Our Church canonized Vattaserril Thirumeni as a Saint on February 23, 2003. Vattasseril Geevarghese Mar Dionysius is popularly known as "Malankara Sabha Bhasuran" (The Great Luminary of Malankara Orthodox Church). Vattasseril Thirumeni was a man of prayer, determination and dynamism. He was a saint who never stopped before falsehood. He bravely fought for the establishment of Catholicate to be the symbol of self-identity and independence of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. The unique and historic contribution of Mar Dionysius is the establishment of Catholicate in Malankara in 1912 at Kottayam. He can be called as the architect of the Indian Orthodox Church and thus endeared himself as one of the greatest fathers of the Indian Orthodox Church.

Thirumeni was born on 31st Oct 1858. He had his childhood education from CMS Middle School at Mallappally and the High School education from CMS High School, Kottayam. In 1876, when he was a high school student, he was ordained as sub-deacon by H. H. Moran Mar Pathrose Patriarch. Dn. Geevarghese had his four-year theological studies at the Orthodox Theological Seminary, (Old Seminary) Kottayam. He came out well versed in Eastern Orthodox Theology. When he was a theological student, St. Gregorios of Parumala was his Syriac Professor. Within a short span of time, Dn. Geevarghese became a great Scholar of Syriac language and literature. In 1879 Dn. Geevarghese was ordained as a full Deacon and in 1880, he was ordained as a priest by St. Gregorios (Parumala Thirumeni). By this time Fr. Geevarghese had become an authority of the Syriac language, Church history, faith and doctrines of the fathers, and theology. Being the dearly beloved of Parumala Thirumeni, he was designated as the Malankara Malpan. He spent his spare time reading, studying and thinking and this resulted him to achieve the status of a renowned writer. 'Doctrines of the Church' is one of the famous books. He was able to edit and publish the Church worship order (detailed Qurbana Kramam), which could be used by the ordinary faithful for the meaningful participation in the worships. He was appointed as Principal of the Seminary, Kottayam, Saint’s Corner Vattasseril Geevarghese Mar Divanasios compiled by - John K. Abraham in recognition of his scholarship and administrative skills. In 1903, he was elevated as a Ramban (monk). In the meantime, he had served as the Manager of the Parumala Seminary. In1908 he was consecrated as H. G. Geevarghese Mar Divanasios Metropolitan and served as the Assistant Malankara Metropolitan. From the next year, up until his entrance to eternal rest, he served as the Malankara Metropolitan. H. H. Moran Mar Baselios Geevarghese II, Catholicos remarked in the speech at the funeral of Vattasseil Thirumeni:

"When we look at the highest solemn position held by Vattasseril Thirumeni and his deep and firm faith in God, he is similar to Moses who led the sons of Abraham from the captive land of Egypt to the promised land of freedom and happiness. There is no doubt about it. Moses had spent his entire life for the freedom of his people but he could not enter the promised land. He was only able to see the promised land from a distance. Likewise the 'Moses' of Malankara Church has also watched freedom of his Church from a distance".

Spiritually he was great and he had no scars of sins. Many people are ignorant about the pious life of Thirumeni as he had never exposed his spiritual life. He was never touched by the hypocrisy. Prayers and fasting influenced the personality of Vattasseril Thirumeni. Lents and above all by a sacramental pious life. All tensions were faced with the power he had gained through his valued spiritual life. St. Gregorios was his role model. Thirumeni had his private prayers as well as meditations without the notice of others inside closed doors. In spite of the busy schedules, he used to listen 3-4 lessons from the Holy Bible everyday. Almost all-private fasting was observed without the notice of others.

Vattasseril Thirumeni was a good orator who was well aware of the importance of the vitality and morality of the speeches. He was the founder of spiritual organizations such as the Student Movement, Women's Organization, and Society of the Cross. The "Faith of the Church "(Mathopadesam) released by him is still valuable for Malankara Church. He was also instrumental in drafting our Church Constitution.

He entered Heavenly abode on 23rd February 1933 and was buried at the Old Seminary in Kottayam.

As our Church pays its profound respects to the sacred memory of Mar Divanasios VI, we should dedicate ourselves to follow his example and build on what he had begun. May the remembrance of his saintly life be a blessing to the Church as a whole and to its members individually

Mary’s faithful response makes her the highest model of obedience to God. The early Church Fathers and Church History says that when the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, she was knitting a curtain for the temple. The Virgin Mary is honored not only because God chose her, but also because she, herself, chose to believe and obey God firmly.

Beginning at verse 39, we see that Mary went to Judah to the house of Zechariah to visit Elizabeth. In verse 41, we see that the babe, John, in his sixth month of gestation, leaped in Elizabeth’s womb as a joyous response to the presence of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, in Mary’s womb. Mary receives veneration from both the angels and human; for as did the angel Gabriel (verse 28), Elizabeth calls Mary “Blessed (verse 42).” Here we see that Mary is the model of womanhood. No one else has ever received the glory given to Mary, either in Scripture or in Church History.

Mary is confessed as the “mother of my Lord” by Elizabeth. This was no mere man that Mary was carrying. The title “THEOTOKOS (mother of God)” is given to the Virgin Mary by the Church, derived from the truth of this confession. The “Magnificent” is presented next in verses 46-56, which is a remarkable hymn of praise to God. It comes from the heart of Mary, who was probably only 15 or 16 years old at that time. In the first book of Samuel 2:1-10, we can see the first utterance of this prayer by Hannah, the mother of Samuel, who was advanced in years and was yearning for a child in her bareness like Elizabeth. This prayer has been said by Jewish expectant mothers for centuries.

St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria and one of the Fathers that made the greatest contribution to the new interest in the person and mission of the Virgin Mary in the plan of salvation says that when Mary and Elizabeth greeted each other, Christ also greeted John in his mother’s womb, as it says in the Gospel, “it happened that when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby stirred in her womb for joy.” St. Athanasius continues that when John heard hi Master’s voice, He greeted Him through the mouth of His mother. Then, with great joy, through his mother’s mouth, addressing the Virgin, “Blessed are you among woman, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. But who am I that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

In narrating his parallel accounts of John’s and Jesus’ nativities, St. Luke is the only New Testament writer to state that their respective mothers are blood relatives (1:36). The emphasis on women’s role in the divine purpose is a typical Lukan concern. Also significant is St. Luke’s hint about Mary’s background. Since Elizabeth is of the “priestly descent,” which means that she belongs to the tribe of Levi, it seems probable that Mary also belongs to the Levitical clan rather than the Davidic tribe of Judah. In relating the two infancy stories, Luke subtly indicates the relative importance of both children. He dates John’s birth during the reign of King Herod. Throughout the infancy stories of Jesus and John, St. Luke follows the Greco-Roman practice of inserting speeches that illustrate themes vital to the subject. The long poem uttered by Zechariah, known as the BENEDICTOS, combines scriptural quotations with the typical view taken by St. Luke about the significance of Jesus. These liturgical pieces include the Angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that she would bear a Son, called the AVE MARIA and Mary’s exulting prayer called the MAGNIFICAT.

For two thousand years, the Church has preserved the memory of the Virgin Mary as the prototype of all Christians, the model of what we are to become in Christ. Mary was truly pure and unconditionally obedient to God. As Mary bore Christ in her womb physically, all Christians now have the privilege of bearing God within themselves spiritually. From early times, the Church has called her Mother of God (Theotokos), a title that implies that her Son, Jesus Christ, is both fully man and fully God. As His mother, Mary was the source of Jesus’ human nature, yet the one that she bore in her womb was also the eternal God. Christians appropriately honor Mary as the first among the Saints. The angel Gabriel initiated this honor in addressing her, as seen in St. Luke 1:28, “Rejoice highly favored one, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women.” The salutation clearly indicated that God Himself had chosen to honor Mary. Her favored status was confirmed when she went to visit her cousin Elizabeth. In obedience to the clear intention of God, the Orthodox Church honors Mary in icons, hymns, and special feasts. We ask St. Mary to intercede with her Son on our behalf. We ask for guidance and protection and we venerate her, but we do not worship her, for worshipping belongs to God alone.

As St. Mary accepted her call, we also are called today to make resolutions in our lives that involve forgiving one another, bearing with one another, and loving one another, as St. Paul clearly teaches us. We are called today to be leaders to work for the development and growth of our church and society as a whole. May this be a time of rejoicing, praising and honoring our Heavenly Father, His only Begotten Son and the Holy Spirit.

St Thomas was one of the twelve Apostles of Jesus Christ. He was also called Didimos, which mean ‘twin' because of the paired fingers of his hand. The Bible portrays him as a man of bravery and strong attachment to his Teacher. Jesus made the revelation that ‘I'm the way, the truth and the life' (St. John 14:6) as an answer to the question of St Thomas. After his resurrection, when Jesus appeared before his apostles, St Thomas was not present there. When his colleagues told him later that they saw Jesus, he was reluctant to believe that. He proclaimed that “unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it” (St John 20:26). It was his earnest desire to see his resurrected Master. He also wanted to have the same fortune experienced by his colleagues. Jesus respected his disciple's wish and made an appearance again before the group in which St Thomas was also present. Jesus invited him to put his fingers on his wounds and get convinced. In the ecstasy of that moment, St Thomas addressed Jesus “My Lord and My God”—which is a basic creed of Christian faith. The tradition says that when St Thomas put his paired fingers in Jesus' wounds they got separated and became normal and other apostles kissed his hands, which touched the resurrected Jesus Christ. The Christian practice of kissing the hands of bishops and priests originated from this.

The Indian Orthodox Church (also known as the Malankara Orthodox Church, Orthodox Church of the East, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, Orthodox Syrian Church of the East), is a prominent member of the Oriental Orthodox Church family. The Church traces its origins to St. Thomas the Apostle, who came to India in AD 52, established the Church and suffered martyrdom.

The head of the Indian Orthodox Church is the Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan whose seat is at Kottayam, Kerala, India. The Church has dioceses and churches in most parts of India as well as in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Western Europe, Persian Gulf nations, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The official title of the head of the Church is the "Catholicos of the East, Catholicos of the Apostolic throne of St. Thomas, and the Malankara Metropolitan". The present Catholicos of the East and Malankara Metropolitan is H. H. Mar Baselios Mar Thoma Didymos I, who was enthroned on October 31, 2005 at Parumala Church by the Holy Synod amidst the Holy Eucharist.

The Church, though modern in its vision and outlook, keeps the traditional Orthodox faith and liturgy. It accepts the first three Ecumenical Synods. The liturgy now in use is the translation of the liturgy adopted from the Antiochian Church in the 17th century. However, the liturgical rites are uniquely Indian. Today the Church uses liturgy in Malayalam, Hindi, and English.

The Indian Orthodox community inherited many aspects of Indian civilization and they are as any other member of any other community in India, in their customs, manners, and life style.

The Church has a Theological Seminary at Kottayam, Kerala, which was established in AD 1815. Another seminary is situated in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The later was established fairly recently in the later part of the 20th century.

The Church takes an active role in various ecumenical activities at national and international levels. It is a member of the World Council of Churches. Famous theologians such as Mar Paulose Gregorious, Mar Geevarghese Osthathios, Rev. Fr.V.C. Samuel, and Rev. Dr. K. M. George, who contributed to the negotiations between the Oriental and Byzantine churches, belong to this church. The Indian Orthodox Church also participated in the Ecumenical Council of Oriental Orthodox Churches held in Addis Ababa, in AD 1965.

We believe in one true God. The Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in the one Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God; begotten of the Father before all worlds; Light of Light; Very God of very God; begotten, not make; being of the same substance with the Father; and by whom all things were made; who for us human being and for our salvation, came down from heaven and was incarnate of the holy virgin Mary, mother of God, by the Holy Ghost, and became man; and was crucified for us in the days of Pontius Pilate; and suffered and died and was buried, And on the third day rose again according to His will; and ascended into heaven, and sat on the right hand of his Father; and shall come again in His great glory to judge both the living and the departed; whose kingdom shall have no end.

And in the one living Holy Spirit, the life-giving Lord of all, who proceeds from the Father; and who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets and the apostles;

And in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church; And we acknowledge One baptism for the remission of sins, and look for the resurrection of the dead: And the New Life in the world to come. Amen.

St. Gregorios Geevarghese, popularly known as "PARUMALA THIRUMENI" was born in the distinguished priestly family of 'Pallithatta Thanagattu' in the village of Mulunthuruthy near Cochin on 15th June 1848. He was baptized by name Geevarghese at the Mulanthuruthy MarThoman Church. From childhood days he followed a very disciplined life which was enriched by prayer and fasting. Mor Gregorios had a thorough knowledge in Theology and Syriac, which he learned from his teachers, Pallithatta Fr. Geevarghese Malpan (uncle), Konatt Malpan of Pambakkuda and Yuyakim Mor Kurillos Bava the Patriarchal delegate. His Grace was a man of prayer and made it clear to the world that Prayer and devotion is mightier than any worldly possession. The Holy Father's short life was remarkable in many respects. A deacon at the age of 10, a priest at the age of 18, a bishop at the young age of 28 (the reason for calling him 'Kochu Thirumeni'); he passed away on November 2nd 1902, after a saintly life of prayer to become the brightes jewel in the Jacobite Syrian Church.

A brief life history

St. Gregorios was blessed with the order of Korooyo at the tender age of ten by Palakunnath Mathews Mor Athanasius at the Karingachira St.George Jacobite Syrian Church. At the age of 18, he was ordained Shamshono by Yuyakim Mor Kurillos, the then Patriarchal delegate of the Holy See of Antioch. Soon after Geevarghese was ordained Kassisso and later as Corepiscopa, again at the blessed hands of Yuyakim Mor Kurillos Bava. Later he settled at the Vettikkal Dayro near Mulunthuruthy where he led a strict monastic life. In 1872 he was ordained Ramban (Monk-Priest) by Pulikottil Mor Dionysius.

The protestant missionary activities, aided by the British Government, was at its heights in those days. The liberal stand taken by the protestants in matters of faith led to the crossing over of many of the Syrian Orthodox faithful to the new found churches. To bring an end to this extraordinary situation the faithful in Malankara came together under the chairmanship of Ramban Geevarghese in September 1872. But finding it difficult, they prayed for the help of the supreme head of the Church, the Patriarch of Antioch who was then residing in the monastery of Deir ez-Za`faran (Kurkumo Dayro) in Turkey.

Accordingly, His Holiness Mor Ignatius Peter III, the Patriarch of Antioch & all the East, arrived in Malankara in 1875. Ramban Geevarghese who was well versed in Syriac was appointed as the interpreter to the Patriarch. The Patriarch, impressed with the young Ramban, chosen him also as H.H's private secretary. When the historic Mulunthuruthy Synod was convened in the month of June/July 1876, the assistance of Ramban Geevarghese was of much help to His Holiness. The Patriarch's esteem of the Ramban grew so high that His Holiness decided to elevate him to the order of Metropolitan.

On 10th December 1876, H.H. the Patriarch ordained Ramban Geevarghese as Metropolitan by name 'GREGORIOS' at the St.Thomas church in North Paravur. When in Malankara, H.H. the Patriarch had consecrated six Metropolitans of which Mor Gregorios was the youngest and was only 28 and hence he came to be known by the endearing name Kochu Thirumeni. The ancestral house where Mor Gregorios was born and brought up was known by name 'CHATHURUTHY' and for that reason he is also often referred to as Chathuruthy Thirumeni.

After the departure of the Patriarch in 1877, at the behest of our Kochu Thirumeni, all the newly ordained Metropolitans observed a 40 day lent at the 'Vettikkal Dayro' before their assumption as Diocesan Metropolitans. In his bishopric, he established various churches and was the motivator to establish schools in different parts of Malankara. Mor Gregorios was a man who grasped the value of Education for the upliftment of the society. In late 1890's, many educational institutions were started by the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church under the initiative and guidance of Parumala Kochu Thirumeni and Pulikottil Joseph Mor Dionysius (Malankara Metropolitan). St.Thomas School at Mulanthuruthy, St. Ignatius School at Kunnamkulam (named after his mentor the Patriarch of Antioch Mor Ignatius Peter IV), the Syrian English School (now known as 'MGM High School') at Thiruvalla, etc., were some of the well known schools of the Church at that time.

The saintly father was closely and intimately associated with varied activities and development of the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Church. He was very much admired for his organizing ability and was very popular with the masses. Following the demise of Metropolitans, the administration of Thumpamon and Kollam dioceses also fell under him. In 1887, the first block of the 'Parumala Seminary', was consecrated.

Mor Gregorios was keen in maintaining relationship with all section of people, irrespective of caste or community. He always showed love and cared for the poor and suffering. He was very particular for the truthfulness and helping the poor. His Grace took special interest in preaching the Holy Gospel of Our Lord among the backward communities and many were accepted into our fold. He also worked hard to uplift this marginalized people.

While staying at Parumala Seminary, Mor Gregorios taught Syriac to deacons. His ability to tack Syriac hymns was extraordinary. Even in the midst of the busy schedule, he gave maximum importance to prayers and lent. He used to get up at 4 am for prayer. His Grace observed prayers seven times a day as taught by the Holy Fathers of the Church. He was very particular about observation of lent with fasting, particularly on Fridays and Wednesdays.

His Grace's long standing desire to visit the Holy Land was fulfilled in 1895, nineteen years after his ordination as Metropolitan. During his Pilgrimage to Jerusalem, he stayed at the "Sehion Malika" (Monastery of St.Mark) which was the diocesan headquarters of the Syrian Orthodox Metropolitan. During his stay there, H.G. visited almost all the important places of Christendom and led the Passion Week services at the altars of our Syrian church in the Holy City. On his return, His Grace collected a certain amount from all the Parishes in Malankara and sent a Silver Cross as offering to the Jerusalem Church.

At the age of 54 Thirumeni became seriously sick. He knew that his end was near. While the Metropolitans and priests and others were praying, Kochu Thirumeni uttered, "MY LORD" and closed his eyes. Kochu Thirumeni passed away on 2nd November 1902 and his mortal remains were entombed at the St.Peter's Church, Parumala.