Alexios Mar Theodosius
Alexios Mar Theodosius was an able Administrator and a leader with a great and committed vision and dedication. Talking of his contribution to the outside Kerala diocese, he laid the foundations for both the administration and spiritual growth among the outside Kerala Syrian Christians. He was instrumental in forming the Indian Orthodox Mission in Madras in 1947 , where he trained a group of educated priests and appointed them in the important cities of India.
He made various journeys across India to meet Syrian Christians. In 1952, he visited New Delhi and felt the need of having a Church in the national capital there by paving the way to the formation of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Hauz khas, New Delhi and appointed a priest.
Thirumeni helped the Church to break its boundaries of Kerala and extend it to other parts of India. He took a lot of effort and pain to reach the people of outside Kerala and to communicate with them. This action by Thirumeni holds historical significance because it started to participate in Orthodox worship.
The initial worships in Orthodox rites in major cities Delhi, Mumbai, Calcutta, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chennai were begun on the behest of Mar Theodosius. Now all these places are either headquarters of a diocese or regions with many established Orthodox Parishes.
Outside Kerala Mission
In 1957 Mar Alexios formed the Indian Orthodox Mission at Madras.
Outside Kerala Diocese owes a great debt to the late lamented Alexios Mar Theodosius of Bethany Ashram Ranni Perunadu. Even though the parishes were not yet organised, Mar Theodosius was instrumental in starting the outside Kerala mission through, which he trained a group of educated Priest and appointed them to important cities in India and outside.
Metropolitan Alexios Mar Theodosius of Kollam and the Diocese outside Kerala visited Delhi to explore the feasibility of building an Orthodox Church in the National capital in 1944 . During the second visit of Mar Theodosius, in 1952 the congregation decided to take steps to construct a church of their own and the Delhi parish was formally launched. Fr. K.C Thomas (Late Metropolitan Dr.Thomas Mar Makarios) was appointed as the first resident Vicar of the parish in Delhi.
All the Churches in outside Kerala had been grouped into a new Diocese in 1938, and, Alexios Mar Theodosios was consecrated in the same year as the Bishop of Kollam and the “Diocese outside Kerala”. His Grace visited Delhi in 1944 to consider the means of establishing a Church in Delhi. But building a church in Delhi was not an easy task. The Orthodox community in the city at the time were only about 15 families comprising nearly 150 persons living away from their home land, Kerala.
The Diocesan Metropolitan Alexios Mar Theodosios revisited Delhi in 1952 ,celebrated the Holy Qurbana in the Chapel attached to the Lady Hardinge Hospital and baptized two infants. A group met with His Grace at the residence of Mr M.M. Thomas (later, advisor to the Union Public Service Commission) and discussed the support needed for a priest in Delhi. This meeting was a turning point in that it decided to go ahead and take steps to construct a Church in the capital.
The next step was to choose a priest who would be satisfied with a modest living allowance. The Diocesan metropolitan Mar Theodosios selected Father K. C. Thomas (at present metropolitan Thomas Mar Makarios of the Diocese of America). Fr Thomas lived at the YMCA, sharing a room and cheerfully putting up with considerable inconvenience. He served the Parish for about 11 years.
The Holy Qurbana was being regularly conducted for a time in the St Thomas Church on Reading Road (now Mandir Marg) and thereafter for many years in the Saint James Church at Kashmiri gate by the courtesy of the Cambridge Mission Brotherhood.
Alvarez Mar Julius and Alexios Mar Theodosius SriLankan Mission of Malankara Orthodox Church
He became the superior of the Oder of Imitation of Christ (Bethany Monastery Perunadu), and received the new name Alexious. Abo Alexious was elected as bishop (Mor Theodosious) in1938 for Kollam and Outside Kerala Diocese
By the time he had already begun his journey through the mission fields of Mar Julius I. He visited London many times in 1933. There he visited Abby’s Monastery (Under Alvarez lineage), St Milagris Convent of Cauly fathers (Anglo-Catholic church).
In 1933 Mar Theodosius visited Ceylon and met with the faithful of Orthodox Syrian and Latin rite churches of Alvarez mission. He visited the bishop house of Church of Ceylon (Anglican Church of Sri Lanka under the Canterbury Archbishop) along with Fr. Basil Jaywardana and developed a good relation with them. They discussed about the ecumenical relation between the church of Malabar and the Church of Ceylon.
In 1937 Oct 24, a delegation of the Malankara Orthodox Church of the East Mar Theodosius Alexious, Catholicose of the East His Holiness Baselious Geevarghese II, Fr. M. P Mathew and Dn. K B Koshy visited Colombo and stayed at the Presbyterian Guest House (Bishop house) and Celebrated Divine Liturgy at St. Pauls Church.
Later they visited Alvarez mission churches at Hulsdorf, Petta, and Wovendel along with Fr. J M T Alvarez, Fr. J De Mello. On 25th Orthodox Syrian Christians of Ceylon gave a garden party to the delegation at Suvasa. On 26th they attend the holy liturgy of the church of Ceylon and returned back on 27th evening.
After the visit appointed many Malayalee priests to churches in Lanka. They are Fr. K B Mathews(Karikottu Achen) Fr. A David, Fr. Youhanon etc.
In 1939 Mar Theodosius send three women to St Margaret’s convent for monastic training. They were Ms. T K Thankamma, Ms C.Z Annamma, Ms. K A Deenamma . After two year training, in 1941 they were elevated as Nuns for the Bethany convent situated in Travancore. After 1942, there was some political problems in Colombo, still continue the communication between Bethany convent, St Paul’s Church and St. Margret’s convent last for few more years.
The bishop of the Anglican community in Sri Lanka has expressed his interest in reestablishing the relationship with Indian Orthodox Malankara Church. For the same they have communicated with church hierarchy of IMOC.
Mar Theodosius was a great visionary and true successor to Mar Julius I. There is an urgent need to refocus on the contributions of the two legendary missionary champion of Malankara
Alexios Mar Thevodhosios - Foreign visits
Very Rev. Abo Alexios O.I.C. went to Malaya In 1928 . There were a good number of Orthodox Syrian Christians in the towns of Kuala Lumpur, Penang , Johore Bahru and Singapore . Abo Alexios’s stayed there for 18 months, During this period he visited Syrian Christians who lived in Java , Indonesia .
The history of U.K. parishes begins in the 1930 . Abo Alexios of the Bethany Ashram (later H. G. Mar Theodosius) was the first Malankara orthodox priest ever to visit the UK This visit was arranged or made possible by the efforts of Prof. Varkey .A M , Alwaye. He was a member of “ the mission of fellowship to England and Ireland “ through the sponsorship of the National Christian Council of India. With the assistance of people like Dr.William Paton, Cannon John Douglas and others. Pof. Varkey formed an association called “ The Friends of the Malankara Church “ to help his ancient church in Kerala, in theological training , of a higher level. The first candidate chosen was Abo Alexios,and he participated in the Jubilee celebrations of the Community of Resurrection, Mirfield .
Abo made connections with several religious communities in the UK, during this period.
Abo Alexios(Mar Theodosius) and very Rev.Ramban C M Thomas (Thoma Mar Dynasius) accompanied H.H.The Catholicose,Moran Mar Baselios Mar Geeverghese II, to participate in the second ” Faith and Order Conference ” of the World Council of Churches in Edinburgh .and also visited London U K in 1937 .
In 1948 H G Alexios Mar Theodosius Metropolitan, attended WCC meeting at Amsterdam
BETHANYUDE PANIMALAR
Alexios Mar Thevodhosios Metropolitan was born on August 28, 1888 as M.M.Alexander alias Chandy, in a traditionally priestly family at Niranam.. Mathai and Kunjadamma of Mattackal are the names of his parents.He had his school education at M G M High School, Thiruvalla and M D High School, Kottayam and College education (1912-15) in C.M.S College Kottayam. Alexander was called to the Ministry of God at the age of nineteen in 1907, and received ordination as Sub-deacon. Dn. Alexander, following college education, joined Barisol Divinity College in East Bengal 1915 and later in 1918 Serampore college for theological studies. He received his deaconship from Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysios. In that year Dn. Alexander was ordained as a priest by Yuyakim Mar Ivanios at Parumala Seminary and called as Fr. Alexios.
While studying at Serampore college, Fr.Alexios came in to contact with Fr. PT. Geevarghese Panicker Both of them made plan and they together established an Ashram or monastery on the side of Mundamala in Perinad near Ranni in 1918 . The land was donated by E.J.John Elanjikal, niranam and some others . This monastery was named as Bethany. Later Fr. Geevarghese Panickar joined Catholic church.
Fr. Alexios along with other devout orthodox monks worked patiently , and restlessly to form the present Bethany Ashram Today Bethany has a landed property of more than 250 Acres ,and complex of institutions as monasteries, convents, schools and hospital. at various parts of kerala.
Malankara Association elected Fr.Alexios as Metropolitan candidate and Catholicos Basalios Mar Geevarghese II consecrated him as Metropolitan Alexios Mar Thevodhosios on April 7, 1938 by at Karmel kunnu Dayara, Mulanthuruthy. The diocese of Quilon (Kollam) and the Outside Kerala were assigned to the Metropolitan’s charge. In 1957 Mar Alexios formed the Indian Orthodox Mission at Madras. Mar Theodosios also had taken keen interest in representing the Malankara Church in International Inter-Church forums and projecting its image to western Churches. Till 1953 he was a member of Central Committee of WCC
Mar Theodosius, was an embodiment of goodness and spiritual values, H G followed the life-style of the “Great Sanyasis or sages” of ancient India. During the crisis period of the Church,the able leadership of Mar Theodosius. could save the church from the dissidents. H.G left for his heavenly abode on August 6th 1965 on the ” day of Epiphany “ Mortal remains interred in Bethany Ashram chapel Ranny- Perunad.. We commemorate the anniversary on 6th August.
Mar Theodosios had taken keen interest in representing the Malankara Church in International Inter-Church forums and projecting its image to western Churches. He was a member of Central Committee of WCC, till 1953
May the prayers and intercessions of the holy father be our refuge always.
Late Lamented HG Alexios Mar Theodosius was called to the Heavenly Abode , on 6th August 1965 , and his mortal remains were interred at St. John’s Chapel, Bethany Ashram, Ranni-Perunad . An austere ascetic, humble monk, good shepherd who led a simple life, and whose simplicity, love, care and concern have inspired many, rests in calmness and serenity of Mundamala, be truly remembered by many.