Golden
Jubilee Celebrations of Catholicose Mor Baselious Thomas I
by Shroro Editorial Board
The golden jubilee celebrations of the priestly ordination of Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I, head of the Jacobite Syriac Christian Church of India, got to a grand start at Kothamangalam on Sunday 16th December. The celebrations started with Holy Qurbono led by the Catholica Bava at the Kothamangalam MarthMariam Cathedral (Valiya Pally) followed by prayers at the sacred tomb of Maphryono St. Baselios Yeldho Bava at the nearby Mar Thoma Church (Cheriapally).
Later in the evening a massive rally, attended by thousands of faithful, was taken out from Mar Thoma Cheriapally premises to converge on the Mar Athanasius College indoor stadium where a mammoth public meeting was inaugurated by Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanadan.
The greeting message from His Holiness Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, the Patriarch of Antioch & all the East and the supreme head of the Holy Church, addressed to the Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas I on His Beatitude's 50th year of priestly ordination was read out by Metropolitan Mor Ivanios Mathews of Kandanad diocese.
The Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanadan while inaugurating the meeting, described the Catholicos as an asset to the social and cultural spheres of the State and the Christian Church and called noted his exemplary interventions in social issues. Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi gave away the keys of the 10 completed houses out of the 100 houses to be built for poor in the next one year period of the jubilee celebrations. Kothamangalam bishop of Roman Catholic Church, Mar George Punnakkotil delivered the keynote address.
Minister of State for fisheries, S Sharma dedicated the pain and palliative cancer care centre at Perumbavur, built in memory of the Golden jubilee celebrations of Catholica Bava. Assistant Metropolitan of the Angamali diocese, H.G Mor Severios Abraham presided over the meeting which was attended by 19 Metropolitans of the Church. Members of Parliament P.C.Thomas and Francis George, Members of Kerala legislative Assembly T.U.Kurivilla and Saju Paul, UDF convener P P Thankachen, Mar Athanasius College association secretary M P Varghese, Chairpersons of Kothamangalam and Muvattupuzha municipalities, the trustee, secretary and other key office bearers of the Church also spoke on the occasion.
See link for pictures:
http://www.syrianchurch.org/Photos/JubileeInaugrationofBava/index.html
