The Congregation of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux also known as Little Flower Congregation CST is the first religious brothers' congregation founded in the Syro-Malabar Church in India, and the first congregation in the name of St. Thérèse of Lisieux in India. The congregation was founded by Thomas Panat, a priest from the Archdiocese of Ernakulam, who was later known as Fr. Basilius CST. The congregation was later bifurcated to congregations for brotherhood and priesthood.
Fr Basilius translated Navamalika, the autobiography of St.Therese of Child Jesus. The congregation of St. Theresa, CST was founded on 19 March 1931 in a small village called Mookkannur by Thomas Panat with the permission of Mar Augustine Kandathil, Bishop of Ernakulam. On 27 December 1945 Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil upon request of the founder Fr. Basilius permitted to admit seminarians for priestly vocation.
The Constitution of reorganised Little Flower Congregation was written by Fr. Basilius and approved by Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil on 8 October 1947.
Fr. Basilius was appointed in 1955 as the first Superior General of Little Flower Congregation (C. S. T) by the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, Rome. As requested by the Congregation of Oriental Churches the Constitution was revised by Fr. Basilius Panat according to the New Oriental Code of Canon Law. The new Constitution was approved on 19 April 1963 by Archbishop Mar Joseph Parecattil who later was made Cardinal of Ernakulam Archdiocese.
Fr. Basilius Panat founded the Little Flower Seminary, a major seminary to form future priests, in 1960, having started a formation house in 1958 and started the construction of the present seminary at Aluva as early as in 1944. The Little Flower Seminary was blessed and inaugurated on 12th August 1961 by Archbishop Joseph Parekattil. Fr. Basilius had sent several seminarians to the Papal Seminary, Pune and priests to Rome.
Pope John Paul II raised Little Flower Congregation (CST Fathers) to the status of a Religious Institute of Pontifical Right on 21 December 1995. The decree was signed officially on 2 February 1996 by Achille Cardinal Silvestrini, the prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Oriental Churches. The papal decree was given to The Superior General Little Flower Congregation on 10 February 1996 at the Major Archiepiscopal Curia of the Syro-Malabar Church on the visit of Achille Cardinal Silvestrini for the centenary celebration of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam.
The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, also known as the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic sui iuris particular church in full communion with the worldwide Catholic Church possessing self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches. It is one of the major archiepiscopal churches of the Catholic Church. It is headed by Major Archbishop Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos of the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum based in Kerala, India. With more than 1096 parishes, it is one of India's biggest church evangelical establishments.
The Syro-Malabar Church, also known as the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic church based in Kerala, India. It is a sui iuris (autonomous) particular church in full communion with the Holy See and the worldwide Catholic Church, with self-governance under the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches (CCEO). The major archbishop presides over the entire church. The incumbent Major Archbishop is Raphael Thattil, serving since January 2024. It is the largest Syriac Christian church and the largest Eastern Catholic church. Syro-Malabar is a prefix reflecting the church's use of the East Syriac liturgy and origins in Malabar. The name has been in usage in official Vatican documents since the nineteenth century.
Varkey VithayathilCSsR was an Indian cardinal who served as the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and Archeparchy of Ernakulam-Angamaly from 1999 to 2011. He was also a religious priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer.
The Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly is the major archeparchy and the see of the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. It has been the major archeparchy since 1992 when the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church was elevated to the status of a major archiepiscopal church with Ernakulam-Angamaly as the primatal see. The major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly is the main bishop of the jurisdiction, at the same time the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. The eparchies of Kothamangalam and Idukki are the two suffragan eparchies of the major archeparchy.
Sathyadeepam is a Malayalam Catholic weekly published from Ernakulam, Kochi in Kerala. The weekly was pretending as a verified source for the official stance of the Catholic Church. But a press release by the syro Malabar Curia clarified that the weekly not to represent any kind of official stance of the Catholic Church or syro Malabar church.
Joseph Parecattil was an Indian prelate of the Syro Malabar Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of Ernakulam from 1956 to 1984, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1969. He was the first Cardinal from Kerala and second from India.
Mar Aloysius (Louis) Pazheparambil was the Vicar Apostolic of Ernakulam in the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. Originally a monk of the Syrian Carmelites, he was expelled along with nine others in 1875 from the religious order by the local bishop for writing to the Pope asking for an Indian bishop to rule his church. Later in 1896, he became one of three Indian bishops appointed to rule over the three Vicariates Apostolic in his church.
Venerable Thomas of Kurialacherry was a Catholic bishop from Kerala. Kurialacherry was a member of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, had his ordination in May 1899 from Cardinal Cassantha, and was bishop of what would become the Archdiocese of Changanacherry.He is also known for establishing the prestigious SB College Changanasserry, one of the oldest Institutions of Higher Education in Kerala, in 1922.
Antony Padiyara was a Syro-Malabar Catholic cardinal and the first Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly. Before serving as Major Archbishop from 1985 to 1996, he previously served as Bishop of Ootacamund (1955–1970) and Archbishop of Changanassery (1970–1985). He was elevated as cardinal in 1988.
The Archeparchy of Kottayam is a Syro-Malabar Church metropolitan archeparchy of the Catholic Church in India. The archeparchy is exclusively for Knanaya faithful who claim to be the descendants of Syriac Judeo-Christians who migrated from South Mesopotamia to Kodungallur (Muziris) in South India in 4th century A.D.
This is a timeline of the history of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India.
The Missionary Society of St Thomas, abbreviated M.S.T. is an Eastern Catholic missionary organization founded in 1968 in Kerala by the Syro Malabar Catholic Church, for missionary work in "less Christian areas" in and outside India. It was founded by Bishop Sebastian Vayalil as a society of apostolic life for men.
Varghese Payyappilly was an Indian Syro-Malabar priest from Kerala and the founder of the congregation of Sisters of the Destitute. He was declared Venerable by Pope Francis on 14 April 2018.
The Religious Congregations of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church are divided in Code of Canons of the Oriental Churches as Monasteries, Hermitages, Orders, Congregations, Societies of Common Life in the Manner of Religious, Secular Institutes and Societies of Apostolic Life.
Sebastian Adayantharath is a Syro-Malabar Catholic bishop. He is the current bishop of Mandya and also a former auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.
Abraham Kattumana was an Indian Catholic Archbishop. He was the Pontifical Delegate of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church with the powers of the Major Archbishop vested in him by Pope John Paul II. Previously, he had served as apostolic nuncio to Ghana, Benin, and Togo. He was a Vatican diplomat and served at the Nunciatures in Indonesia, Uruguay, Iraq, New Zealand and Great Britain.
George Alencherry is the Major Archbishop Emeritus of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church after serving in the position from 2011 to 2023. He is also a cardinal of the Catholic Church.
The Missionary Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament (MCBS) is an indigenous clerical congregation of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in southern India.
Little Flower Church, Kaprassery is a Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, in the village of Kaprassery, India. It is dedicated to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. It is located close to the Cochin International Airport.
Jacob Manathodath is a former Bishop of Palghat. Briefly he also served as the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Ernakulam, India.
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