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Kuriakose Elias Chavara,
C.M.I. (10 February 1805 – 3 January 1871) was an Indian
Syro-Malabar Catholic priest,
philosopher
A philosopher is a person who practices or investigates philosophy. The term ''philosopher'' comes from the grc, φιλόσοφος, , translit=philosophos, meaning 'lover of wisdom'. The coining of the term has been attributed to the Greek th ...
and
social reformer
A reform movement or reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary move ...
.
He is the first canonised Catholic male saint of Indian origin and a member of the
Syro-Malabar Church
lat, Ecclesia Syrorum-Malabarensium mal, മലബാറിലെ സുറിയാനി സഭ
, native_name_lang=, image = St. Thomas' Cross (Chennai, St. Thomas Mount).jpg
, caption = The Mar Thoma Nasrani Sl ...
, an
Eastern Catholic church.
[Pope Francis confers sainthood on Father Kuriakose Chavara and Sister Euphrasia](_blank)
Ibnlive.in.com (23 November 2014). Retrieved on 10 December 2018.[&uname=&ipad=N" target="_blank" class="mw-redirect" title="ePaper View">ePaper View]
Epaper.manoramaonline.com. Retrieved on 10 December 2018. He was the co-founder and first
Prior General
Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be low ...
of the first
congregation
A congregation is a large gathering of people, often for the purpose of worship.
Congregation may also refer to:
*Church (congregation), a Christian organization meeting in a particular place for worship
*Congregation (Roman Curia), an administra ...
for men in the Syro-Malabar Church, now known as the
Carmelites of Mary Immaculate
The Carmelites of Mary Immaculate ( la, Congregatio Fratrum Carmelitarum Beatae Virginis Mariae Immaculatae) abbreviated CMI, formerly also known as the Servants of Mary Immaculate ( ml, അമലോത്ഭവ ദാസ സംഘം), is a Cath ...
(C.M.I.), and of a similar one for women, the
Congregation of the Mother of Carmel
, image =
, caption =
, abbreviation =
, formation =
, founder = Kuriakose Elias Chavara
, founding_location = Koonammavu, Kerala, India
, type = Religious Institute ...
(C.M.C.). He is a pioneer in many fields.
Early life
Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born on 10 February 1805 at
Kainakary
Kainakary is a village in Kuttanad Taluk in Alappuzha District of the Indian state of Kerala.
History
Kainakary was part of the Chembakassery Dynasty.
Geography
Five rivers originating from the Western Ghats, including the sacred Pamba River ...
,
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
in a Nasrani Christian family as the son of Iko (Kuriakose) Chavara and Mariam Thoppil. Nasranis are
Saint Thomas Christians
The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, ''Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani'', ''Malankara Nasrani'', or ''Nasrani Mappila'', are an ethno-religious
An ethnoreligious group (or an ethno-religious group) is a grouping of ...
(also known as Syriac Christians) who trace their lineage to the ancient Christians of Kerala baptised by
Thomas the Apostle
Thomas the Apostle ( arc, 𐡀𐡌𐡅𐡕𐡌, hbo, תוֹמא הקדוש or תוֹמָא שליחא (''Toma HaKadosh'' "Thomas the Holy" or ''Toma Shlikha'' "Thomas the Messenger/Apostle" in Hebrew-Aramaic), syc, ܬܐܘܡܐ, , meaning "twi ...
. The name ''Kuriakose'' is derived from the
Syriac Aramaic
The Syriac language (; syc, / '), also known as Syriac Aramaic (''Syrian Aramaic'', ''Syro-Aramaic'') and Classical Syriac ܠܫܢܐ ܥܬܝܩܐ (in its literary and liturgical form), is an Aramaic dialect that emerged during the first century ...
name ܩܘܪܝܩܘܣ (
''Quriaqos'').
He was baptised on 17 February 1805 at
St. Joseph's Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, Chennamkary. On 8 September 1805, Chavara was dedicated to Blessed Virgin Mary at
St. Mary's Church, Vechoor. The Chavara family has derived from the ancient Nasrani family Meenappally in Kainakary.
In his childhood, Kuriakose attended the village school. There he studied language and elementary sciences. He entered the seminary in 1818 in
Pallipuram where
Palackal Thoma Malpan
Palackal Thoma Malpan (c. 1780 – 1841) was an Indian Catholic priest of the Syro-Malabar Church based in India. He was the senior priest and founder who envisaged the formation of the first native religious institution in India ,Carmelites ...
was the
Rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
. He was
ordained
Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform va ...
a priest on 29 November 1829 and celebrated first
Holy Qurbana
The Holy Qurbana ( syr, ܩܘܼܪܒܵܢܵܐ ܩܲܕܝܫܵܐ, ''Qurbānā Qaddišā'' in Eastern Syriac or ''Qurbānā Qandišā'' in the Indian variant of Eastern Syriac, the "Holy Offering" or "Holy Sacrifice" in English), refers to the Eucharis ...
at St. Andrew's
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Forane Church Arthunkal Alappuzha. His special intention during the first Holy Qurabana was the realization of the religious institute which was being contemplated by
Palackal Thoma
Palackal Thoma Malpan (c. 1780 – 1841) was an Indian Catholic priest of the Syro-Malabar Church based in India. He was the senior priest and founder who envisaged the formation of the first native religious institution in India ,Carmelites o ...
s Malpan, Porukara Thomas
Kathanar, Brother Jacob Kaniathara and himself.
Later life
Kuriakose Elias Chavara joined with two other priests,
Palackal Thoma Malpan
Palackal Thoma Malpan (c. 1780 – 1841) was an Indian Catholic priest of the Syro-Malabar Church based in India. He was the senior priest and founder who envisaged the formation of the first native religious institution in India ,Carmelites ...
and Porukara Thoma Kathanar to lead a monastic life. The name of the community they founded was ''Servants of Mary Immaculate''. The foundation for the first monastery at Mannanam was laid on 11 May 1831 by Porukara Thomas Kathanar. Palackal Malpan and Porukara Kathanar died in 1841 and 1846 respectively. On 8 December 1855, Kuriakose Elias Chavara and ten other priests took vows in the Carmelite tradition. He was nominated as the Prior General of Mannanam monastery. The congregation became affiliated as a
Third Order institute of the
Order of Discalced Carmelites
The Discalced Carmelites, known officially as the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel ( la, Ordo Fratrum Carmelitarum Discalceatorum Beatae Mariae Virginis de Monte Carmelo) or the Order of Discalced Carme ...
. From that point on they used the
postnominal
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles, designatory letters or simply post-nominals, are letters placed after a person's name to indicate that the individual holds a position, academic degree, accreditation, ...
initials of T.O.C.D.
Social reformer
Kuriakose Elias Chavara initiated reforms in the
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
society much before
Narayana Guru
Narayana Guru, , (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual ...
(1853)
Chattambi Swamikal(1853) and
Vakkom Abdul Khadar Maulavi(1854).
Though he hailed from a
Syriac Christian
Syriac Christianity ( syr, ܡܫܝܚܝܘܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ / ''Mšiḥoyuṯo Suryoyto'' or ''Mšiḥāyūṯā Suryāytā'') is a distinctive branch of Eastern Christianity, whose formative theological writings and traditional liturgies are expr ...
family,
which occupied a higher social status, he played a major role in educating and uplifting people especially of the lower ranks of society.
Education
Kuriakose Chavara started an institution for Sanskrit studies at Mannanam in 1846. A tutor belonging to the
Variar
Variyar (also written as Variar, Varyar, Warriar or Warrier) is a Hindu Ambalavasi caste in Kerala, India.
Etymology
The term Variyar has its origin in the Malayalam word 'Variyam' ( ml, വാരിയം /വാര്യം), which refers to ...
community was brought from Thrissur, to teach at this Sanskrit institution. After establishing the Sanskrit institution in Mannanam, Chavara took the initiative to start a school in a nearby village called Arpookara. On this Parappurath Varkey wrote in the Chronicles of the Mannanam monastery: “While the work on the Mannanam School began, a place on the Arpookara Thuruthumali hill was located to build a Chapel and school for the converts from the
Pulaya
The Pulayar (also Pulaya, Pulayas, Cherumar, Cheramar, and Cheraman) is a caste group mostly found in the southern part of India, forming one of the main social groups in modern-day Kerala, Karnataka and historically in Tamil Nadu.
Traditio ...
caste." Chavara was the first Indian who not only dared to admit the untouchables to schools but also provided them with Sanskrit education which was forbidden to the lower castes, thereby challenging social bans based on caste, as early as the former part of the 19th century.
It was during this time Bishop Bernadine Baccinelly issued a circular in 1856 which would act as the root cause of tremendous growth of education and hundred percent literacy in Kerala. Kuriakose Chavara was the motivator for such a movement and he successfully convinced Bishop Bernadine to issue a circular, apparently as an order. It was a warning circular which stated, “each parish should establish educational institutions, or else they will be debarred from the communion”. The schools in Kerala are commonly called ''Pallikudams'' (school attached to Church (Palli)) because of this circular.
[ePaper View](_blank)
Epaper.manoramaonline.com. Retrieved on 10 December 2018. Kuriakose Chavara took great interest in implementing the circular. He delegated the members of his Congregation to ensure the implementation of the order in the circular and to actively take up educational activities. Each monastery was to oversee these activities of the parish churches in its neighbourhood.
Midday Meal
Kuriakose Chavara knew that the schools he started in Mannanam and Arpookara would be successful if the poor students especially dalits were given
midday meals.
It was his original idea. It inspired
Sir C P Ramaswamy Iyer to recommend this to King for being implemented in all government run schools.
This practice is continued even today in queens government schools in India.
Pidiyari
Kuriakose Chavara started a charity practice known as ''Pidiyari'' (a handful of rice) to encourage people to make daily small donations to help the needy.
The ''Pidyari'' scheme supported the Midday meal Kuriakose Chavara popularized in schools The ''Pidiyari'' scheme was implemented in the following way: Participants would daily set aside a small quantity of rice in a special collection pot. The rice collected would be brought to Church during the weekends and was used to feed the poor, especially students for midday meal.
A pious organization was formed by Kuriakose Chavara called “Unnimishihayude Dharma Sabha” who took care of the ''Pidiyari''collection.
Printing Press
Kuriakose Chavara started St. Joseph's Press at Mannanam in 1846, which was the third printing press in Kerala and the first press founded by a
Malayali
The Malayali people () (also spelt Malayalee and also known by the demonym Keralite) are a Dravidian peoples, Dravidian ethnolinguistic group originating from the present-day state of Kerala in India, occupying its southwestern Malabar coast. ...
without the help of foreigners.
[Two Kerala-born Indian Catholics to be declared as saints in Vatican , India News, The Indian Express](_blank)
Indianexpress.com (20 November 2014). Retrieved on 10 December 2018. From this printing press came the oldest existing Malayalam newspaper in circulation ''
Nasrani Deepika''.
Service to the Church
Kuriakose Elias Chavara introduced retreat preaching for the laity for the first time in the Kerala Church. He popularised devotions and piety exercises such as rosary, way of the cross and eucharistic adoration. He was the
Vicar General
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...
of
Syriac Rite Catholics in 1861 in order to counter the influence of Mar Thomas Rochos on
Saint Thomas Christians
The Saint Thomas Christians, also called Syrian Christians of India, ''Marthoma Suriyani Nasrani'', ''Malankara Nasrani'', or ''Nasrani Mappila'', are an ethno-religious
An ethnoreligious group (or an ethno-religious group) is a grouping of ...
.
Congregations Founded
CMI Congregation
In co-operation with Palackal Thoma Malpan and Thoma Porukara, Kuriakose Elias Chavara founded an Indian religious congregation for men, now known as the
Carmelites of Mary Immaculate
The Carmelites of Mary Immaculate ( la, Congregatio Fratrum Carmelitarum Beatae Virginis Mariae Immaculatae) abbreviated CMI, formerly also known as the Servants of Mary Immaculate ( ml, അമലോത്ഭവ ദാസ സംഘം), is a Cath ...
. Chavara took religious vows on 8 December 1855 and took the name of Kuriakose Elias of the Holy Family.
Kuriakose Elias Chavara was the Prior General of all the monasteries of the congregation from 1856 till his death in 1871.He was commonly called under the name 'Common Prior'.
The activities of the members of CMI congregation under the leadership of Chavara created huge transformation in the society. This made priests and people to request Chavara to open religious houses in their area. He established seven new monasteries besides Mannanam. They are Koonammavu-1857,
Elthuruth-(
St. Aloysius College, Thrissur)1858, Plasnal-1858, Vazhakulam-1859, Pulincunnu-1861, Ambazhakad-1868, and Mutholy-1870. In 1864, The Vicar Apostolic transferred St.Chavara to Koonammavu Monastery.
Carmelite Congregation for Women
In 1866, 13 February, Kuriakose Elias Chavara founded the first Carmelite convent for women at Koonamavu under the name 'Third Order of Carmelites Discalced' which would later become
CMC an
CTC Congregationin Syro Malabar Church and Latin Church respectively. While CMC congregation acknowledges and upholds the role of Kuriakose Chavara in their foundation, CTC congregation denies any role for him and considers Mother Eliswa as the foundress.
Kuriakose Chavara hoped and prayed for the establishment of a religious congregation for women in the apostolic Church of St. Thomas. According to Kuriakose Chavara the lack of convents was a 'pathetic situation,' which led to deep sorrow within him. He conceived the convent as a house of sanctity where the girls could learn spiritual matters, grow up as good Christians and work for the intellectual development and education of women to achieve social welfare.
Leopold Beccaro – who was a close associate and confessor of Kuriakose Chavara – with whom Eliswa had communicated her desire to lead a life of chastity, during her meetings with him for confession and spiritual direction, wrote in Italian in his personal diary on 3 January 1871, the day of the death of Chavara: “The founder and the first prior of the Tertiaries of the Discalced Carmelites in Malabar, who with extreme fatigue has founded the monastery of the sisters
fondato con somme fatiche il monastero delle Monache..” Again, in another important document, a short biography of Chavara written by Beccaro himself, we come across the following affirmative statements: “Among these, specially,
eearnestly desired to bring into existence an abode of virtues for the girls of Malayalam and a convent of sisters for learning doctrines and traditions of the Catholic religion as well as to make them grow as good Christian children... It is a fact known to all that even after the starting of the convent, he showed great fervour and interest to conduct everything in order and with virtues...” These two statements made by Beccaro give credence to the fact that Chavara had not only a deep and long-lasting desire to establish a convent for sisters, but had also made every effort, including the spiritual and administrative guidance in the realization of the project.
Writings
All the literary works of Kuriakose Chavara were written between 1829 and 1870. The literary writings of Kuriakose Chavara are unique in two aspects. First, it reflects the religious spiritualism of Christianity. Second, even after a century after the Kuriakose Chavara wrote, there are limited number of literary works with reference to Christianity.
[K.P. Molly (2004)]
Blessed Chavara: Life and Mission. Religious philosophy of blessed Kuriakose Ellas Chavara – A study
PhD. Thesis. Department of Philosophy, University of Calicut
The writings of Kuriakose Elias Chavara can be divided generally into following categories during the namely:
* Chronics and historical writings
* Spiritual writings
* Letters
* Prayer Texts
* Writings on Liturgy
* Writings related to administration
Chronicles and historical writings
The Chronicles (Nalagamangal) narrates the daily events not only of the monastery but also of the society. These writings were originally found in Malayalam, in Kuriakose Chavara's own handwriting.
There are two manuscripts under the title 'Mannanam Nalagamangal.' Together with the events of the CMI Congregation the chronicles depict events associated with the Society and Kerala Church of that time. The book 'Complete Works of Chavara', Vol. 1 published in 1990 contains five Chronicles.
Spiritual writings
Atmanuthapam (The lamentations of a Repentant Soul)
It is an autobiographical poem written in epic style – Mahakavyam (
Mahakavya Mahākāvya (lit. great kāvya, court epic), also known as ''sargabandha'', is a genre of Indian epic poetry in Classical Sanskrit. The genre is characterised by ornate and elaborate descriptions of scenery, love, battles and so on — in short, eve ...
). The poem gives life to life of Jesus from birth to ascension into heaven and life of Mary from ascension of Jesus to assumption of Mary into heaven. The uniqueness of the poem is that Kuriakose Chavara brings his own life experiences from childhood.
According to Dr.
K.M.Tharakan Atmanuthapam reflects Kuriakose Chavara's philosophy of life which in turn exemplifies a Christian religious life. Dr. Tharakan states, "...Humility, which is not self-contempt, and repentance are the foundation stones of the philosophy of his life. Thus the first step is faith in God. The second is the belief that one can reach God through Jesus Christ. The third is the conviction that without repenting and accepting Jesus, one cannot reach Christ... what a Christian obtains is the awareness of the noble qualities. These qualities are 'faith', 'hope' and 'love'. Only through these triple qualities, a Christian can attain Christ."
Maranaveetil Cholvanulla Parvam (A poem to be sung in the bereaved house)
It is intended to be sung when the corpus is placed in the coffin for public homage. The poem contains 1162 verses. The underlying message is that one should lead a virtuous and God-fearing life in order overcome the painful experience of death. The articles of faith related to the death of a man are enumerated and beautifully illustrated with stories or incidents, the poet heard or read.
Nalla Appante Chavarul (Testament of a Loving Father)
It is the counsel to the Christian Families of Kainakari parish but its relevance to the families resonates till date. This insightful and down-to-earth document is the first of its kind in the known history of the Church, offers practical direction to families in leading a God-fearing as well as socially commendable life.
Anastasiayude Rakthasakshyam (The martyrdom of Anastacia)
It contains 232 verses.
Dhyana Sallapangal (Colloquies in meditation)
''Dhyana Sallapangal'' consists of the reflective meditative notes of Kuriakose Chavara.
Eclogues (Shepherd Plays)
They were the first dramatic plays in Malayalam in the pastoral (shepherd) genre or
Eclogue
An eclogue is a poem in a classical style on a pastoral subject. Poems in the genre are sometimes also called bucolics.
Overview
The form of the word ''eclogue'' in contemporary English developed from Middle English , which came from Latin , whi ...
s of
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. They were plays written for being performed during the Christmas season. Kuriakose Chavara wrote it between 1856 – 1858. He wrote 10 Eclogues (Shepherd Plays) and introduced them in the novitiate at Koonammavu Seminary.
The first Indian drama is Neeldarpan, published in 1860 and is written in Bengali by
Dinabandhu Mitra
Dinabandhu Mitra (1830 – 1 November 1873) was a Bengali writer and dramatist. He is notable for his play ''Nil Darpan'' (1860).
Early life
Mitra was born at Chowberia village in Gopalnagar P.S., North 24 Parganas and was the son of Kalachand ...
on the miseries of the indigo cultivators. The first Malayalam play is considered Abhinjana Shakuntalam, translated into Malayalam by Kerala Verma Valiakovil Thampuran in 1882. Kuriakose Chavara wrote the 10 eclogues or liturgical dramas decades before. He could be considered the father of Malayalam drama.
Letters
These letters were written on different occasions to various persons or groups. There are 67 original copies of these letters. These letters are published in 'Complete Works of Chavara' Vol.IV. The chronicle in Koonammavu records three letters written to them by Kuriakose Elias Chavara. Even though the Chronicle states many letters and notes were written by Chavara, only three are recorded.
Prayer texts
Even though Kuriakose Chavara wrote many prayer texts only six of them have been preserved. They are:
i) Meditation: method of beginning – Meditation: method of beginning is an intercessory prayer to mother Mary seeking help to be with him during the meditation.
ii) Prayer to the Blessed virgin Mary. Thanksgiving prayer to the blessings that received from mother Mary.
iii) Morning Prayer to Most Holy Trinity – Thanksgiving prayer for the favours received.
iv) Evening prayer to Most Holy Trinity – Thanksgiving prayer for the favours received.
v) Prayer for custody of eyes – Prayers to be recited by priests to remain rooted in their fidelity to Jesus Christ.
vi) Prayer to be recited by priests – Prayers to be recited by priests to remain rooted in their fidelity to Jesus Christ.
Writings on Liturgy
Kuriakose Chavara wrote a number of liturgical texts that played an important role in reforming liturgy. They include the Divine office for priests, Divine office for the dead, office of the Blessed virgin Mary, prayers of various blessings, the order of Holy mass – ''Tukasa'', liturgical calendar, forty hours adoration and prayer books for lay man.
Writings related to administration
In this category there are 16 writings that has been preserved. Some of these are written on palm leaves and others on paper. It deals with matters pertaining to administrative matters pertaining to the time of Chavara.
Prior Mango
Prior Mango (പ്രിയോർ മാങ്ങ) is a variety of mango which Kuriakose Chavara popularised. It is named after him who was endearingly called “Prior” based on his position as the Prior or head of the religious congregation.
At Mannanam monastery there was a mango tree which was planted and taken care of by Kuriakose Chavara. He sent the mango seedlings to monasteries and convents and told the members: Please plant the sapling of this sweet mango, which I name it as ‘Dukran’(Orma = memory) in each of our monastery. "This is to make you realize that myself and all men are weak and faltering and don’t have long life even as these mango trees which give sweet fruits." In a letter he wrote : " This Mango-tree (1870) and its seedlings leave a loving patrimonial memory for us" It is because of the association of Carmelite Prior Kuriakose Chavara that this variety of mango came to be known all over Kerala as "Priormavu" (the mango tree of the Prior). Prior Mango is considered as one of the premium variety of mangoes in Kerala and is often exported to its neighbouring south Indian states.
He also planted prior mango tree in koonammav at St: philominas church backyard. The tree still stands and bears fruit throughout the year.
Death
Kuriakose Elias Chavara died on 3 January 1871, aged 66, at Koonammavu. He was buried in
St.Philomena's Forane Church, Koonammavu
St. Philomena's Forane Church, popularly known as Koonammavu Church is situated in Koonammavu, a northern suburban town of Kochi City of Kerala state, India. This is one of the oldest Roman Catholic churches in India, built in 1837 AD. Even thou ...
His body was later moved to
St. Joseph's Monastery Church in Mannanam. His memorial is celebrated on 3 January as per the Syro-Malabar liturgical calendar.
[Bl. Kuriakos Elias Chavara – Saints & Angels](_blank)
Catholic.org (6 December 2018). Retrieved on 10 December 2018. whereas his memorial is celebrated on 18 February as per the Roman Liturgical Calendar of the Latin Rite.
The following were the last words of Kuriakose Chavara: “Why are you sad? All God’s people must die some day. My hour has come. By the grace of God, I prepared myself for it since long.” Showing a picture of the Holy Family, he continued, "My parents taught me to keep the Holy Family always in my mind and to honour them throughout my life. As I had always the protection of the Holy Family I can tell you with confidence that I have never lost the baptismal grace I received in baptism. I dedicate our little Congregation and each of you to the Holy Family. Always rely on Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Let the Holy Family reign in your hearts. Don’t be sad about my dying. Joyfully submit yourselves to the will of God. God is all powerful and His blessings are countless. God will provide you with a new Prior who will be a source of blessing for the Congregation as well as for you. Hold fast to the constitution, the rules of our elders and that of the Church. Love our Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with all your heart. Draw the waters of eternal life from that fountain as in the words of the Prophet Elijah. All the members of the congregation, especially elders must be charitable to one another. If you do so, God will be glorified by the congregation and which will be flourished day after day. Your charity will bring salvation to souls."
Miracles
Scores of miraculous favours were reported by the intercession of Kuriakose Chavara.
Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception
Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception or Saint Alphonsa, christened at birth as Anna Muttathupadathu (19 August 1910– 28 July 1946), was a nun and an educator by vocation (profession). She was also known for being a victim soul, visionary a ...
, who later became the first saint of India, has testified in 1936 that Kuriakose Elias Chavara had appeared to her twice during her illness and relieved her suffering. Alphonsa had a holy relic of Chavra's hair which was taken by one of his disciples Varkey Muttathupadathu and which she believed allowed her to pray to Kuriakose Chavara and receive miraculous cure. The relic is now preserved in Mannanam.
Beatification
The miracle which Rome approved for the
beatification
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
of Kuriakose Chavara was the cure of the congenial deformity of the legs (
clubfoot
Clubfoot is a birth defect where one or both feet are rotated inward and downward. Congenital clubfoot is the most common congenital malformation of the foot with an incidence of 1 per 1000 births. In approximately 50% of cases, clubfoot aff ...
) of Joseph Mathew Pennaparambil happened in April 1960. Joseph was born club-footed with congenial deformity of both the legs. On hearing that many miracles have happened through the intercession of Kuriakose Chavara, Joseph and his family started praying. They prayed almost a month. One day when Joseph and his sister were walking back from school, she asked him to pray to Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara for the cure of his legs and asked him to recite 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory be to the Father. As they walked reciting prayers suddenly Joseph's leg started shivering. Joseph pressed his right leg to the ground and he could now walk properly with right leg. They continued their prayers and on 30 April 1960, while Joseph and his sister was on the way to elder brother's house, the left leg too became normal. Since then he could walk normally. Joseph believes that it was the intercession Kuriakose Chavara which resulted in the miracle. Rome approved the miracle which led to the beatification of Kuriakose Chavara as Blessed in 1986.
Canonization
The miracle which was approved for
canonization
Canonization is the declaration of a deceased person as an officially recognized saint, specifically, the official act of a Christian communion declaring a person worthy of public veneration and entering their name in the canon catalogue of ...
of Kuriakose Chavara to sainthood was the instantaneous, total and stable cure of the congenital squint (alternating esotropia) in both eyes of Maria Jose Kottarathil, a Catholic girl of age 9 from Pala in
Kottayam
Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south-we ...
District of Kerala State in India.
Even though Maria was suggested to have surgery by five doctors, Maria and her family decided to pray to Kuriakose Chavara. On 12 October 2007, Maria visited the room and tomb of Kuriakose Chavara at Mannanam with her parents. On 16 October 2007, the squint eyes disappeared. The miracle was approved by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints on 18 March 2014 which lead to the canonization.
Chronicle of Canonization
The official canonization process of Kuriakose Chavara started in 1955, Mar Mathew Kavukattu, arch-bishop of Changanacherry, received instructions from Rome to start diocese-level procedure towards the canonisation. On 7 April 1984, Pope John Paul II approved Kuriakose Elias Chavara's practice of heroic virtues and declared him ''Venerable''.
Kuriakose Elias Chavara was
beatified
Beatification (from Latin ''beatus'', "blessed" and ''facere'', "to make”) is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a deceased person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in their nam ...
at Kottayam on 8 February 1986 by
Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...
in the course of a papal visit to India.
On 3 April 2014,
Pope Francis
Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...
authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decrees concerning the miracle attributed to Kuriakose Kathanar's intercession.
This confirmed Pope's approval of Kuriakose Elias Chavara's canonisation.
On 23 November 2014, he was canonised at
Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's Square ( la, Forum Sancti Petri, it, Piazza San Pietro ,) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the papal enclave inside Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo. Bot ...
by Pope Francis along with
Euphrasia Eluvathingal
''Euphrasia'', or eyebright, is a genus of about 450 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae (formerly included in the Scrophulariaceae), with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are semi-parasitic on grasses and other ...
.
Pope Francis stated that "Father Kuriakose Elias was a religious, both active and contemplative, who generously gave his life for the Syro-Malabar Church, putting into action the maxim “sanctification of oneself and the salvation of others."
Excerpts
*''God the almighty granted more time to me than to my predecessors. This was granted to me not so much for me I know, as for the benefit of others''. (From the Letter of Chavara to his nephew Joseph Chavara.)
*'' A good Christian family is the image of heaven, where persons are living together, by the bond of blood and affection, duly respecting and obeying their parents, and walking peacefully before the Lord and people, ensures their salvation, according to each one’s state of life''.
*''Just as without eyes one cannot see the material things of the world, so also without knowledge it will be impossible for us to see or understand the reality of this world and the eternity where God dwells in. As those who have no eyes are called “Blind”, so too those who have no learning are to be called “intellectually blind” Hence it is the responsibility of priest to teach the faithful and of parents to teach their children.''
Images
![Kuriakose Elias Chavara 1987 stamp of India](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Kuriakose_Elias_Chavara_1987_stamp_of_India.jpg)
There are various images of Kuriakose Elias Chavara all over the world. The
National Shrine of Saint Jude, Faversham, United Kingdom has a beautiful icon of the Chavara. In 2004 a fire broke out in the Shrine Chapel which destroyed the murals which hung there, and it damaged much of the other artwork. The decision was made to install icons depicting saints inspired by the Carmelite Rule of Saint Albert, and in commemoration of the 8th centenary of the Carmelite Rule in 2007. The icons were written by Sister Petra Clare, a Benedictine hermit living in Scotland, United Kingdom.
Museums
There are many museums associated with life and activities of Kuriakose Elias Chavara. They significant ones are:
St. Chavara Museum, Archives and Research Centre, Mannanam.
The Museum at Mannanam consists of the room he stayed, articles used by him, the documents written by him, the replica of the press he founded, the first school he started and above all it is located in the place where he founded the first monastery.
St. Chavara Kuriakose Elias Museum,
koonammavu
Koonammavu ( ml, കൂനൻ) is a northern suburb of Kochi city which is associated in the Kochi metropolitan area.
Koonammavu (Valluvally) is a census town in Kottuvally Panchayat, North Paravur Taluk, Ernakulam District, Kerala, India an ...
This visitors of this museum can enter the room where Chavara died and can also see various articles used by him. This museum is associated with St. Philomena's Church Koonammavu.
Chavara National Museum,
Vazhakulam
Vazhakulam is a village in Muvattupuzha Talukis in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala. This town is known as ''Pineapple City'' due to its large-scale pineapple farms.
Another village named Vazhakulam, is located in Aluva.
...
The exhibits consists of a miniature model of Chavara's birth house, articles used by him and also various antique articles.
Chavara Museum and Art Gallery,
Alappuzha
Alappuzha or Alleppey () is the administrative headquarters of Alappuzha district in States and territories of India, state of Kerala, India. The Kerala Backwaters, Backwaters of Alappuzha are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Indi ...
The exhibits in the museum consist of articles used by Chavara such as his cot, the chair used by him in the boat. One of the special exhibit is the box which was used to transfer the remains of Chavara from Koonammavu to Mannanam. It also has old holy Vestments, antique utilities and boxes. A number of books about Chavara are also displayed. Yet another attraction is the miniature model of his birth house.
See also
*
East Syriac Rite
The East Syriac Rite or East Syrian Rite, also called the Edessan Rite, Assyrian Rite, Persian Rite, Chaldean Rite, Nestorian Rite, Babylonian Rite or Syro-Oriental Rite, is an Eastern Christian liturgical rite that employs the Divine Liturgy ...
*
Syriac Christianity
Syriac Christianity ( syr, ܡܫܝܚܝܘܬܐ ܣܘܪܝܝܬܐ / ''Mšiḥoyuṯo Suryoyto'' or ''Mšiḥāyūṯā Suryāytā'') is a distinctive branch of Eastern Christianity, whose formative theological writings and traditional liturgies are expr ...
Later Social reformers of Kerala
*
Sree Narayana Guru
Narayana Guru, , (20 August 1856 – 20 September 1928) was a philosopher, spiritual leader and social reformer in India. He led a reform movement against the injustice in the caste-ridden society of Kerala in order to promote spiritual ...
*
Dr. Palpu
*
Kumaranasan
Mahakavi Kumaran Asan (Malayalam: എൻ. കുമാരൻ ആശാൻ) (12 April 1873 – 16 January 1924) was a poet of Malayalam literature, Indian social reformer and a philosopher. He is known to have initiated a revolution in Malayalam ...
*
Rao Sahib Dr. Ayyathan Gopalan
*
Brahmananda Swami Sivayogi
Karatt Govinda Menon (26 August 1852 – 10 September 1929), better known as Brahmananda Swami Sivayogi, was an Indian ''sanyasi'' from present-day Kerala who founded the Ananda Maha Sabha in 1918. He proposed Anandadarsam or Anandamadham ...
*
Vaghbhatananda
*
Mithavaadi Krishnan
Changaramkumarath Krishnan Vakkeel was a community leader, banker, social reformer, and journalist from Kerala, India. He was a champion of implementing the revolutionary socialist reforms proposed by Sree Narayana Guru for the upliftment of th ...
*
Moorkoth Kumaran
Moorkoth Kumaran (1874–1941) was a social reformer, a teacher and a short story writer in Malayalam.
Kumaran came from a Thiyya family of Thalassery, Kannur. He was a disciple of Narayana Guru and wrote the first biography of Guru. He initiated ...
*
Ayyankali
Ayyankali (28 August 1863 – 18 June 1941) was an Indian politician, prominent social reformer, educator, economist, lawmaker, and a revolutionary leader. He worked for the advancement of the oppressed people in the princely state of Travancor ...
*
Ayya Vaikundar
Ayya Vaikundar (c.1833 –c.1851) ( ta, அய்யா வைகுண்டர், sa, अय्या वैघुण्ढर्) also known as Vaikunda Swami is the first and the foremost Purna avatar of Eka-Paran born to Lord ...
*
Pandit Karuppan
Pandit Karuppan was a poet, dramatist, and reform movement, social reformer who lived in Kerala, India.
Pandit Karuppan emerged from Ernakulam of Cochin State as a relentless crusader against untouchability and social evils. He was called ...
References
External links
Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20061023144110/http://www.catholic-forum.com/saintS/saintk17.htm Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavaraat Patron Saint Index
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chavara, Kuriakose
1805 births
1871 deaths
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
Founders of Eastern Catholic religious communities
Third Order Regular of Discalced Carmelites
Syro-Malabar priests
Burials in Kerala
Beatifications by Pope John Paul II
Carmelite saints
19th-century venerated Christians
Eastern Catholic saints
Canonizations by Pope Francis
Syro-Malabar saints
Indian social reformers
Christianity in Kerala
Venerated Carmelites
Venerated Catholics by Pope John Paul II
Venerated Catholics from Kerala
19th-century Indian scholars
Eastern Catholic poets