghese Malpan and was ordained the 9-year-old Geevarghese, a quroyo (sub-deacon) on the
Feast of the Cross In the Christian liturgical calendar, there are several different Feasts of the Cross, all of which commemorate the cross used in the crucifixion of Jesus. Unlike Good Friday, which is dedicated to the passion of Christ and the crucifixion, the ...
(Kanni 14, M.E.1033 / September 26, 1857) at the age of ten by
Malankara Metropolitan Malankara Metropolitan is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of the Malankara Syrian Church, previously by the Government of Travancore and Cochin in South India. This title was awarded by a proclamation from the King of Travancore and ...
Mathews Mar Athanasius Mathews Mar Athanasius (Mar Thoma XIII) (25 April 1818 – 16 July 1877) was the Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Church from 1852 until 1865. As a reformer, he spent most of his reign attempting to reform and heal rifts within the chur ...
at
St. George Jacobite Syrian Cathedral, Karingachira Karingachira St. George's Jacobite Syrian Church of Jacobite Syrian Christian Church, established in 722 AD (Makaram 13), is one of the ancient churches of the Syriac Orthodox Church. Thomas the Apostle, St. Thomas, one of the twelve apostles of ...
. He continued his training with Malpan until the latter died from
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by variola virus (often called smallpox virus) which belongs to the genus Orthopoxvirus. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (WHO) c ...
. Gregorios was also infected with smallpox but survived. He was ordained as a Mshamshono (Deacon) by Yuyakim Mor Koorilos ''Reesh-Episcopa of Malankara'' ( Patriarchal Delegate of Malankara) then after one month Priest at the age of 18 in 1865 also Cor-Episcopa (Monk-Archpriest) again by Yuyakim Mor Koorilos ''Reesh-Episcopa of Malankara'' ( Patriarchal Delegate of Malankara) and as a Ramban (monk-priest) at the age of 22 by
Malankara Metropolitan Malankara Metropolitan is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of the Malankara Syrian Church, previously by the Government of Travancore and Cochin in South India. This title was awarded by a proclamation from the King of Travancore and ...
Joseph Mar Dionysios in 1872. On 10 December 1876, the
Ignatius Peter IV Moran Mor Ignatius Peter IV (1798 – 8 October 1894), also known as Ignatius Peter III, was the Patriarch of Antioch, and head of the Syriac Orthodox Church from 1872 until his death in 1894. He is regarded by many as the architect of the m ...
Patriarch of Antioch Patriarch of Antioch is a traditional title held by the bishop of Antioch (modern-day Antakya, Turkey). As the traditional "overseer" (ἐπίσκοπος, ''episkopos'', from which the word ''bishop'' is derived) of the first gentile Christian c ...
, promoted the 28-year old Gregorios to be a bishop at St. Thomas Jacobite Syrian Church, Vadakkan Paravoor, at which point his official name became Geevarghese Mar Gregorios. He was the youngest of who all were elevated as bishops and was called ''Kochu Thirumeni'' (''Young Bishop''). Gregorios was given the charge of Niranam Diocese.


Metropolitan

In his bishopric, in the
Niranam Diocese Niranam Diocese is a diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church located at Niranam, Kerala. History Niranam diocese is created in 1876 with 22 parishes. First Metropolitan of the diocese was Parumala Mar Gregorios who was later declared by ...
, Gregorios established various churches and was the motivator to establish schools in different parts of Malankara. In the late 1890s, many educational institutions were started by the Malankara Church under the initiative and guidance of him and Joseph Mar Dionysius. Examples of these include St. Thomas School at
Mulanthuruthy Mulanthuruthy, also spelt Mulamthuruthy, is a south-eastern suburb of the city of Kochi in Kerala, India. The historic Marthoman church is located here. Chottanikkara Temple is situated nearby Mulanthuruthy. Location It is about 15 km so ...
, St. Ignatius School at
Kunnamkulam Kunnamkulam is a municipal town situated in the Thrissur District of Kerala in India, spread over an area of 34.18 km2. It is an old commercial town, with an ancient history, famous for its printing and book binding industry. In the past, t ...
, and the Syrian English School (now known as MGM High School) at
Thiruvalla Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...
. Following the death of fellow metropolitans (bishops), the administration of Thumpamon and Kollam dioceses also passed to him. In 1887, the first block of the
Parumala Parumala is a small village and island on the Pampa River in Thiruvalla Taluk ,Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, India.It Is Part Of Thiruvalla Sub-District & Thiruvalla Constituency. Parumala is the site of the Tomb of St. Gregorios (Paruma ...
Seminary was consecrated. By 1895, Gregorios had made Parumala his main spiritual centre. The church that he founded there in that year was consecrated in the names of St. Peter and St. Paul. He would wake at 4 am to pray the
Shehimo Shehimo ( syr, , ml, ഷഹീമോ; English language, English: Book of Common Prayer, also spelled Sh'himo) is the West Syriac Rite, West Syriac Christian breviary of the Syriac Orthodox Church and the West Syriac Rite, West Syriac Saint Tho ...
prayers and he fasted on Wednesday and Fridays, as well as during
Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan, according to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke ...
. Geevarghese visited Jerusalem in 1895. He visited almost all the important places of Christendom and led the
Passion Week Holy Week ( la, Hebdomada Sancta or , ; grc, Ἁγία καὶ Μεγάλη Ἑβδομάς, translit=Hagia kai Megale Hebdomas, lit=Holy and Great Week) is the most sacred week in the liturgical year in Christianity. In Eastern Churches, wh ...
services at
Syrian Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
in the
Holy City A holy city is a city important to the history or faith of a specific religion. Such cities may also contain at least one headquarters complex (often containing a religious edifice, seminary, shrine, residence of the leading cleric of the religi ...
with accompanied members
Geevarghese Dionysius of Vattasseril Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril popularly known as Vattasseril Thirumeni (31 October 1858 – 23 February 1934) was a bishop of the Malankara Church, 15th Malankara Metropolitan, and a founder of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Chu ...
, Kochuparambil Paulose Koorilos and Sleeba Osthathios (Later Patriarchal Delegate of Malankara) led as guide. On his return, he collected a certain amount from all the Parishes in Malankara and sent a Silver Cross as offering to the Holy church in
Jerusalem Jerusalem (; he, יְרוּשָׁלַיִם ; ar, القُدس ) (combining the Biblical and common usage Arabic names); grc, Ἱερουσαλήμ/Ἰεροσόλυμα, Hierousalḗm/Hierosóluma; hy, Երուսաղեմ, Erusałēm. i ...
.


Disciples

Among the many disciples of Gregorios, four deserve special notice 1. Vattasseril Geevarghese (later, Malankara Metropolitan
Geevarghese Dionysius of Vattasseril Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril popularly known as Vattasseril Thirumeni (31 October 1858 – 23 February 1934) was a bishop of the Malankara Church, 15th Malankara Metropolitan, and a founder of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Chu ...
) ( served as the Private Secretary of Mar Gregorios of Parumala) 2. Panampady Paulose (later,
Koorilos Paulose Saint Coorilos Paulose of Panampady (Coorilos of Malankara), also known as Kochuparambil Thirumeni, or Panampady Thirumeni, was Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Orthodox Church in India from 1911 to 1917. Life Coorilos was born D ...
). 2. Kuttikattu Paulose (later, Paulose Athanasios) 3. Kallasseril Geevarghese (later, Catholicos of Malankara Church and Malankara Metropolitan
Baselios Geevarghese II Moran Mor Baselios Geevarghese II of the Malankara Church (16 June 1874 – 3 January 1964). Third Catholicos of the East in Malankara and 16th Malankara Metropolitan, was born to Ulahannan and Naithi of the Kallaserri family in Kurichi, Kot ...
)


Death

Gregorios already had stomach ulcer and it became chronic in 1902. Treatments proved futile and he grew weaker and weaker. On 2 November 1902, Gregorios had left for his heavenly abode. The funeral was conducted at Saint Peter's and Saint Paul's Syian Orthodox Church, Parumala on 3 November 1902. Thousands of people and hundreds of priests were present at the funeral gave testimonies of the saintly Gregorios. The mausoleum which Gregorios was
interred Burial, also known as interment or inhumation, is a method of final disposition whereby a dead body is placed into the ground, sometimes with objects. This is usually accomplished by excavating a pit or trench, placing the deceased and objec ...
became a popular pilgrimage site.


Canonization


In Malankara Orthodox Church

On the occasion of 45th death anniversary of Geevarghese Mar Gregorios, based on the decision of the episcopal synod held in 1947,
Baselios Geevarghese II Moran Mor Baselios Geevarghese II of the Malankara Church (16 June 1874 – 3 January 1964). Third Catholicos of the East in Malankara and 16th Malankara Metropolitan, was born to Ulahannan and Naithi of the Kallaserri family in Kurichi, Kot ...
, Catholicos of the East and
Malankara Metropolitan Malankara Metropolitan is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of the Malankara Syrian Church, previously by the Government of Travancore and Cochin in South India. This title was awarded by a proclamation from the King of Travancore and ...
declared Mar Gregorios as a saint for the Malankara Syrian Church on 2 November 1947.


In Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (Syrian Orthodox)

According to the recommendation of the local synod of Church in India, held on 22 August 1987
Ignatius Zakka I Ignatius Zakka I Iwas ( syr, ܐܝܓܢܐܛܝܘܣ ܙܟܝ ܩܕܡܝܐ ܥܝܘܐܨ; ar, إغناطيوس زكا الأول عيواص; ', born Sanharib Iwas, 21 April 1931 – 21 March 2014) was the 122nd reigning Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Anti ...
, Patriarch of Antioch, head of
Syriac Orthodox Church , native_name_lang = syc , image = St_George_Syriac_orthodox_church_in_Damascus.jpg , imagewidth = 250 , alt = Cathedral of Saint George , caption = Cathedral of Saint George, Damascus ...
declared Mar Gregorios as canonized saint for
Jacobite Syrian Christian Church The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), or the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in India also known as Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Jacobite Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, ...
on 20 October 1987.


Minor Shrines

# Mulanthuruthy Church - St. Thomas Church, Mulanthuruthy is the most major shrine of Parumala Mor Gregorios known as the baptized church. #
St. George's Monastery, Malekurish St. George's Monastery is a Jacobite Syrian Christian Church situated at a hilltop near Puthencruz, Ernakulam District, Kerala. The monastery was established by Mor Yulius Elias Qoro (Patriarchal delegate to Malankara). The Malankara Syrian Orth ...
- a pilgrimage site of the
Jacobite Syrian Christian Church The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), or the Malankara Archdiocese of the Syrian Orthodox Church in India also known as Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Jacobite Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, ...
, situated on the hilltop near
Puthencruz Puthenkurish is a town in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala near Kolenchery town en route to Muvattupuzha. It is a part of the Greater Cochin area. Puthencruz is one of the fastest developing villages in Ernakulam district. Puthenc ...
. One of the relics of saints installed on Malecruz Dayara is of Parumala Mar Gregorios. #Perumpilly Simhasana Church - The Perumpilly Simhasana Church is situated in the native place of Geevargese Mar Gregorios. He leaves this church for a long time.


References


External links


About thirumeni on the Official site of Malankara ChurchParumala ThirumeniOfficial Site for Parumala Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala Indian Christian saints Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church saints 1848 births 1902 deaths 19th-century Oriental Orthodox bishops People from Ernakulam district Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church bishops Saint Thomas Christians Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church Christians