Palakunnel Mathai Mariam Kathanar (പാലാക്കുന്നേൽ മത്തായി മറിയം കത്തനാർ)( ܟܲܬܲܬܢܵܪ ܡܲܬܝܼ ܡܲܪܝܲܡ) (20 February 1831 – 20 April 1900) was an Indian clergy member that served in the

Archdiocese of Changanacherry The Archeparchy of Changanacherry is a Syro-Malabar Catholic archeparchy with an area of 24,595 km2 comprising the districts of Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, and Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, and also Kanyakumari distric ...

Early life

He was born on February 20, 1831, in Koothrapally to Palakunnel Puthiyachirakav Itticheriyath and Mariam. In his childhood, he was known as Mathen. Mathen joined Mannanam Monastery for studies in 1884. He completed his studies under the tutelage of

Kuriakose Elias Chavara Kuriakose Elias Chavara, C.M.I. (10 February 1805 – 3 January 1871) was an Indian Syro-Malabar Catholic priest, philosopher and social reformer. He is the first canonised Catholic male saint of Indian origin and a member of the Syro- ...

, the Abbot of Mannanam Ashram. He was ordained as a priest at Mannanam by Bernardine Baccenelli of St. Teresa, O.C.D, the Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly on 2 July 1855.

Social reformations

Throughout his life he worked for the betterment of people of all castes and especially the illiterate Dalits who were suffering in the society. Initiatives were taken to provide education to

Dalits Dalit (from sa, दलित, dalita meaning "broken/scattered"), also previously known as untouchable, is the lowest stratum of the castes in India. Dalits were excluded from the four-fold varna system of Hinduism and were seen as forming ...

. He spent money from his own hands and established Churches and Schools to teach the Dalits. In the month of April 1870, Valiyachan obtained permission from

T. Madhava Rao Raja Sir Tanjore Madhava Rao, KCSI (20 November 18284 April 1891), also known as Sir Madhava Rao Thanjavurkar or simply as Madhavarao Tanjorkar, was an Indian statesman, civil servant, administrator and politician who served as the Diwan of ...

, who was the Diwan of

Travancore The Kingdom of Travancore ( /ˈtrævənkɔːr/), also known as the Kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor, was an Indian kingdom from c. 1729 until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvananthapuram. At ...

, to say Mass at the

Central Prison, Poojappura Central Prison and Correctional Home, Thiruvananthapuram, also known as "Poojappura Central Jail", or "Central Prison, Poojappura", is a jail in Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala. It was established in1886 as a part o ...

for inmates. Valyachan offered mass at

in the same year on Palm Sunday.

Contributions

List of Churches and institutions constructed by Valyachan #Koratti Church, Erumely - 1858 #Puthiya Chirakkavu Church - 1859 #Koothrapally Chappel - 1876

Nalagamam

Valyachan's Nalagamam (Diary) is a valuable source for the history of Syriac Church of Kerala and the social and cultural history of

Central Travancore Central Division, sometimes referred to as the Quilon Division was one of three (or four) administrative subdivisions of the princely state of Travancore in what is now Kerala. It was administered by a civil servant of rank Diwan Peishkar equival ...

from 1857 to 1896. The main events of that time and the historical course of the Syriac Church were carefully observed and recorded. He Has a habit of writing down all these in his own perspective. Nalagamam helps us to know about the religious moral and cultural standard of living of Nasrani Nasrani community at that time. Construction of

Changanassery Changanassery or Changanacherry is a municipal town in Kottayam district in the state of Kerala, India. History The first recorded history on the origin of Changanacherry is obtained from Sangam period literature. According to Sangam era d ...

–

Peerumedu Peermade, also spelt Peerumedu (Malayalam: പീരുമേട്) is a village, Grama Panchayat and hill station in the state of Kerala, India. It lies above sea level in the Western Ghats (Sahyadri) about east of Kottayam on the way to Th ...

road in 1863, establishment of Alappuzha Light House, smallpox disease which killed thousands of people in

and other places, locust plague on Easter Thursday in 1878, earthquake in 1881, floods in

Kuttanad Kuttanad ( ml, കുട്ടനാട്‌) is a region covering the Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta Districts, in the state of Kerala, India, well known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. The region has the lo ...

in 1882 and 1883, etc. are all explained in Nalagamam.

Death

Palakunnel Mathai Mariam Katanar died on 20 April 1900. On April 21, he was buried in a self-made grave in a chapel built by Valyachan for the dedication of

Saint Maurus Maurus (french: Maur; it, Mauro) was the first disciple of Benedict of Nursia (512–584). He is mentioned in Gregory the Great's biography of the latter as the first oblate, offered to the monastery by his noble Roman parents as a young bo ...

on the roadside near Koothrapally church. Later his mortal remains were moved inside the newly built Koothrapally church.

References

* പാലാക്കുന്നേൽ വല്യച്ഛന്റെ നാളാഗമം published by Palakunnel Mathai Mariyam Kathanar Death Centenary Committee 2000 {{DEFAULTSORT:Valiyachan, Palakunnel 1831 births 1900 deaths Christian clergy from Kottayam Saint Thomas Christians