Early Life: A Childhood Rooted in Faith
Augustinose Thevarparampil was born on April 1, 1891, in Ramapuram, a lush village in Kottayam District, Kerala, then part of British-ruled Travancore. His parents, Itty Ipe and Eliswa, were devout Syro-Malabar Catholics of the Nasrani tradition, tracing their faith to St. Thomas the Apostle’s mission in AD 52. The third of five children, Augustinose grew up in a modest mud-brick home surrounded by paddy fields and coconut groves, his family eking out a living as small-scale farmers. His nickname, Kunjachan, came early—his tiny frame and gentle demeanor endearing him to all.
From childhood, he was steeped in faith. The family prayed the rosary nightly, their voices rising in Malayalam and Syriac, and young Augustinose served as an altar boy at St. Augustine’s Church, Ramapuram, his small hands trembling as he held the thurible during Mass. His mother, Eliswa, a woman of deep piety, taught him to see Christ in the poor, often sending him with rice to feed beggars. At seven, he began schooling at the parish, excelling in Malayalam and catechism despite his shy nature. The death of his father, Itty Ipe, in 1905, when Augustinose was 14, deepened his reliance on prayer, solidifying a call to priesthood he felt at 12 during a village feast, when a priest’s homily stirred his soul.
In 1907, at 16, he entered the minor seminary at Changanassery, his frail body dwarfed by his peers, yet his determination shone. He continued at the major seminary in Puthenpally, mastering Syriac liturgy, theology, and pastoral care, his quiet resolve earning him respect. On December 17, 1921, at 30, he was ordained a priest by Bishop Thomas Kurialacherry, his hands anointed in a packed St. Augustine’s Church, his mother weeping with pride.
Priestly Vocation: A Call to Serve the Marginalized
Fr. Kunjachan’s early ministry began in 1922 as an assistant priest at St. Mary’s Church, Kadanad, and later at St. Sebastian’s Church, Kudamaloor, both in Kerala’s Kottayam Diocese. His first years were conventional—celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, blessing homes—yet he felt restless, drawn to the Dalits he saw scavenging beyond village boundaries, barred from temples and wells by caste laws. In 1926, at 35, he was appointed vicar of St. Augustine’s Church, Ramapuram, his birthplace, a posting that became his life’s mission.
Ramapuram, though a Syro-Malabar stronghold, mirrored Kerala’s caste divides. The Dalits—landless laborers, tanners, and sweepers—lived in shanties on the village’s edge, scorned as “untouchables” despite India’s Christian minority status. Kunjachan, defying social norms, walked barefoot to their huts, his cassock dusty, his rosary swinging, to sit with them on mud floors. He learned their names—Kochu, Velu, Ammini—listened to their sorrows, and shared their meals of rice gruel, a radical act in a caste-bound society.
Ministry to the Dalits: A Tireless Apostle
From 1926 to his death in 1973, Kunjachan devoted over 40 years to the Dalits, his ministry a blend of pastoral care and social upliftment. He began by evangelizing—preaching Christ’s love in simple Malayalam, baptizing hundreds with water from clay pots, their joy lighting up his weathered face. By 1930, he had converted over 5,000 Dalits across Ramapuram and neighboring villages like Monippally and Uzhavoor, teaching them catechism under trees, his voice soft but firm: “You are God’s children, not outcasts.”
He went further, fighting for their dignity. He begged landowners to hire Dalits, carried their sick to hospitals on his back, and built small chapels—mud walls, thatched roofs—where they could worship free from upper-caste scorn. In 1940, he opened a school in Ramapuram for Dalit children, teaching them to read and write, his gnarled hands guiding theirs over slates. He faced resistance—upper-caste Catholics shunned him, priests criticized his “obsession”—yet he persisted, saying, “If I don’t help them, who will?”
His life was spartan—living in a tiny rectory, eating rice and curry, giving his stipend to the poor. He walked miles daily, his feet calloused, his umbrella his only shield against Kerala’s monsoons, earning the title “Apostle of the Dalits.” By the 1960s, his converts numbered in the thousands, their faith a quiet revolution in Kerala’s rigid social order.
Final Years and Death: A Life Well-Lived
By his 70s, Kunjachan’s health faltered—arthritis bent his frame, cataracts dimmed his eyes—yet he refused to rest. In 1972, at 81, he still limped to Dalit homes, baptizing infants with trembling hands. On October 15, 1973, he collapsed during Mass, his heart failing mid-prayer. He died the next day, October 16, 1973, at 82, in Ramapuram’s rectory, surrounded by weeping parishioners, his last words a whispered, “Jesus, I’m coming.” Buried in St. Augustine’s Church cemetery, his grave drew crowds, reports of healings sparking devotion.
Beatification: A Saint for the Downtrodden
Kunjachan’s death ignited a grassroots cultus. Dalits he’d served—now elders—kept his memory alive, their prayers answered at his tomb. His cause began in 1987:
- Beatification: On April 30, 2006, Pope Benedict XVI beatified him in Ramapuram, after a 1997 miracle—a boy’s brain tumor healed—was verified.
His feast day, October 16, marks his death, celebrated with processions and Masses in Kerala, his tomb a pilgrimage site.
Relation to India: Kerala’s Native Son
Blessed Kunjachan is wholly Indian, born, lived, and died in Kerala, his entire 82 years rooted in Ramapuram. A Syro-Malabar priest, he served India’s Dalits—over 5,000 baptized—addressing the nation’s caste wounds within its ancient Christian community. Beatified in 2006, he embodies India’s struggle for equality, his Kerala ministry a gift to the nation’s marginalized, making him a native son whose love transformed lives.
Legacy: A Light for the Oppressed
His legacy thrives:
Pilgrimage Site: Ramapuram’s Kunjachan Smrithikendram draws lakhs yearly, especially on October 16.
Syro-Malabar Pride: He inspires priests to serve the poor, his photo in Kerala churches.
Patron of the Marginalized: A model for social justice, his life graces books and films.
Relics—his cassock, rosary—rest in Ramapuram, his spirit alive in every Dalit he touched.
Historical Verification
His life is documented:
Church Records: Kottayam Diocese archives and Vatican files detail his ministry and miracles.
Testimonies: Parishioners like Thomas Chacko recorded his works, verified by scholars like Fr. Jacob Kollaparambil.
Local Tradition: Ramapuram’s oral histories align with his legacy.
Conclusion: Kerala’s Dalit Apostle
Blessed Augustinose Thevarparampil (Kunjachan), born in 1891 in Kerala, served Dalits as a Syro-Malabar priest, dying in 1973. Beatified in 2006, his feast on October 16 honors his compassion. India’s native saint, his life shines—a little priest with a boundless heart for the least.
.
%20Virgin%20and%20Martyr.jpeg)
No comments:
Post a Comment