- Sebastian Vayalil
Bishop Sebastian Vayalil (20 January 1906 - 20 November 1986) was the first bishop of the
Eparchy of Pala , inKerala ,India . He founded theMissionary Society of St Thomas the Apostle in 1968 for organised missionary work in and outside India.“All the great, the permanently great things that have been achieved in the world have been so achieved by individuals, working from the instinct of genius or goodness,” wrote Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Likewise nearly half a century ago the venerable founder of the
Missionary Society of St Thomas the Apostle , late Mar Sebastian Vayalil, had been innovative, ground-breaking and visionary for the future. After a careful reading of his autobiography Ninte Vazhikal Etra Sundaram, his welcome address on the occasion of the erection of the MST and quite a few of his other writings, one is convinced of his innovations, motivating force, ability to read the signs of the time, and his “passion and glory”. He moved forward to achieve the ideals he envisaged. He made use of his individual efforts, genius, goodness and personal charisma to achieve his goals. One encounters a real life over here as it evolves in a person who made history. Institutional history will be less prominent, but the actors will stand out sharply and clearly. Bishop Mar Vayalil is a sparkling example of great valour and commitment.External links
* [http://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bvayalil.html Catholic-hierarchy.org entry]
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