Benedict Mar Gregorios

infobox bishopbiog
name = His Grace Archbishop Aboon Benedict Mar Gregorios


Religion=Catholic
See =Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Trivandrum, India| Title = Archbishop of Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
Period = 1955-1994| Predecessor = Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios
Successor = Moran Mor Cyril Mar Baselios
post = St. Aloysius Seminary, Trivandrum
ordination = As Priest: 1944, As bishop: 1952 | date of birth = February 1, 1916
place of birth = Kallupara, Pathanamthitta, Kerala
date of death = 10 October 1994
place of death= Trivandrum, Kerala

Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios (1916-1994) is the second Metropolitan Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

Mar Gregorios was born on February 1, 1916. He was born and brought up in the Malankara Jacobite Church. He was baptised by the name Varghese. As a teenage boy Varghese came closer to the ideal of Bethany Ashram. He was attracted by the personality of Archbishop Mar Ivanios. And Later he became a member of Bethany Ashram and he adopted the name Benedict. He studied Philosophy and Theology at Papal Seminary, Kandy, Sri Lanka. He was ordained a religious priest of Bethany Ashram by Archbishop Mar Ivanios in 1944. As a dynamic young priest he taught Syriac for some time in St. Aloysius Seminary, Trivandrum. He was sent for higher studies in Economics to St. Joseph's College, Trichy (1946-1949). He became the first pricipal of Mar Ivanios College. He was appointed Bishop in 1952. He was consecrated in January 1953. He received the name Benedict Mar Gregorios. After the demise of Archbishop Mar Ivanios he became the second Metropolitan Archbishop of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in 1955. He was an Archbishop of the people. Large number of parish communities were formed in Syro-Malankara Catholic church during this period. Archbishop Mar Gregorios paved the way to establish Mar Theophilos Training College, Trivandrum and Mar Gregorios College of Arts and Science, Chennai. After 41 years of Episcopal ministry Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios passed away on October10, 1994. His body was entombed in St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum.

St. John's College, Anchal, a first grade arts and science college in Kollam district was established by His Grace.

St. John's College Anchal became the nerve centre of the total developmwent of a remote rural village in to a fast developing township.

Source

Fr. Thomas Inchaykkalodi, Archbishop Mar Ivanios, Vol. 1, Bethany Publications, Kottayam, 2006.

External links

* [http://www.catholicate.net/ "Syro-Malankara Catholic Church - homepage"]
* [http://www.syromalankara.org Syro-Malankara Catholic Church - alternative site built by Malankarites]