- Mar Dionysius II
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Most Rev. Mar Dionysius II (Mar Thoma X ) Malankara Church Reign ended November 24, 1816 Predecessor Mar Thoma IX Successor Mar Dionysius III Orders Consecration March 22, 1815 Personal details Birth name Joseph Ittoop Born January 15, 1742
KunnamkulamDied November 24, 1816
KottayamBuried Kottayam Syrian Seminary chapel (Orthodox Pazhaya Seminary or Old Seminary). Mar Dionysius II, born Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop (January 15, 1742 – November 24, 1816) was Malankara Metropolitan from March 22, 1815 until his death. Despite the briefness of his reign he made lasting contributions to the Malankara Church.
He was also known as Mar Thoma X, in keeping with Malankara Church tradition. He is sometimes known as Mar Dionysius I, though that title was previously borne by Metropolitan Mar Thoma VI. He was able to keep up the traditions, to improve the knowledge of the people and to decree that the assets of the Metropolitan would be assets of the Church. During his lifetime, he renovated and managed one of the oldest churches in Kerala, Masterminded in opening of the first formal educational institution, in Kerala the Orthodox Pazhaya Seminary [1]
His nephew Tharu Kurien's son Joseph was later consecrated by the Patriarch of Antioch. He was also given the same episcopal title Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious and was known as Dionysious II. (1833–1909).
Contents
Early days
Joseph Ittoop was born on January 15, 1742 in Pulikkottil an ancient family which moved from Aarthattu to Kunnamkulam. He was ordained as a priest by Mar Thoma VI and was known as Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop Kathanar. He was the vicar of his parish, Chattukulangara Aarthattu church. Mysore ruler Tippu Sultan invaded Guruvayur and adjacent areas, in AD 1740. The people of Kunnamkulam defended the attack with all their effort. The soldiers of Tippu Sultan set fire on Aarthattu church and murdered a number of people. One of them was killed inside the sanctuary. Witnessing all these atrocities Pulikkottil Joseph Kathanar was hiding inside this church. A large number of refugees left Aarthattu and settled in Kunnamkulam under the leadership of Joseph Kathanar. After Tippu Sultan left, Joseph Kathanar returned to the parish and renovated the church, removing that area of the sanctuary where the man was killed.
Consecrations
As ramban
As per the decision of the meeting of the representatives from parishes at Kandanad, on September 14, 1809, Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop Kathanar was ordained as a Ramban...[2][3]
As bishop
It was when Col.Munroe was the resident of Travancore, Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop Ramban was consecrated as bishop of the Thozhyoor church, Geevarghese Mar Philexenos (Kidangan) (1811–1829) on March 22, 1815.[4] After the death of Mar Thoma VIII, he was made the supreme head of the Malankiara Church by a Royal proclamation issued by the ruler of Travancore and later by the ruler of Cochin. The proclamation wanted every Syrian Christian of Malabar to obey the Malankar Metropolitan. He was given the episcopal title Dionysius a Graeco-Roman name, the second bishop in the Malankara Church to get this title Dionysius.
Syrian seminary
From the very beginning Pulikottil Joseph Ittoop Ramban took active interest in the establishment of the Syrian Seminary at Kottayam. Government of Travancore provided tax free land and the foundation stone was laid in February 1813. The work went on very fast and classes began in March 1815.
Qualified teachers to teach various subjects were also appointed. They were Maramon Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan (Syriac), Konattu Varghese Malpan (Syriac), Kozhikode Kunjan Assan (Sanskrit), Poet Laureate Chekottu Kuruvilla Assan (Malayalam) and from Kochi Mose Esarphathi (Hebrew & Greek) were the first teachers of this first education institution in Kerala. By AD 2000 Kerala became the most literate state in India.[5]
English missionaries
Rev.Dr. Claudius Buchanan (1766–1815) who visited Kerala in1806, and met Mar Thoma VI. After his return to England, missionaries who were members of the Church Missionary Society (CMS) began to arrive in Kerala. Rev.Thomas Norton arrived in Kochi on May 8, 1816 and began to open schools in and around Alappuzha. Rev. Benjamin Baily arrived in October 1816 and established a printing press at Kottayam. He also began to translate the Bible into Malayalam.[6]
Last days
At the age of 74, and only nine months as Metropolitan, Pulikottil Joseph Mar Dionysius died on November 24, 1816. He was entombed at Kottayam Orthodox Pazhaya Seminary or Old Seminary.
As Dionysius had not named a successor, the fate of the Malankara Church was threatened. However, Geevarghese Mar Philexenos (Kidangan) (1811–1829) of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church stepped to take over the duties of the Malankara Metropolitan. Philexenos appointed his vicar-general George as Dionysius' successor; he took the throne as Mar Dionysius III in 1817.[7]
Preceded by
Mar Thoma IXMalankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Church
1815–1816Succeeded by
Mar Dionysius IIISee also
- Indian Orthodox Church
- Jacobite Syrian Church
- Mar Thoma Church
- Syrian Malabar Nasrani
- Saint Thomas Christians
- Christianity in India
- List of Catholicoi of the East and Malankara Metropolitans
- List of Syrian Malabar Nasranis
- Mar Thoma VII
- Mar Thoma VIII
- Mar Thoma IX
- Punnathara Mar Dionysious (Mar Thoma XI)
- Kunnamkulam
References
- ^ Malankara Sabha Vignanakosham, Fr. Joseph Cheeran.
- ^ Mathew, N.M. ‘’Malankara Marthoma Sabha Charitram’’, (History of the Marthoma Church), Volume 1. P.232-236.
- ^ Ittoop Writer, ‘’Malayalathulla Suryani Chistianikauleday Charitram’’. (History of Syrain Christians in the land of Malayalam) Page 155-157.
- ^ Niranam Granthavari (Record of history written during 1770-1830) Chapter 30) Chapter 30
- ^ Mathew, N.M. ‘’Malankara Marthoma Sabha Charitram’’, (History of the Marthoma Church), Volume 1. P.241.
- ^ Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan, The Most Rev. Dr. (1952). Christianity in India and a Brief History of the Marthoma Syrian Church. Page 36.
- ^ Neill, p. 241.
- Neill, Stephen (2004). A History of Christianity in India: The Beginnings to AD 1707. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521548853. http://books.google.com/books?id=RH4VPgB__GQC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
- Neill, Stephen (2002). A History of Christianity in India: 1707-1858, Volume 2. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521893321. http://books.google.com/books?id=Xi-tvrYbYxMC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
For further reading
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- Juhanon Marthoma Metropolitan, The Most Rev. Dr. (1952). Christianity in India and a Brief History of the Marthoma Syrian Church.. Pub: K.M. Cherian.
- Zac Varghese Dr. & Mathew A. Kallumpram. (2003). ‘’Glimpses of Mar Thoma Church History’’. London, England. ISBN 81/900854/4/1
- Chacko, T.C. (1936) Malankara Marthoma Sabha Charithra Samgraham’’. (Concise History of Marthoma Church), Pub: E.J. Institute, Kompady, Tiruvalla.
- Eapen, Prof. Dr. K.V. (2001). ‘’Malankara Marthoma Suryani Sabha Charitram’’. (History of Malankara Marthoma Syrian Church). Pub: Kallettu, Muttambalam, Kottayam.
- Ittoop Writer, (1906). ‘’Malayalathulla Suryani Chistianikauleday Charitram’’. (History of Syrain Christians in the land of Malayalam)
- Mathew, N.M. ‘’Malankara Marthoma Sabha Charitram’’, (History of the Marthoma Church), Volume 1.(2006), Volume II (2007). Volume III (2008) Pub. E.J.Institute, Thiruvalla
- Mathew, Adv.P.C.,(1994). Aarthattu Pallipattum Charitra Rekhakalum. (Historical records and Aathattu church songs).
External links
Categories:- Indian religious leaders
- People from Thrissur
- People from Kerala
- Saint Thomas Christians
- Bishops of the Mar Thoma Church
- 1742 births
- 1816 deaths
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