Kottayam Cheriapally Part 2 (Splitted from Kottayam Valliapally)

There were two types of Christians Thekkumbhaghar meaning southern (knanaya Christians) and Vadakkum bhaghar meaning northern worshipping at Valiyapally. Soon difference of opinion merged out, that united worship became impossible.

So Vadakkumbhaghar lead by Fr. Ouseph Kathanar met Thekkumkoor Raja explained him the plight. The generous Thekkumkoor Raja donated them 82 cents of land near to Valiyapally, thus leading to construction of a new church named after Mother Mary.

The church was completed in AD 1579, also known as Kottayam Cheriapally.

Kottayam Cheriapally Part 1( Christian Migration to Kottayam)

St.. Thomas, one of the apostles of Jesus Christ came to Kerala in AD 52 and established 8 churches  and converted locals into Christians before becoming a martyr at Mylapore near present Chennai. Kings of Kerala states were deeply impressed by the hard working Mar Thoma Christians, due to their financial background, good trading practices, great martial skills. The arrival of vast trading Christian community from Persia under the leadership of Thomas of Cana in the 4th century helped to boost this image.

There were few Christians in Thekkumkoor state till the early part of the 14th century based at Kadathuruthy. For various reasons some Christian families lead by Pulikal family from Poonjar migrated to Kottayam and settled nearby Eruthical temple belonging to Thekkumkoor Raja. Large scale migration of Christians from Kuruvilangad, Kaduthuruthi and Poonjar occurred in the 16th century and they settled nearby Thazhathangady, Pazhayachanda, and Valiaangady.

As the population grew, need for church aroused because the migrants still had to visit their mother churches to satisfy their spiritual needs. Arrival of Fr. Cherian Mathen Kathanar from Kadathuruthy helped it. Thekkumkoor Godavarma Raja was glad to provide the land free of cost, when the Christians approached him, very soon the construction of Valiyapally started and completed in 1550.

To be continued ................

Kottayam Cheriapally and Holy Soonoro of St Mary

Part of Holy Soonoro of St Mary (Holy Gridle) in Kottayam Cheriapally:

Apocryphal writings from the early church mention that St. Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles except St. Thomas. St. Thomas was brought to Jerusalem by Holy Spirit through 'Oyar' and saw St. Mary's body was taken to heaven by the angels. He got the girdle from St. Mary as a token to show it to other apostles that he actually saw St. Mary in 'Oyar' and to confirm asked the apostles to open the tomb and then there was no body in it. The Apostles concluded that she had been taken up to Heaven, body and soul.

Our Orthodox Church has the rare privilege to have with her the Girdle of St. Mary. The Holy Girdle of Virgin Mary which was handed over to Apostle St. Thomas, during her assumption to heaven. St. Thomas carried this precious treasure of Virgin Mary with him to India where he died a martyr.

In 394 A.D. together with the coffin of St. Thomas, this valuable Girdle of Holy Virgin Mary was also moved from India to Raha and was established in a Church.

Parts of the Holy Girdle was distributed all over the world.
one such part is kept in St Marys Orthodox Church Kottayam cheriapally

"Holy Soonoro (Holy Girdle) of our Mother" (Discovery)

According to the tradition of Orthodox church, Apocryphal writings from the early church mention that St. Mary died in the presence of all the Apostles except St. Thomas. St. Thomas was brought to Jerusalem by Holy Spirit through 'Oyar' and saw St. Mary's body was taken to heaven by the angels. He got the girdle from St. Mary as a token to show it to other apostles that he actually saw St. Mary in 'Oyar' and to confirm asked the apostles to open the tomb and then there was no body in it. The Apostles concluded that she had been taken up to Heaven, body and soul. This incident is one of the most mystical incident which is not written in present bible. So most of the believers don't know about this event. For many years no one knew where is this Holy Gridle.

In 394 A.D. together with the coffin of St. Thomas, this valuable Girdle of Holy Virgin Mary was also moved from India to Raha and was established in a Church.

Icon of the Holy Girdle is handing over to Apostle St. Thomas

During the discovery of Holy Gridle

In mid April 1953, while scrutinizing some manuscripts. Discoverer noticed a Garshunian book containing stories and speeches. It appeared to be bound with many papers piled up over each other. Orientals since 300 years ago used to bind some of their manuscripts in this way or with thick wood, then wrap it with leather or thick cloth because of scarcity of cardboard. When they opened the book cover, they noticed that it was composed of forty six letters in Garshunian and Arabic concerning the diocese of Homs and environs written a hundred odd years ago. One of them was Garshunian 29cm. long, 20 cm. wide written in 1852 by the notables of the archdicese of Syria to the notables of the city of Mardin (Turkey) close to za'faran Monastery, the patriaarchel see, implying the conditions of their archdiocese. They included that while wrecking their church called in the name of the Virgin the Lady of the girdle in Homs for purpose of enlarging and renewing it due to its oldness, smallness and its wooden ceiling, by the order of His Eminence of archbishop Peter Mousally, they found the girdle of our Lady the Virgin put in a vessel in the middle of the holy table in the altar. They were comprised with happiness and blessed by it.

The two stone plates, one with a hole inside where the Holy Girdle was kept, and the other one which was covering the first stone plate with an inscription about it.

According to this information, on the 20 th.of July 1953 A.D. When these discoverers opened the hole table where they found a stone inscription 46cm.long, 44cm. Wide 2 cm. thick written in a nice garshunian handwriting was the following:

“ In the year 59, this holy church was built in the days of the preacher Mala’s who is called alsoElija”

Then mentioned the date of renewing the church in 1852 A.D. in the days of the archbishop Julius Peter- and the cities and villages that donated for the structure expenses.

They found under it an old font covered with a thick old round copper sheet and inside it the vessel. And called His Lordship Alexandros the Greek Orthodox bishop of Homs and in his presence opened the vessel which broke due to its oldness and the holy girdle appeared wrapped on itself and the signs of oldness appearing on it. We gathered the pieces of the vessel and preserved them. His Lordship witnessed this fact and attested to it . In no time this news spread in the city, and a crowd from all Christian denominations infiltearated to receive blessings from the holy girdle.

Girdle spread out for measurement

During demonstration

HOLY SOONORO (Holy Gridle) of St Mary

Parts of the Holy Girdle was distributed all over the world, and now the remaining small part is rolled and covered with cotton and is kept in an "Arulikka", in a special place near to the Madbaho in this Church.

In Malankara some part of Holy Gridle is kept in St Mary Cheriapally and Manarkad church

1) Part of Holy Gridle in Kottayam Cheriapally
2) Part of Holy Gridle in Manarkaad Church

Rijo Geevarghese
rijo4iesus@gmail.com

“Maryam” from the Protogospel of St James Part 1

“Maryam” from the Protogospel of St James
Part 1

The gospels of the New Testament say very little about events surrounding Jesus' life as an infant and young boy. Just a couple of infancy stories, such as the visit of the magi in Matthew and Jesus as a twelve-year-old in the Temple in Luke. This "lost period" from Jesus' life is the subject of several early gospels, however, including Protogospel of St James, a narrative of the miraculous birth and holy life of Jesus' mother, Mary, leading up to Jesus' own supernatural appearance in the world.

The Protevangelion of James, also sometimes known as the Gospel of James or the Infancy Gospel of James, is generally dated to the 2nd century AD. It is an apocryphal gospel that was widely read but never accepted into the New Testament Canon. This book answers some of the major questions regarding

·         Why was Mary chosen to bear Jesus?

·         How could he be the Son of God if she were not someone special?

·         How was she born?

·         How did she maintain her holiness?

According to this account, Mary herself was born supernaturally, in a way similar to and modeled on the account of the birth of the prophet Samuel in the Hebrew Bible.

This book contains primarily the Annunciation of the Blessed St Mary. I would like elaborate some of the major contents concerning the Annunciation of the blessed St Mary.

Yonakir and Hannah (Joachim and Anne)

·         The day when the children of Israel offered up their gifts at the feast of the Lord God drew near , a man called Reuben stood against Yonakir (Joachim) and said: Because, of the Twelve Tribe of Israel you are one without children, you do not have the right to make offerings before God. Then Yonakir. In great sorrow and mental agony, went to his house.

·         Because Yonakir ‘s Sorrow was great, instead of going to his house or seeing his wife, he went to a forest. He set up a tent there and lived there for forty days and forty night fasting and vowed:’until God turns his glance upon me I shall neither eat nor drink anything; instead of food and drink prayer is sufficient for me.’

·         His wife Hannah was also sorrowing continually that she was living like a widow with out husband and that she was without children

Prayer of Hannah

·         She petitioned the Lord, saying, "God of my ancestors, bless me and hear my prayer, just as you blessed our mother Sarah and gave her son Isaac to her. Saying this she looked up. Seeing a bird’s nest in the tree, she thought about it. With a sigh she spoke again and said: Oh why do I not give birth ? What is it about the womb that has been given me? Of all the children of Israel, I alone have come to deserve curses. Oh me, what am I like? I am not like the birds of the sky, for the birds of the sky are fruitful before you, Lord. Oh me, what am I like? I am not like the domestic animals, for the domestic animals are fruitful before you, Lord. Oh me, what am I like? I am not like the wild animals of the earth, for the wild animals of the earth are fruitful before you, Lord. Oh me, what am I like? I am not like these waters, for these waters are fruitful before you, Lord. Oh me, what am I like? I am not like this earth, for the earth produces its fruit in season and blesses you, Lord.”

Angel of the Lord

·         When she finished saying this , Angel of the Lord has heard your prayer. You will conceive and give birth. Your offspring will become known all over the world.

·         Then Hannah said:
‘Upon the name of our Lord, the child that is born from me , whether it is a boy or a girl, I will give that child to the Lord. Let him stand before the Lord and serve him all the days of his Life’

·         After this the Angel spoke to Yonakir and said :’Yonakir , the Lord has heard your prayer . Leave this place . Your wife Hannah will give birth’.

·         Yonakir then came down from the forest. When Yonakir came back with his flock , Hannah was standing at the door. When she saw him she threw her arms around his neck and said to him: ‘now I know how much my Lord has blessed me. Because I was a widow but now I am not. I was barren and without children. I will give Birth.’

These lines clearly tells us , how the annunciation of our mother took place. After this Hannah conceived and days passed and in the ninth month she gave birth to a baby girl.

Indian Christians and Indian Freedom movement

Indian Christians and Indian Freedom Movement

Indian Christianity played an important role in the early phase of the Indian National congress, Especially at the third session of the Congress (1887) where , out of 607 participant , there were fifteen Indian Christian delegates who actively participated in the deliberation . Some of the Outstanding Indian Christian delegates were Madhu Sunder Das of Orissa who addressed the Congress on the question of expansion of legislative councils, and N Subramanium who proposed a pleaded for complete separation of judicial and executive functions by government officials . The Indian Christian delegates continued their contributions in the four subsequent sessions of the Congress. Special mention should be made of Pandita Ramabai Saraswati and Kali Chandran Banerjee.

Here I will be briefly introducing some of the Christian Freedom Fighters

Panditha Ramabai Saraswati (1858-1922) was an outstanding Indian Christian woman. In the 1889 Congress session there were ten Christian delegates of which Pandita Ramabai Saraswati was one. She was one of the first Indians who championed the right of women to participate in national politics, eloquently articulating the pitiable history of Indian womanhood. Ramabai also played an important role in the third session of the National Social Conference in 1889 at which she supported a resolutioncondemning the practice of disfiguring the Hindu widows.

Kali Charan Banerjee is considered one of the great leaders and founders of ‘the movement for emancipation’. A writer of the third session of the Congress in 1887 noted, ‘Perhaps the finest orator in the whole assembly was Babu Kali Charan Banerjee, who is a Bengali Christian’.

·         In the 1889 session, he was responsible for a resolution demanding improvement in the educational systems particularly university education.

·         He was also instrumental in 1889 in protesting against the prohibition imposed by the government on teachers participating in political movements.

·         In 1896, Banerjee again presented a resolution demanding improvement in the educational system, especially the university education in the country.

Brahmabandhab Upadhyay (George Thomas), the ‘Hindu Catholic’ sadhu and theologian was a leading player in the Swadeshi movement, and he was prosecuted on a charge of sedition in 1907.

J.C.Kumarappa (original name John Jesudason Cornelius, 1892-1960) was a veteran Congress leader. On 9 May 1929 he met Mahatma Gandhi at Sabarmati ashram and that resulted in their becoming close associates. He was a strong supporter of Satyagraha, and encouraged Christian participation in the national movement.

Paul Ramasamy (b.1906) was another important Christian who took part in the freedom struggle. In 1930 he joined the freedom movement during the Salt satyagraha days. He picketed the Bishop Herber College, Thiruchirappalli. He was arrested and sentenced to six months of imprisonment and was kept at Thiruchirapalli and Alipuram jails.

In the freedom and pro-democracy movement in Travancore in the 1930s and 1940s, prominent Christian leaders like T.M. Varghese, A.J. John, Anne Mascarenes and Akkamma Cherian were pioneering forces. Philoppose Elanjikkal John (1903-1955) was another prominent member of the Travencore State Congress. Joachim Alva (1907-1979) was another outstanding personality in the history of the freedom struggle.