In 1830 he went to Mannanam to direct the construction of the first house of the congregation of which the foundation stone was laid on 11th May, 1831. After the death of both the Malpans, Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara took up leadership. On 8th December, 1855 he made the religious profession along with other 10 companions, under the name “Kuriakose Elias of Holy Family”.
He was the Prior General of all the monasteries of the congregation from 1856 till his death in 1871. When, in 1861, a schism threatened the Church of Kerala with the arrival of Mar Thomas Rokos without proper credentials from the Pope, Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara was appointed the Vicar-General of the Syro-Malabar Church by the Arch-Bishop of Verapolly. Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara is gratefully remembered and acknowledged by the later leaders of the Church and by the Catholic community in general for his strenuous fight, strong stance , and effective leadership in thwarting `Thomas Rochos’ intrusion and saving the church of Kerala from schism.
Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, one of the founding fathers and the first Superior General of CMI (Carmelites of Mary Immaculate) congregation of the Catholic Church, died on January 3rd, 1871 in the odour of sanctity leaving behind him the high reputation of a very holy monk. He was declared blessed on February 8, 1986 by His Holiness Pope John Paul II.
His mortal remains, transferred from Koonammavu where he died, were piously kept in the chapel of St. Joseph’s Monastery, Mannanam, Kerala, India. Because of his sanctity and his showering of blessings upon those who seek the intercession of him, Mannanam has become a pilgrim centre. Thousands of people come to the tomb of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara on every Saturday for the Holy Mass and Novena. The feast of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara is celebrated with great devotion and solemnity every year from December 26th to January 3rd.
The CMI congregation and the Kerala Church owe a great deal to the dreams and efforts of the great luminaries, Malpan Thomas Porukara, Malpan Thomas Palackal, Brother Jacob Kanianthara and Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara the first founding Fathers of the CMI congregation. Just like his teachers, Malpan Thomas Porukara and Malpan Thomas Palackal, Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara was a great visionary. There is no area of human endeavour where the fingers of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara has not touched.To his credit there are many firsts in the history of the Kerala Church: the first indigenous religious congregation for men (CMI ), the first Sanskrit School, the first catholic printing press, the first Indian congregation for women( CMC ). He was first to edit and publish the East Syrian Breviary. He prepared the first liturgical calendar in the Malabar Church in 1862 which continued to be in use until the recent years. It was through his efforts Syriac was first printed in Kerala and the first prayer books in Malayalam were printed at Mannanam under his care.
Besides the first house at Mannanam, he started several religious houses in different parts of Kerala. Starting of seminaries for the education and formation of clergy, introduction of annual retreats for priests and people, starting of forty-hour adoration, a house for the dying and destitute, special attention to catechumens, schools for general education were among the few of the various activities under Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara’s leadership.
Besides, in 1866 with the co-operation of Fr. Leopold Beccaro OCD, Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara started the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) for women. He was the pioneer of popular education in Kerala and the one who inspired the Catholics to start schools in every parish along with their churches. That is why in Kerala schools are popularly called “Pallikkoodam” – a place for education attached to the church.Amidst his diverse and manifold activities, he found time and leisure to write a few books, both prose and verse, for the benefit of the faithful. His counsels to the Christian families given in the form of a “Testament of a Loving Father” are universally applicable and are relevant to this day. Essentially a man of prayer and intense charity, he stayed in close communion with the Lord, amidst his several religious and social activities, permeating his spirituality to all around him, so much so that he was accepted and referred to as a man of God, from his early years.
The name is believed to have originated from Saint Quriaqos who is known in both Syriac and Latin liturgies The meaning of Kuriakose most closely matches to 'of the Lord'.
was born on 10th Feb.1805 of God fearing parents Iko (Kuriakose) Chavara and Mariam Thoppil of the Syro-Malabar Church, at Kainakary, near Allappuzha, Kerala. According to the local custom the infant was baptized on the 8th day in Chennankari Parish Church, Alappuzha.
Industries. The village has a high supply of rare-earth elements in its sand, mainly titanium on its beaches. The major industries in the public sector at Chavara that deal with the mining and processing of rare-earth metals are Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML) and Indian Rare Earths Limited (IRE).
The miracle that was approved for canonization 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 District of Kerala State in India.
Saint Chavara is the heavenly patron of all CMI and CMC institutions. Let us pray to him to intercede before God for all our needs, especially for success in our studies.
Kuriakose (Cyriac) Chavara was born in 1805, of pious and devout Catholic parents of Syro-Malabar Church, at Kainakary, Kerala, India. After his early schooling in the native village and priestly studies under Fr. Thomas Palackal at Pallippuram, he was ordained priest in 1829.
Trust your mother; God will hear the mother's request like the baby's request. Wisdom and purity should be spiritual food, like food for natural growth. Laziness fosters evil habits. Let your friends be those who love God.
This consciousness created in him a great sorrow for sin. At the same time he recognized the great love and mercy of God, the Savior, whom he calls 'My Father'. This confidence in the Father gave him hope and solution for all his problems and for the problems of others.
The patron beer drinkers might identify with most is Saint Augustine of Hippo (now part of Tunisia). Born in the 4th Century A.D., Augustine lived an aggressively un-saintly early life, discovering an early an ardent love for alcohol consumption and all the naughty hedonism that attends it.
Apostle BARTHOLOMEW is apparently the oldest patron of shoemakers. He was born in the first century in Galilee and died in the 1st century in Syria. The martyrdom of St. Bartholomew has been documented in abundant legends and in the Middle Ages he was a very revered saint.
Kuriakose has been a saint, widely honoured among the early Syrian Christians. He, being a martyr, was also known as 'Kuriakose Sahda' and also as 'Thalia', meaning a child.
A historically important place in Kottayam, Mannanam is an important religious place, particularly famous because it is here that the first house of the CMI congregation had its foundation stone laid on May 11 1831 by Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara.
Chavara was a social reformer who initiated reforms in the Kerala. He played a major role in educating and uplifting people especially of the lower ranks of society. He started an institution for Sanskrit studies at Kerala in 1846 and he took the initiative to start a school in a nearby villages.
Understand. Paravur shortly known as Parur in the past, is one of the oldest towns in South India, established in 52 B.C. when an ancient Tamil tribe Cheras, decided to make the city as its capital, owing to presence of a natural port here as well.
The Catholic Saint Thomas Christians (Pazhayakūttukār) came to be known as the Syro Malabar Catholics from 1932 onwards to differentiate them from the Syro-Malankara Catholics in Kerala.
The tradition of origin among Saint Thomas Christians relates to the arrival of Thomas, one of the 12 disciples of Jesus, at the ancient seaport Muziris on the Kerala coast in AD 52. It is also possible for Aramaic-speaking Jews from Galilee to make a trip to Kerala in the 1st century.
Address: Apt. 994 8891 Orval Hill, Brittnyburgh, AZ 41023-0398
Phone: +26417467956738
Job: District Marketing Strategist
Hobby: Embroidery, Bodybuilding, Motor sports, Amateur radio, Wood carving, Whittling, Air sports
Introduction: My name is Prof. An Powlowski, I am a charming, helpful, attractive, good, graceful, thoughtful, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
