Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Palai (Fides Service) - The Catholic Church of Syro-Malabar rite in Kerala, southern India has obtained recognition of one of its apostles: the Holy See has given the title of Venerable to Father Augustine Thevarparambil 1891-1973, and this is the first step towards sainthood. The decree was signed by Pope John Paul II in the Vatican on 22 June. Father Augustine was the only Indian on a list 16 persons whose heroic virtues were formally recognised by the Church.
The priest, known as Kunjachan by the local people, belonged to Palai diocese, and he ministered to the poor and those of the lowest castes. He was a barefoot missionary who lived like the poor among the poor and in the name of Christ devoted his entire life to service of the excluded and the needy.
He is remembered with love and gratitude by many Catholics who came to the faith in though his zealous apostolate of evangelisation. Kunjachan’s humility and charity also won him the esteem of non Christians many of whom make pilgrimages to pray at his tomb.
Fides sources in Kerala, say “the Syro-Malabar community in Kerala is receiving a shower of blessings”: another local man was raised to the rank of Servant of God, Joseph Vithayathil, also from Kerala, co-founder of the Holy Family Sisters a local Syro-Malabar Congregation of women religious. To celebrate the two events Catholics in Kerala organised days of prayer and festivities.
Kerala state is the cradle of Christianity in India. Syro-Malabar Catholics are thought to be descendants of the first Christians converted by St Thomas the Apostle who came here AD from the Holy Land in 52. In full communion with Rome the Syro-Malabar Church has bout 3.9 million members in India and many other parts of the world. It has always been richly blessed with vocations, in fact about 70% of the church personnel in India, priests and men and women Religious come from the Syro-Malabar tradition. India has a population of one billion including 17 million Catholics.
(PA) (Agenzia Fides 25/6/2004 lines 28 words 287)
