Month: April 2010

KOTTAYAM: Catholicos Elect Paulose Mar Milithios has set the first tent pole for the huge tent being eructed for consecration of Metropolitans on Thursday, April 29, 2010. Consecration ceremony will be on Wednesday, May 12, 2010.

Secretary to the Holy Episcopal Synod, Dr. Mathews Mar Severios, vicar, Mar Elia Cathedral, Kottayam, Fr. Mohan Joseph, Fr. Mathew Koshy, Fr. M.C. Kuriakose, Fr. Youhanon John, Fr. Prof. K.V. Paulose, Fr. Saibu M. Zachariah, Dn. Thomas George, Malankara Managing Committee Members, Prof. Jacob Kurien Onattu and A. K. Thomas, Trustees of Mar Elia Cathedral Babuji George and Shibu Varghese, Secreatry, MEC, Babu G. Mathew, Members of Municipal Council, Kottayam S. Gopakumar, Kuruvilla Jacob, Giby John, Raveendran, and a large number of faithful attended the function.

25000 faithful can watch the consecration live from inside the tent, which will be spread over a total area of 45,000 square feet in front of the Cathedral. The tent will extend to the Baselius College ground too. Short Circuit TV will be set and the budget for the whole preparations will be 2 million Rupees.

More than 10,000 vehicles are expected and parking is prepared at Lourde Forona Church ground, M.T. Seminary School ground and Jerusalem Marthoma Church ground. Vehicles of Metropolitans can park at M.D. Seminary High School ground. There will be shuttle buses from parking lots to the venue of consecration.

“It is an occasion of delight that once again a Metropolitan Consecration comes to Kottayam, the centre of Malankara Orthodox Church. It is all the more an occurrence of happiness that this consecration will take place at the M.D. Seminary Campus, the sacred place that witnessed many important moments of Malankara Church history from 1953 onwards”, stated Fr. Mohan Joseph.

Chor Episcopos C.J. Punnose, Fr. Abraham Korah, Fr. C.O. George, Fr. K.M. Isaac, Fr. P.A. Philip, Fr. Mathew Koshy, Fr. M.C. Kuriakose, Fr. Youhanon John, Fr. Prof. K.V. Paulose, and Fr. Saibu M. Zachariah are to chair different committees. Dn. Thomas George, K. John Cherian, Prof. John Joseph, Mamman P. Thomas, P.C. Abraham, Thomas Mathai, K.C. Chacko, Eapen K. Oommen, Sabu P. Thomas, Adv. Kuruvilla Jacob, Shiju Thomas, and P.C. Varghese will serve as conveners to various committees.
More than 500 members are working hard under 11 different committees to make the event memorable. There will be a ‘Volunteer Force’ that comprises more than 500 members to regulate the activities on consecration day.

A Central Committee is also formed for the smooth conduct of the event. Fr. Mohan Joseph will act as the General Convener. Prof. Jacob Kurien Onattu, Prof. Mathew Jacob, A. K. Joseph, Babu G. George, Shibu Varghese, Prof. Babu G. Mathew, Alexander Oommen, and Prof. John Joseph are the members of the Central Committee.

CHANDANAPPALLI: This year’s Order of St. George award will be conferred on Dr. Geevarghese Mar Osthathios Metropolitan.

Presentation of the award will take place on Saturday, May 8th at 11.00 am at St. George Orthodox Church, Chandanappalli. Minister of Agriculture, Government of Kerala, Mullakkara Ratnakaran will present the award.

The Catholicos Mar Baselios Marthoma Didymos I will preside over the function. Catholicose Elect Paulose Mar Milithios, Metropolitan of Thumpamon Kuriakose Mar Clemis, Sabha Secretary Dr. George Joseph, and Member of Indian Parliament P.C. Chacko will speak on the occasion.

Mar Osthathios is the senior most Metropolitan of Malankara Church. He has founded about 40 Movements of philanthropic nature and has also published more than 60 books.

He was conferred with many awards like Nilackal Award and the first Marthoma VIth Award previously. In the past years, Dr. George Varghese, Dr. Alex, Captain Raju, and K.G. Markose were bestowed with this award.

ROME: Lecturer of St. Thomas Orthodox Theological Seminary, Nagpur, Fr. K. Geevarghese (Fr. Reji) earned a doctoral degree in New Testament from the St. Thomas Aquinas Pontifical University, Rome. Fr. Geevarghese belongs to the Department of New Testament at the Nagpur Seminary.

Topic of his dissertation was basing the first letter of St. Paul to Corinthians 6: 12-20. Prof. Dr. Paulo Garutti accompanied and guided Dr. Geevarhese in his doctoral studies.

Fr. Dr. K. Geevarhese is member of St. Mary’s Orthodox Church, Muttam.

PUTHUPPALLI: Flag for the annual feast of St. George was hoisted today at St. George Orthodox Church, Puthuppalli, the Oriental Georgian Pilgrim Center. Not only Christians, but people from all religions put their faith and refuge in the intercession of St. George at Puthuppalli Church, which elders of the region have always boldly vouchsafed.

The local tradition to hoist flag at Puthuppalli is unique. Mainly families from two adjacent villages, namely, Puthuppalli and Ericadu, constitute members of St. George Orthodox Church, Puthuppalli. Therefore, these two villagers donate two flagpoles and bring them ceremoniously as processions to the Church every year. Thus, there will always be two flagpoles for the annual feast of St. George at Puthuppalli Church.

The tradition is that before 10 days of the final feast day, precisely on Medam 15th, according to the Malayalam Calendar, the flags are to be hoisted. For the next ten days there will be special fireworks and percussional demonstrations at the foot of the flagpoles. All activities connected to the flagpole will be with permission and prayers of the clergy. The Cross at the pinnacle of the flagpole will be blessed by priests and first flag will also be tied by priests.

On Wednesday, April 28, 2010, in the afternoon, Secretary to the Holy Episcopal Synod, Dr. Mathews Mar Severios hoisted flags. On the eve of the feast day, namely, Medam 23rd, Malayalam Calendar, (May 6th), pilgrims start to flow to the Church. By midday the Church will literally be an ocean of pilgrims.

To coordinate various programs in connection with the annual feast of St. George at Puthuppalli, there will be a special meeting of various department heads under the presidentship of Revenue Divisional Officer (RDO), Kottayam. Kottayam District Collector declared Puthuppalli as ‘festival area’.

There are always special bus services for the better commute of pilgrims, including those of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation, from all adjacent towns, namely, Kottayam, and Changanassery. Pilgrims are expected from neighboring states of Kerala, Tamilnadu and Karnataka as well. Those from far away places will get basic lodging at Church premises, according to the office bearers of Puthuppalli Church.