Ref: The Brahmavar Orthodox Community in India (A Report)
       By Subin Varughese       [MORM] Digest Number 834 dated 05/16/2009

 

I fully agree to all points and suggestions in this article. But the following quoted here from that letter is not wholly true.

 

"It is to be always noted that the Brahmavar Church is not at all a result of any mission of the Malankara Orthodox Church. But they came into existence as a result of the search of a number of committed truth-seekers who found Orthodoxy as the continuation of the apostolic church".

 

There was a Brahmavar mission from 1903 to early 1940's. It was started by Rev. Dn. K J Alexander, Kanianthra and was followed up by Rev. Fr. Parambil Koshy of Thumpamon and others.

 

A Roman catholic priest Fr.Julius with his followers joined our MOSC on their own decision. We accepted them and MOSC consecrated him as H G Alvares Julius as our Bishop of Goa and Ceylon. He wanted our Syrian Christian missionaries to work among the community to make them understand our Syrian rites and prayers. On his continuous plea MOSC at last found out Rev. Dn. K J Alexander ready to go and work among them. Thus for the  MOSC in Kerala the Brahmavar mission came into existence with Dn. Alexander as its first missionary. He along with Fr. Noronah of their own community worked among them in the first decade of the last century. Fr. Noronah continued their Latin Qurbana and Dn. Alexander, the mission work. Later Dn. Alexander was doing his higher studies in the Calcutta Bishops College, when in 1911; he was called back by his mother parish, St. John's church Mepral. He discontinued his mission work in Brahmavar to become vicar of the Orthodox segment of Mepral parish along with Fr. Abraham Poothicote for the Patriarch segment[1]

 

 MOSC then appointed Dn. Parambil Koshy as missionary in Brahmavar in 1912. He was consecrated as a priest in 1915 by Vallicattil H G Mar Geevarghese  Philexinos. He served the Brahmavar mission for 32 years.  He was succeeded by Fr. Kuriakose, Fr. Geevarghese, Vettiyil Annamma and others. True that with the return of H G Julius Alvares to Goa and his persecution by the Catholic Church and his demise, the Brahamavar community and our missionaries working there lost their leader. Our church cases added to our worries. Vattaseil Thirumeni was finding it very difficult to find the time and means to fight the church cases.  Thus  MOSC was forced to marginalise this mission work for some time.[2]

 

 The Pathanapuram Dayara in 1980 took up the challenge. Rev Remban Dr. N J Thomas  was deputed to be in charge of the Orthodox Christians in Brahmavar area. The school started as a primary school by Dn. K J Alexander had by that time become a High school. Some of its teachers there were from the same Christian community. The girls were educated by Koshy Achen in the Balikamadom E G H S Thiruvalla. Fr.K J Alexander of Mepral parish looked after the welfare of these students from Brahmavar during their stay in Thiruvalla They got teachers training and were appointed as teachers in this school. Rev. Thomas Remban developed it into a College.[3]  

 

Now this area comes under the Madras Diocese. A separate bishopric can be thought of some when later. Youth Movement, MGOCSM, Marthamariam Samajam, Bala-Balika group should all be encouraged. The local parish leaders and the concerned Bishops in charge of such movements should take the imitative. Let us hope that it will all be done soon.    

 

 

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