Mar Sebastian Vayalil

Bishop Mar Sebastian Vayalil (1906 - 1986) was the first bishop of the Eparchy of Pala, in Kerala, India. He was born on 28th January 1906 at Palai. He took his B. A. Degree from the Maharaja’s College, Trivandrum in 1928. He had his ecclesiastical studies at the St. Joseph’s Ap. Seminary Mangalapuzha, Alwaye and was ordained priest on 21st December 1935. He took his L.T. Degree from the Training College Trivandrum in 1942. He was the Headmaster of St. Thomas Training School Palai, till he was appointed the Bishop of Palai, on July 25, 1950. He was consecrated Bishop by His Eminence Eugene Cardinal Tisserent, the then Secretary of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches, on 9th November, 1950 at St. Theresia’s Church Rome and was installed in Palai Cathedral by the Most Rev. Dr. Leo. P. Kierkels, the Apostolic Internuncio, on 4th January 1951. Bishop Vayalil was a member of the Preliminary Commission instituted for the Second Vatican Council to prepare the scheme for the section on ‘Universities and Seminaries’. He attended all the four sessions of the Council. Chicago’s De Paul university conferred upon him in 1966 the honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws (L.L.D.) in recognition of his outstanding achievements as an educationist. In 1969 he participated in the extra ordinary Synod of Bishops held in Rome. After thirty years of strenuous service from the erection of the diocese in 1950, he requested the Holy See to relieve him from the pastoral Government of the diocese. On the acceptance of his resignation he handed over the charge of the diocese to his successor Mar Joseph Pallikaparampil on 25th March 1981. After a period of 5 years, active life of retirement, he was called for eternal reward on Friday 21st November, 1986.

Bishop Sebastian Vayalil was also a big supporter of the Missions and a great promoter of vocations. He founded the Missionary Society of St Thomas the Apostle in 1968 for organised missionary work in and outside India. 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

• Catholic-hierarchy.org entry

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Name	Vayalil, Mar Sebastian
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Date of birth	1906
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Date of death	1986
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