Varghese Payapilly Palakkappilly - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Varghese Payapilly Palakkappilly was a Syrian Catholic (Syro-Malabar Catholic) priest from the India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

n state of Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

and the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Destitute

Sisters of the Destitute

Sisters of the Destitute is a Syro-Malabar Catholic women's order.-History:The Congregation of the Sisters of the Destitute was founded by Servant of God Varghese Payapilly Palakkappilly in Chunangamvely, Kerala on 19 March 1927....

Family

Varghese Payapilly Palakkappilly was born as Kunjuvaru on 8 August 1876 in Perumanoor near Thevara to Palakkappilly Lonan and Kunjumariam. He hails from a noble, rather rich and ancient Christian family of Palakkappilly (also known as Payapilly) which is a Syrian Malabar Nasrani

Syrian Malabar Nasrani

The Syrian Malabar Nasrani people, also known as Saint Thomas Christians, "'Nasrani Mappila'" and Nasranis, are an ethnoreligious group from Kerala, India, adhering to the various churches of the Saint Thomas Christian tradition...

family spread mainly in central districts of Kerala, namely Ernakulam

Ernakulam district

-Economy:Agriculture constitutes the most important segment of the district’s economy and it is the biggest source of employment. Of the geographical 235319 hectares, crops are grown in 0 hectares. Coconut is the principal crop followed by rubber, paddy, and tapioca...

, Kottayam

Kottayam district

Kottayam is one of the 14 districts in the state of Kerala, India. The district has its headquarters at Kottayam town, located at 9.36° N and 76.17° E. According to the 1991 census, it is the first district to achieve highest literacy rate in the whole of India...

and Idukki

Idukki district

Idukki district is one among the 14 districts of Kerala state, India. The district headquarters is located at in Painavu.It is the second least populous district in Kerala, after Wayanad .-Etymology:...

.The Syrian Malabar Nasranis are the descendants of the Jewish diaspora in Kerala

Cochin Jews

Cochin Jews, also called Malabar Jews , are the oldest group of Jews in India, with roots claimed to date to the time of King Solomon, though historically attested migration dates from the fall of Jerusalem in 70 CE. Historically, they lived in the Kingdom of Cochin in South India, now part of the...

who were evangelized

Evangelism

Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....

by St. Thomas the Apostle

Thomas the Apostle

Thomas the Apostle, also called Doubting Thomas or Didymus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He is best known for questioning Jesus' resurrection when first told of it, then proclaiming "My Lord and my God" on seeing Jesus in . He was perhaps the only Apostle who went outside the Roman...

in the Malabar Coast

Malabar Coast

The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...

in the earliest days of Christianity.It has been suggested that the term Nasrani derives from the name Nazarenes

Nazarene (title)

Nazarene is a title applied to Jesus , who grew up in Nazareth, a town in Galilee, now in northern Israel. The word is used to translate two related words that appear in the Greek New Testament: the adjective Nazarēnos and the Nazōraios...

used by ancient Jewish Christians

Jewish Christians

Jewish Christians is a term which appears in historical texts contrasting Christians of Jewish origin with Gentile Christians, both in discussion of the New Testament church and the second and following centuries....

in the Near-East who believed in the divinity of Jesus

Jesus

Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...

but clung to many of the Mosaic ceremonies.

Payapilly Palakkappilly is a prominent Syrian Catholic family originally hailing from North Paravur

North Paravur

North Paravur formerly known as Parur is a town, municipality in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala. It is an old and growing municipality. Paravur is the capital of Paravur Taluk in Ernakulam district...

in the erstwhile Travancore Kingdom and presently based in Perumanoor. There exists several documents mostly in the form of palm leaves providing valuable information about the history of the family and confirm that the family members had the tradition of using the term Nasrani along with their names. It is believed that the term Payapilly is associated with North Paravur ancestry and the term Palakkappilly had its origin in Perumanoor. The family had several plots, namely Payapilly, Illathuparambu, Koonamveedu and Neendoopadam.

Since the particular family name of Palakkappilly belonged to the caste of Brahmin

Brahmin

Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...

s it is to be assumed that his ancestors included Brahmins along with the possible Jewish descent. The name Illathuparambil
Illam
Illam is a malayalee lineage system used for classification and identification of castes in Kerala, South India. The House of Namboothiries are also called the Brahmaalayam or Mana...

(meaning, pertaining to brahminical possessions) found entered in his baptismal register and the shape of his ancestral home and the vessels found there give more weight to this supposition. His full name as in his will

Will (law)

A will or testament is a legal declaration by which a person, the testator, names one or more persons to manage his/her estate and provides for the transfer of his/her property at death...

is Illathuparambilirikkum Payyappillilaya Palakkappillil Nasrani Varghese Kathanar.

His parents had five children, namely Thoma, Kunjulonan, Korah, Kunjautha and Fr. Varghese. His other relatives were very learned and were occupying important positions in the society and some of them even had received honorary titles from the King of Kochi

Kingdom of Cochin

Kingdom of Cochin was a late medieval Hindu kingdom and later Princely State on the Malabar Coast, South India...

. But his parents were of a very simple and straightforward nature. He had the fortune to grow up in a family richly blessed with vocations. His paternal uncle (Fr. Varghese Payapilly Palakkappilly) as well as another paternal cousin (Fr. Mathai Payapilly Palakkappilly) were already priests.

Early life

Varghese started his primary education in the parish school at Perumanoor and had his high school education at St. Albert's School, Ernakulam

Ernakulam

Ernakulam refers to the downtown area or the western part of the mainland of Kochi city in Kerala, India. The city is the most urban part of Kochi and has lent its name to the Ernakulam district. Ernakulam is called the commercial capital of the state of Kerala and is a main nerve of business in...

. He learnt Latin from Puthenpally Seminary

Seminary

A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...

and received his religious training at the Papal Seminary, Kandy

Kandy

Kandy is a city in the center of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the ancient kings' era of Sri Lanka. The city lies in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is one of the most scenic cities in Sri Lanka; it is both an...

, Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...

. He was ordained a priest on 21 December 1907. He was noted for punctuality, discipline, piety and fraternal charity. Fr. Varghese served as parish priest in Kadamakkudy

Kadamakkudy

Kadamakkudy is a census town in Ernakulam district in the Indian state of Kerala.-Demographics: India census, Kadamakkudy had a population of 15,823. Males constitute 49% of the population and females 51%. Kadamakkudy has an average literacy rate of 84%, higher than the national average of 59.5%:...

(1909–11), Alengad

Alengad

Alangad is a census town and panchayat in Paravur Taluk of Ernakulam District, Kerala, India.-Location:Alangadu is located just 7 km away from North Paravur and 8 km away from Aluva. The State Highway connecting North Paravur with Aluva passess through this village. It contains...

(1911–13) and Arakuzha

Arakuzha

Arakuzha is a village 6 km south east of Muvattupuzha in Kerala, India. It is Located on SH41 to Pandappilly and Koothattukulam,the Alternate Route for Main Central Road. The Moozhi Bridge Connects Arakuzha to Vazhakulam Town which is also 6 km from Arakuzha.-History:The village has a...

(1920–22). During his tenure in Arakuzha

Arakuzha

he began the St. Mary's Higher Seconday School there. He was instrumental in bringing a total transformation in the parish and had helped to solve many of the long lasting family problems. He gave the lands to the tenants of the church and had some profitable land purchased for the church, thus making it self sufficient. He also purchased 12 acres (48,562.3 m²) of land in M. C. Road for constructing St. Joseph's Syrian Catholic Church in Meenkunnam

Meenkunnam

Meenkunnam is a village in Kerala, India with small mountains, waterfalls, rocky hills, paddy fields, rubber plantations and pineapple plantation....

Later life

He was manager of St. Mary's High School, Aluva

Aluva

Aluva , is a suburb of the city of Kochi, situated north of the city center and a municipality in Ernakulam district, Kerala, India. Aluva is also a major industrial center of the state....

(1913–20,1922–29), one of the prominent schools in the Travancore

Travancore

Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...

. It was a rare honour bestowed upon him to have him made the manager of such a prestigious educational institution. In 1913 when he became the manager of the school, the institution was passing through a period of deep crisis for the recognition was withdrawn in 1909. The silver jubilee report of the school explains how Fr. Varghese had tackled the problem. Cardinal

Cardinal (Catholicism)

A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...

Mar Joseph Parecattil, former Head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, was a student of Fr. Varghese and studied staying in the school boarding and as such had ample opportunity to know closer the figure of Fr. Varghese. During the time of Fr. Varghese, the school was a seedbed of priestly vocations as testified in the autobiography by Mar Joseph Parecattil:

"Fr. Varghese Payapilly Palakkappilly was the manager when I joined the school. A slim figure with sunken eyes and with a serious expression on the face, he was an outstanding person. I may never have seen anybody with a willpower stronger than what he had. Nothing could shake him or take away his inner tranquility. I can sincerely say that the formation that I had received under him did exercise a great influence in my life. All those who wanted to become priests had to inform Fr. Varghese about their decision. This was the directive in the hostel and after much prayer and reflection I arrived at the conclusion and then I went to Fr. Varghese and told him of my desire"

Fr. Varghese served as a member of the Diocesan Council, as Director of Apostolic Union as well as Priests' Provident Fund. He had a profound sense of justice and peace. He was a good mediator and people approached him seeking solution for their problems. His role in solving political rivalry regarding Aluva Municipal Chairmanship is worth mentioning. The tug of war for the Chairmanship became so strong and inconclusive that both warring parties approachd Fr. Varghese and asked him to become the Chairman. Both groups had promised that they would be faithful to him. But he did not comply with their request. He was held in great honour by the church authorities and equally by the officials in the education department and government officers. The government had given him free pass to travel in the railways. The concern and the care for the poor and the suffering, for which Fr. Varghese was well known throughout his life, were noted particularly, the way he helped the victims of the flood in the year 1924. He turned St. Mary's High School into a shelter for the suffering people and brought food for them in a hired boat.

Sisters of the Destitute (S. D.)

Until the 19th century there were no organized form of charitable services in Kerala to care for the poor and the destitute. Fr. Varghese came forward with the idea of founding a congregation to continue Christ’s redemptive mission among the poor. He founded the congregation of the Sisters of the Destitute

Sisters of the Destitute

(S.D.) in Chunangamvely on 19 March 1927. He picked up those found lying abandoned, brought them to the shelter of the Home for the Aged and nursed them personally. It was originally named Little Sisters of the Poor. But in 1933, the name was changed to Sisters of the Destitute, since there was another congregation having the same title. S.D. was exalted to pontifical status in 1989. At present, it includes over 1500 nuns and is working in Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, Africa

Africa

Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...

and North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

Death

Fr. Varghese caught a cold on 19 September 1929 and took to bed. Later he was taken to Ernakulam general hospital for better treatment, but his condition only got worse. He died an untimely death on 5 October 1929, falling a victim to typhoid. He was buried in St. John Nepumsian Syrian Catholic Church, Konthuruthy. The funeral rite was administered by His Grace Mar Augustine Kandathil as the main celebrant in the presence of numerous priests and a huge gathering of people. The eulogy was delivered by the Prior General Fr. John Berchumans T.O.C.D.

Cause of Canonization

The Cause of the Beatification of Rev. Fr. Varghese Payapilly Palakkappilly was initiated by His Eminence Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil, Major Archbishop

Major Archbishop

right|200 px|thumb|Archbishop [[Sviatoslav Shevchuk]], Major Archbishop of Kyiv-HalychIn the Eastern Catholic Churches, major archbishop is a title for an hierarch to whose archiepiscopal see is granted the same jurisdiction in his autonomous particular Church that an Eastern patriarch has in...

of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

Syro-Malabar Catholic Church

The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India is an East Syrian Rite, Major Archiepiscopal Church in full communion with the Catholic Church. It is one of the 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in the Catholic Church. It is the largest of the Saint Thomas Christian denominations with more than 3.6...

in a ceremony held at the motherhouse of the Sisters of the Destitute on 6 September 2009.

The mortal remains of Servant of God Varghese Payapilly Palakkappilly were exhumed and transferred to new tomb on 23 February 2011.

External links

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