John Kuzhinapurath
Encyclopedia
Father John Kuzhinapurath, OIC, (1904–1994) was among the first priests who united with the Catholic Church along with Archbishop Mar Ivanios on September 20, 1930 in the process of the formation of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
.
, Kerala
, India
. He was the youngest child of Pakalomattom Kuzhinapurath Eapen and Kocheetha. He had his primary education in Government Middle School at Pathanamthitta
. He was ordained deacon by the Orthodox Catholicos
Mar Baselios in 1919. Then he studied for priesthood at M.D. Seminary, Kottayam
, Kerala
. Deacon John continued his secular studies at St. Thomas High School, Pala, Kerala. He completed his intermediate education at C.M.S College, Kottayam.
He had a monastic formation of one year in the Carmelite Monastery at Trivandrum. He served the Bethany Ashram as novice master and Superior General
. He worked in several mission centers at Thiruvalla and Trivandrum. He journeyed several kilometers by cycle every day for doing missionary and charitable works. He started the prayer centre at the T. B. Sanitorium at Pulayanarkotta, Trivandrum.
He authored the book Sahana Yanjgam (Sacrificial Suffering).
Kuzhinapurath died on January 28, 1994.
The Bethany Ashram published a special issue of Bethany Sabdam, a compilation of memories about Kuzhinapurath in 1995.
Peter C. Abraham, Peshita Deepam: Fr. John Kuzhinapurath OIC, Malankara Catholic Publications, Trivandrum, 2010.
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic Church in full communion with the Holy See...
.
Early life
Kuzhinapurath was born in 1904 near PathanamthittaPathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
, 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....
, 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...
. He was the youngest child of Pakalomattom Kuzhinapurath Eapen and Kocheetha. He had his primary education in Government Middle School at Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta
Pathanamthitta is a large town and a municipality situated in the central Travancore region in the state of Kerala, south India, spread over an area of 23.50 km2. It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The city has a population of 38,000...
. He was ordained deacon by the Orthodox Catholicos
Catholicos
Catholicos, plural Catholicoi, is a title used for the head of certain churches in some Eastern Christian traditions. The title implies autocephaly and in some cases is borne by the designated head of an autonomous church, in which case the holder might have other titles such as Patriarch...
Mar Baselios in 1919. Then he studied for priesthood at M.D. Seminary, Kottayam
Kottayam
Kottayam is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative capital of the Kottayam district. Kottayam Kottayam (Malayalam: കോട്ടയം) is a city in the Indian state of Kerala, spread over an area of 55.40 km2. It is the administrative...
, 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....
. Deacon John continued his secular studies at St. Thomas High School, Pala, Kerala. He completed his intermediate education at C.M.S College, Kottayam.
Monastic practice
Kuzhinapurath joined the Bethany Ashram, the monastic order founded by Archbishop Mar Ivanios. He made his first monastic profession and Mar Ivanios ordained him priest in 1929. Kuzhinapurath followed Mar Ivanios and reunited with the Catholic Church on September 20, 1930.He had a monastic formation of one year in the Carmelite Monastery at Trivandrum. He served the Bethany Ashram as novice master and Superior General
Superior general
A Superior General, or General Superior, is the Superior at the head of a whole religious order or congregation.The term is mainly used as a generic term, while many orders and congregations use other specific titles, notably:* Abbot general...
. He worked in several mission centers at Thiruvalla and Trivandrum. He journeyed several kilometers by cycle every day for doing missionary and charitable works. He started the prayer centre at the T. B. Sanitorium at Pulayanarkotta, Trivandrum.
He authored the book Sahana Yanjgam (Sacrificial Suffering).
Kuzhinapurath died on January 28, 1994.
The Bethany Ashram published a special issue of Bethany Sabdam, a compilation of memories about Kuzhinapurath in 1995.
Commemoration
The death anniversary and commemoration of Fr. John Kuzhinapurath OIC was celebrated on January 30, 2010. Rev. Dr. Thomas Kuzhinapurath and other seven priests from Kuzhinapurath family concelebrated the Holy Mass at Bethany Ashram, Nalanchira, Trivandrum, where tomb of Fr. John Kuzhinapurath OIC is situated. Followed by the commemoration meeting presided by His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis. Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis released the book Preshita Deepam the biography of Fr. John Kuzhinapurath OIC written by Peter C. Abraham by giving the first copy to Dr. George Onakkur. Baselios Cleemis said Fr. John was truly a refuge to the poor and the destitutes.Source
Fr. Thomas Inchaykkalodi, Archbishop Mar Ivanios, Vol. 1, Bethany Publications, Kottayam, 2006.Peter C. Abraham, Peshita Deepam: Fr. John Kuzhinapurath OIC, Malankara Catholic Publications, Trivandrum, 2010.