Rev. Dr. John Kochuthundil is appointed the Rector of the Malankara Major Seminary

Rite of Dedication of St. Mary’s Basilica

The rite of dedication of St. Mary’s Queen of Peace was held by His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos on 7th December, 2008. Rev. Dr. Joseph Gnayalloor Remban read out the declaration, which was made by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI.

His Beatitude the Catholicos, celebrated the Holy Qurbono at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom at 11.30am. All the priests from the Trivandrum Major Archieparchy were the concelebrants. His Beatitude gave the concluding message of Platinum Jubilee of Trivandrum Major Archieparchy.

Thereafter, the procession of Rosary was held from Palayam St. Joseph’s Cathdral to the Basilica. Rev. Fathers, Religious Priests and Sisters, Brothers and numerous Faithful participated in this procession.

The public meeting as presided over by Shri M. Vijayakumar, the Honourable Minister of Law. His Beatitude, the Catholicos, inaugurated the public meeting. Rev. Dr. C. Joseph (Vicar of St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Palayam), Rev. Dr. John V. Thadathil (Vicar of Lourd Ferona Church, Palayam), Imam Jamaludeen Mankada, Rev. Msgr. Samuel Kattukallil, Rev. Msgr. James Paravila, Rev. Dr. Antony Valiyavilayil OIC (chancellor), Rev. Dr. John Kochuthundil (Rector of Basilica), Prof. Jessy Thomas (Representative to the Basilica), Rev. Fr. Mathew Karoor (Principal, St. Mary’s School), Mr. John Mathai IAS, Mr. Jacob Punnoos (DGP) were present.

Moran Mor Cleemis Catholicos presented the first rosary from the Queen of Peace Basilica to Mr. Jacob Punnoos, DGP.

The Pro-Cathedral of Palayam elevated to the status of Basilica

St. Mary, Queen of Peace Pro-Cathedral at Palayam was elevated to the status of Basilica in the Universal Church. Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, read out the declaration on 10 November 2008 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom after the Holy Mass. Henceforth, this church will be known as ‘St. Mary Queen of Peace Basilica, Trivandrum.

Reception to Leonardo Cardinal Sandri

His Eminence Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, Prefect, the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Rome.

Malankara Catholic Church gave a warm reception to Leonardo Cardinal Sandri, the Prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, on 10 November 2008, 9.00am at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom. The reception was arranged in the traditional manner. Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis, Major Archbishop-Catholicos was the chief celebrant of the Holy Qurbono. Leonardo Cardinal Sandi delivered the homily. After the Holy Mass, His Eminence visited the tomb of Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios.

The following public meeting was presided over by Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos. The Metropolitan Archbishop Most Rev. Thomas Mar Koorilos, Most Rev. Joshua Mar Ignathios, Msgr. Eldo Puthenkandathil and the lay representative Shri. John Mathai IAS  made the felicitation speeches. The representatives from the religious congregations of various eparchies gave memento to the Cardinal. All the metropolitans of our Church, Priests, Religious, Nuns, Brothers and numerous Faithful participated in the blessed function.

The Blessing of the Renovated Cathedral

The renovated St. Mary’s Cathedral at Pattom was blessed by Major Archbishop Baselios Cleemis Catholicos at 8 a.m. on Saturday 8 November 2008. A large number of Priests, Religious and the Faithful from the city of Trivandrum participated in the blessing.

Archbishop Mar Gregorios Day

Images taken from the Tomb Chapel of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom

Padayatra to the tomb of the Servant of God, Archbishop Mar Ivanios on his 55th Feast of Commemoration

The annual padayatra to the tomb of the Servant of God, Archbishop Mar Ivanios Started from Perunad today (10th, July, 2008). Most Rev. Thomas Mar Koorilos, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla celebrated the Holy Qurbono and blessed the Padayatris. The Malankara Catholic Youth Movement of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum is giving leadership to the Padayatra. The piligrims will reach the tomb of the servant of God in St. Mary’s Cathedral Pattom, Trivandrum at 8.30 am on 15th July, 2008.

The 55th Feast of Commemoration of the Servant of God Mar Ivanios begins

His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis Catholicos blessed the newly built altar of the tomb chapel of the Servant of God Mar Ivanios in St. Mary’s Cathedral Pattom, Trivandrum at 5 pm on 1 July 2008.  His Excellency Most Rev. Jacob Mar Barnabas, Apostsolic Visitator of the Malankarites in the Extraterritorial Regions in India, Rt. Rev. Msgr. James Paravilayil, the Protosyncellus of the Major Archieparchy of Trivandrum, Rt. Rev. Varghese Mavelil Corepiscopo, Rev. Fr. Geevarghese Nediyath, the Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Rev. Fr. Antony Valiyavilayil OIC, the Postulator of the Cause of Canonisation of the Servant of God Archbishop Mar Ivanios and a large number of Priests, Religious, Seminarians and Faithful participated in the blessing ceremony.

Major Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios Passes Away

The first Major Archbishop and Catholicos of the Malankara Catholic Church Cyril Mar Baselious passed away on Thursday 18th January, 2007. He was 71.

The Major Archbishop was diabetic and had been undergoing dialysis for the last six months. He was admitted to a private hospital here on Thursday morning following complaints of uneasiness.

He breathed his last there at 6.45 p.m. His death was unexpected as the Major Archbishop was the chief celebrant at an installation ceremony at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, on Wednesday.

Funeral was held on Saturday, 20th January, 2007.

All educational institutions under the Malankara Catholic diocese remained closed on Friday and Saturday.

It was during his tenure as Archbishop in February 2005 that the Malankara Catholic Church was elevated to Major Archiepiscopal status. Cyril Mar Baselius was a member in the congregation for oriental churches in Rome.

People from all walks of life turned up in large numbers at the St. Mary’s Cathedral here on Friday to pay their last respects to Major Archbishop of the Malankara Catholic Church Cyril Mar Baselius who passed away on Thursday.

Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, Mayor C. J ayan Babu, District Collector N. Ayyappan, freedom fighter K.E. Mammen, Chennai Archbishop Chinnappa and Mavelikkara Archbishop Joshua Mar Ignatios were among those who arrived at the church in the morning to pay homage.

Representative of the Pope in India Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, C.C.B.A president Archbishop Oswald Gracious were among those who came to pay their respect to Archbishop Baselios. This was followed by the “Dhupa-Prarthana” by all seven Bishops of the Malankara Catholic Church. Following which, Trivandrum Arch-Diocese Arch Bishop and close friend of Catholica Bava, Arch Bishop Susapa gave a speech.

The funeral service which started at 12.15 p.m. was lead by Geevarghese Mar Divanyasios, the Bishop of Bathery and the administrator of the Malankara Catholic Church. The funeral rites were preceded by a public procession from St.Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Palayam.

It was a sad moment when H.E. Archbishop Cyril Mar Baselios’ was taken from St Mary’s Pro-Cathedral, Pattom for a procession around the city of Thruvananthapuram.

The cathedral bells chimed and hymns in Syriac exhorting to `go in peace’ sung by the mourners rented the air as priests acting as pallbearers escorted the throne down the aisle. The throne was then raised at the four doors of the Cathedral, representing East, West, North and South, by the priests as sign of bidding adieu to the city and its people. The `funeral squad,’ comprising the State police armed battalion, reversed arms as a mark of respect.

“Ente nagarame, janame, ningalodu njyaan yatra parayunnu. Ningal samadhanathode vasikyuka” (My city, my people, I bid adieu to you. Peace be with you.) – was the farewell prayer being said as the procession moved around the city. As the procession moved through the city, people bid farewell with tears to the Archbishop.

The procession moved along the flyover, PMG Junction and Lourdes Church and reached the cathedral in two hours. Around 30,000 people including Cardinal Moussa Ignace Daoud, Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches; Pedro Lopez Quintana, representative of the Pope in India, 25 Bishops, 1,500 priests and 3,000 nuns attended the service.

Draped in solemn vestment and seated on a throne with the symbolic staff in hand, the body was interred alongside his predecessors Mar Ivanios and Mar Gregorios, in a specially prepared vault filled with frankincense at the basement of the Cathedral.

Kuwait’s Adharanjali to Major Arch Bishop Baselios

New Cor-Episcopos for Bathery Diocese

Very Rev Msgr Thomas Charivupurayidam and Very Rev. Fr. Thomas Thannickakuzhy are raised to the ecclesiastical dignity of Corepiscopo.  The liturgical ceremony of the ordination will be held on 17th January 2007 at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum.

Very Rev. Msgr Thomas Charivupurayidam is the present Vicar General of the Diocese of Bathery and he is the parish priest of St. Mary’s Malankara Catholic Church, Kallor, near Bathery.

Very Rev. Fr. Thomas Thannickakuzhy is running a Boys Home at Nambikolly, near Bathery for the poor children. He was the former Vicar General of the Diocese of Bathery.

Source: – Malankara Catholic Association