LAST WORDS OF SAINT KURIAKOSE ELIAS CHAVARA

St.Kuriakose Elias Chavara

“Why are you sad? All God’s people must die some day. My hour has come. By the grace of God, I prepared myself for it since long.” Showing a picture of the Holy Family, he continued, My parents taught me to keep the Holy Family always in my mind and to honor them throughout my life. As I had always the protection of the Holy Family I can tell you with confidence that I have never lost the baptismal grace I received in baptism. I dedicate our little Congregation and each of you to the Holy Family. Always rely on Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Let the Holy Family reign in your hearts. Don’t be sad about my dying. Joyfully submit yourselves to the will of God. God is all powerful and His blessings are countless. God will provide you with a new Prior who will be a source of blessing for the Congregation as well as for you. Hold fast to the constitution, the rules of our elders and that of the Church. Love our Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with all your heart. Draw the waters of eternal life from that fountain as in the words of the Prophet Elijah. All the members of the congregation, especially elders must be charitable to one another. If you do so, God will be glorified by the congregation and which will be flourished day after day. Your charity will bring salvation to souls

Milestones - Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara

1805, February 10  Blessed Chavara was born at Kainakary

1805, February 18  Baptized at Chennankary Church

1829, Nov  29 Ordained priest by Arch Bishop Maurelius Stabilini

1831, May 11  Foundation of the first Indigenous Religious Congregation for Men (CMI) and first Monastry at Mannanam.

1833  Started First Seminary at Mannanam

1846 Started the first catholic Sanskrit School in Kerala

1846  Started the first catholic printing press in Kerala
1861, June 8 Appointed as the Vicar General of the Syro-Malabar Church

1866, Feb 13 Foundation of the first Indigenous Congregation for Women (C.M.C.) 

1871, January 3 The death of Bl. Chavara at Koonammavu 

1889, May 24  Mortal remains were transferred to Mannanam

1958, January 3  Began diocesan process for his beatification 

1980, March 15  Formal introduction of cause by the Sacred Congregation 

1984, April 7 Pope John Paul II elevated him to the status of Venerable 

1986, February 8 Father Chavara is declared BLESSED  by Pope John Paul II at Kottayam, Kerala

1987,December 20 The President of India, R Venkitaraman, released the postal stamp of Blessed Chavara

2014, November  (declared as saint soon)

Blessed Chavara Kuriakose Elias (Chavara Achchan) and Sister Euphrasia (Evuprasamma) are Canonized as Saints of the Catholic Church 23 November 2014

The announcement of Blessed Father Chavara Kuriakose Elias, popularly called as Chavarayachan and his disciple and nun Blessed Sister Euphrasia called as 'Evuprasamma' is a twin delight for the 2000 year-old Indian Church establkished by Apostle St. Thomas and the Society founded by Chavara Kuriakose Father, the CMI....!
Kuriakose Elias Chavara is the second man  from India to be declared as saint  followed by Mumbai based St Gonsalo Garcia. Garcia who was born in 1556,desired to become a Catholic Priest, engaged in missionary work in Japan before being martyred in 1597 and was declared a saint by the Catholic Church in 1862.
Sister Alphonsa as the first woman saint  from India and the second person to become a saint from India after  St. Gonsalo Gracia . Sister Alphonsa , popularly called as Alphonsamma was declared as blessed by Pope John Paul II  along with Chavarayachan. Now the Indian Church in particular and the whole country in general especially the state of Kerala are in jubilation on the declaration of two of its prestigious children loved by most of the backward caste people without any religious discrimination, to be elevated as Saints....!

LIFE STORY OF CHAVARAYACHAN

Kuriakose Elias Chavara  popularly known as "Chavarayachan"  was the co-founder and first Prior General of the first congregation for men in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, now known as the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, and of a similar one for women, the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel..

Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born on February 10, 1805, at Kainakary, Kerala in a Saint Thomas Christian family as the son of Iko (Kuriakose) Chavara and Mariam Chothirakkunel/ Thoppil. He was baptized on February 17, 1805, at Chennamkary Parish Church in Alappuzha. In his childhood, Kuriakose attended the village school. There he studied language and elementary sciences. 

He entered the seminary in 1818 in Pallipuram where Father Thoma Palackal was the Rector. He was ordained a priest on 29 November 1829 at Arthunkal and presided over the Holy Qurbana for the first time at Chennamkary Church.

Kuriakose Kathanar joined with two other priests, Palackal Thoma Malpan and Porukara Thomas Kathanar to lead a monastic life. The name of the community they founded was the Servants of Mary Immaculate. The foundation for the first monastery at Mannanam was laid on May 11, 1831, by Porukara Thomas Kathanar. Palackal and Porukara Kathanars died in 1841 and 1846, respectively. On December 8, 1855, Kuriakose Kathanar and ten other priests took vows in the Carmelite tradition. He was nominated as the Prior General of the Mannanam Monastery. The congregation became affiliated as a Third Order institute of the Order of Discalced Carmelites. From that point on they used the postnominal initials of T.O.C.D