Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara:

Feast day : 03 January

Today the Syro Malabar Church celebrates the feast of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, a catholic priest who lived during the period 1805-1871.He was a great visionary and a social reformer, the co-founder of the first indigenous religious congregation for priests in Syro Malabar Church (CMI Congregation) and the co-founder of the CMC congregation for women religious. Through his bold initiatives and strong leadership he introduced radical changes that helped shape and strengthen the Syro Malabar Church. He was a visionary who pioneered several social changes that benefited all members of society. When a schism threatened the Church in 1861, he was appointed the Vicar General and through his able leadership he effectively thwarted all attempts of division. He was canonized by Pope Francis on November 23, 2014.

Early life:

Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born on February 10, 1805 into a devout Christian family belonging to the Syro Malabar Church in Kainakary, Kerala. He was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary as her servant in the same year. He completed his schooling in his native village in Kainakary and joined the Pallipuram seminary in 1818. Fr. Thomas Palackal was the Rector of the Palipuram seminary where he completed his training and was ordained a priest on 29 November 1829.

Vocational life:

After his ordination, he was initially engaged in pastoral activities but soon returned to the seminary where he began to teach and assist Fr. Thomas Palackal. Two years later, on 11 May 1831, he joined Fr. Thomas Palackal and Fr. Thomas Porukara, in founding the first indigenous religious congregation for priests known as the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) under the Syro Malabar Church in Kerala. The first house of the congregation was founded at Mannanam in 1831. After the death of the two co-founders Fr. Thomas Palackal in 1841 and Fr. Thomas Porukara in 1846, the mantle of leadership fell on Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara. On December 8 1855, he made his religious profession alongwith 10 other companions taking the name ‘Kuriakose Elias of the Holy Family’. He became the Prior General of all the monasteries of the congregation from 1856 and continued in this role till his death in 1871.

Under his able leadership, seven religious houses of the CMI congregation were established in different parts of Kerala. These religious houses helped in bringing about a spiritual revival of the catholic faith in the Syro Malabar Church in Kerala. In 1833 the first Syro-Malabar Common Seminary was established at Mannanam. In the same year, he popularised Sunday homilies and began conducting annual retreats for both clergy and the laity. In 1838, he introduced the practice of praying the ‘Way of the Cross’ at Mannanam. In 1844 he was appointed Malpan (tutor of sacred subjects) and examiner of Scholastics with the authorisation to issue patents to the newly ordained priests to hear confession and to preach in the Church.

In 1846, he established St. Joseph's printing press in Mannanam, which was the third such press in Kerala, and the first one purchased without foreign support. He was the first to edit and publish the East Syrian Breviary. He prepared the first liturgical calendar in the Malabar Church in 1862. In 1866, he introduced the 40 Hour Eucharistic Adoration in Koonammavu. In 1866 he founded the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC) for women religious alongwith Fr. Leopold OCD, an Italian missionary. Two years later he started the first boarding house and school for girls in Kerala at Koonammavu alongwith Fr. Leopold OCD.

It was through his initiative that the Syrian texts were first printed in Kerala and prayer books in Malayalam. Using the printing press, he began printing the Nasrani Deepika, a religious newspaper which was started in 1885 and continues till date. In 1869 he founded the first Home of Charity, Upavisala for the sick, old and destitute at Kainakary.

In 1861 when a schism threatened the Syro Malabar Church, the then Archbishop appointed Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara as the Vicar – General of the Syro Malabar Church. Under his bold and strong leadership he thwarted the attempts of Mar Thomas Rokos in creating a schism within the Church.

Social Reformer:

He was a social reformer who brought about radical changes in society through his bold initiatives. At a time when education was reserved for the upper caste, he opened schools where the lower caste people could also come and learn. In 1846 he opened the first Catholic Sanskrit school at Mannanam. When he recognised that children would come to learn only if they were fed, he instituted the ‘mid day meal’ service in schools and this practice continues till date in Government schools. Through his initiatives, he inspired the then Bishop to release a circular in 1864 instructing all parish churches to start schools for the education of general public. As a result of this initiative, the schools in Kerala are called ‘Pallikoodam’ meaning a place attached to the church. In 1853, he founded the first Syro-Malabar Catechumenate at Mannanam.

He was a prolific writer whose literary contributions also helped extensively in building faith. Between the period 1862-1869 he edited the Divine Office for priests, compiled and composed Liturgical Rubrics, the Liturgical Calendar, Office for the Dead, Little Office of Immaculate Mother etc. His famous writings include his counsel to Christian families titled “Testament of a Loving Father’ which was first of its kind, 10 Eclogues on the nativity of Jesus Christ, Dhyana Sallapangal (Colloquies in meditation), Atmanuthapam (The lamentations of a Repentant Soul) and a narrative poem called ‘Anasthasiayude Rakthasakshyam’ an inspirational story of a martyr.

Death and Sainthood:

Following a brief and painful illness, Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavar died on 03 January 1871 at Koonamavu. His last words were: "Why are you sad? All God's people must die someday. My hour has come. By the grace of God, I prepared myself for it since long. My parents taught me to keep the Holy Family always in my mind and to honor them throughout my life. As I had always the protection of the Holy Family I can tell you with confidence that I have never lost the baptismal grace I received in baptism. I dedicate our little Congregation and each of you to the Holy Family. Always rely on Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Let the Holy Family reign in your hearts. Don't be sad about my dying. Joyfully submit yourselves to the will of God. God is all powerful and His blessings are countless. God will provide you with a new Prior who will be a source of blessing for the Congregation as well as for you. Hold fast to the constitution, the rules of our elders and that of the Church. Love our Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with all your heart. Draw the waters of eternal life from that fountain as in the words of the Prophet Elijah. All the members of the congregation, especially elders must be charitable to one another. If you do so, God will be glorified by the congregation and which will be flourished day after day. Your charity will bring salvation to souls."

He was laid to rest at St. Philominas Church and later his sacred remains were moved to Mannanam in 1889. Thousands of miraculous favours were reported by the intercession of Kuriakose Chavara including that by Saint Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception, who later became the first saint of India. Saint Alphonsa had testified in 1936 that Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara had appeared to her twice during her illness and relieved her suffering. Saint Alphonsa had a holy relic of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara's hair which was taken by one of his disciples and which she believed allowed her to pray to Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara and receive miraculous cure.

His beatification process was inaugurated by the Archbishop of Changanassery on 03 January 1958. On 07 April 1984 he was declared Servant of God by Pope John Paul II. On 08 February 1986 he was declared Blessed by Pope John Paul II during his visit to Kottayam, Kerala and he was canonized on 23 November 2014 by Pope Francis. His sacred relics are kept in the chapel of St. Joseph monastery at Mannanam, Kerala. Today it is a major pilgrim centre where thousands of faithful visit his tomb and seek his intercession in their needs. The feast of Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara is celebrated with great devotion and solemnity every year from December 26th to January 3rd.