St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute

Last updated

St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute
Other name
SEERI
MottoIndia's advanced teaching and learning centre for Syriac language and heritage
TypeResearch Institute
Established1985
Parent institution
Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala
President Thomas Mar Koorilos, Archbishop of Tiruvalla.
DirectorDr. Jacob Thekeparampil., Kottayam.
Location
Baker Hill, Kottayam
, ,
686002
,
LanguageSyriac, English, French, German, Italian, Armenian, Greek, Coptic, Ge’ez, Latin
Affiliations Mahatma Gandhi University, Kerala
Website seeri.org//

St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute (SEERI) is a centre for Syriac studies located in Kottayam, Kerala. It is a research centre of the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, [1]

Contents

History

Named after the Syriac saint, Ephrem the Syrian, SEERI was inaugurated on 14 September 1985 by Marthoma Mathews I, Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. [2] It works in collaboration with various churches that share the Syriac patrimony to foster ecumenism and deepen the mutual understanding of these churches in the study and search of their common heritage. [2] [3] It is sponsored and supported by the Archeparchy of Tiruvalla of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

SEERI was developed to be a place for the advanced teaching and learning of the Syriac language and heritage in India, as well as making available manuscripts, documents, and source books necessary for such study and research. [2]

Affiliations

SEERI is a research center of the Mahatma Gandhi and affiliated with the Catholic University of America [4]

Administration

Presidents and Director

President is Thomas Mar Koorilos, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tiruvalla [5]

Director is Jacob Thekkeparambil [5]

Notable faculty

Rev. Dr. Baby Varghese

Rev. Dr. Jacob Thekeparampil (Director)

Rev. Fr. John Kannanthanam

Rev. Dr. Johns Abraham Konat

Dr. Kuriakose Valavanolickal

Rev. Fr. Kuriakose Moolayil Corepiscopa

Rev. Fr. Mathew Kuttiani

Rev. Fr. Raju Parakkott (Asst. Director)

Rev. Dr. Sebastian Naduthadom

Rev. Dr. Stephen Plathottathil OIC

Rev. Dr. Thomas Koonammakkal (Dean of Studies)

Rev. Fr. Varghese Varghese, Kaloor

Publications

The HARP: (English Periodical) A review of Syriac, Ecumenical and Oriental Studies. Contains articles of renowned writers from all over the world.

MŌRĀN ETH'Ō:(Monograph - occasional English Publication).

S.C.C: (SEERI Correspondence Course in English on Syrian Christian heritage. Complete set includes 12 books. The course is to be completed in two years. 9 books have already been published).

Blue Series: German translations of Syriac Liturgical text.

Madrōsō: (Malayalam)

Nuhro:  (Malayalam)

AWSĀR SLAWŌT’O (Translations from Syriac to English) [1]

Related Research Articles

Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church

The Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church (MOSC) also known as the Indian Orthodox Church (IOC) or simply as the Malankara Church, is an autocephalous Oriental Orthodox church headquartered in Devalokam, near Kottayam, India. The church serves India's Saint Thomas Christian population. According to tradition, the Malankara Orthodox church originated in the missions of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century(A.D.52).

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church Type of Eastern Catholic church

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Church, also known as the Malankara Syrian Catholic Church, is an Eastern Catholic, 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. It is one of the major archiepiscopal Churches of the Catholic Church that are not distinguished with a patriarchal title. It is headed by Major Archbishop Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos of the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum based in Kerala, India.

Mar Thoma Syrian Church Church based in the Indian state of Kerala.

The Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church, often shortened to Mar Thoma Church, and known also as the Reformed Syrian Church and the Mar Thoma Syrian Church of Malabar, is an autonomous Reformed Oriental church based in Kerala, India. While continuing many of the Syriac high church practices, the church is reformed in its theology and doctrines. It employs a reformed variant of the West Syriac Rite Divine Liturgy of Saint James, translated to Malayalam.

Mathews Athanasius

Mathews Mar Athanasius was the Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Church from 1852 until 1865. As a reformer, he spent most of his reign attempting to reform and heal rifts within the church. However in 1865, he was deposed by the traditionalist faction of the Malankara Church and Pulikkottil Joseph Dionysius became their leader.

Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam

The Knanaya Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Kottayam is a metropolitan Archeparchy of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in India. The Archeparchy is exclusively for Knanaya faithful who are the descendants of Syriac Judeo-Christians who migrated from South Mesopotamia to Kodungallur (Muziris) in South India in 345 AD.

Juhanon Mar Thoma

Juhanon Mar Thoma Metropolitan was the Head of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church from 1949–1976, who gave leadership to the church and at the same time actively participated in social and political arenas. He was respected by people from all walks of life, from all religions and from all age groups. He is remembered for providing the church with the motto Lighted to Lighten. "The Church must be interested where human life is interested," was his motto.

Abraham Malpan

Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan, was an Indian cleric and theologian known for the Reformation movement within the Malankara Church during the 19th century. He was born in the ancient Syrian Christian Palakunnathu family which practiced West Syriac Rite Oriental Orthodoxy after the Coonan Cross Oath of 1653.

Titus II Mar Thoma

Titus II Mar Thoma Metropolitan was the head of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church with its center in Kerala state in south-western India. He was known as Thithoos Dwitheeyan Mar Thoma Metropolitan among his people.

Mar Dionysius I, also known as Mar Thoma VI, was the 6th Metropolitan of the Malankara Syrian Church from 1765 until his death. A member of the Pakalomattom family he appealed to outside authorities to assert his position as the sole leader of the Malankara Church and to attempt to reunite all the Saint Thomas Christians.

Mar Thoma VIII was the 8th Metropolitann of the Malankara church in Kerala, India from 1809 to 1816. He was a man of vision. It was during his time Malankara church opened the first formal educational institution, in Kerala. With the opening of Kottayam Suryani Seminary, modern education dawned in Kerala.

Jacobite Syrian Christian Church Oriental Orthodox Church based in Kerala

The Jacobite Syrian Christian Church (JSCC), also known as the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church, the Jacobite Syrian Church, and the Syriac Orthodox Church in India, is an autonomous Oriental Orthodox church based in Kerala, India, and is an integral branch of the Syriac Orthodox Church of Antioch. It recognizes the Syriac Orthodox Patriarch of Antioch and All the East as supreme head of the church. It functions as a largely autonomous unit within the church, under the authority of the Catholicos of India, Baselios Thomas I. It is currently the only church in Malankara that has a direct relationship with the Syriac Christians of Antioch, which has continued since the schism of 1665 and employs the West Syriac Liturgy of Saint James.

Saint Dionysius of Vattasseril

Saint Geevarghese Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril popularly known as Vattasseril Thirumeni was the 15th Malankara Metropolitan (primate) of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. In 2003, the Church declared Mar Dionysius as a saint. He is known as 'The Great Luminary of Malankara Church', a title which the Church bestowed on him in recognition of his contribution to the Church.

Kurisumala Ashram

Kurisumala Ashram is a Trappist Monastery in Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in the Sahya Mountains in Kerala, India. Kurisu is the translation of the word cross into Malayalam, the language of Kerala; mala means mountain; ashram means monastery. Hence, the name describes the community of monks who practise austerity and live a strict monastic life on the mount of the Cross in the high hills of Kerala.

Syro-Malankara Catholic Archeparchy of Tiruvalla

The Syro-Malankara Catholic Archeparchy of Tiruvalla is an archeparchy of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in Tiruvalla, in Kerala, India. Metropolitan Archbishop Aboon Mor Thomas Koorilos currently presides. The seat of the eparchy is at St. John's Syro-Malankara Catholic Cathedral in Tiruvalla, a circular edifice designed by a British architect.

Fr. Dr. Geevarghese Chediath Malpan is a priest of the Major Archdioicese of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.

V. C. Samuel 20th-century Indian theologian and priest

V. C. Samuel; Malayalam: വി.സി. ശമുവേൽ; Hebrew :שְׁמוּאֵל ; Greek: Σαμουήλ; Arabic: صموئيل; Latin:Samūēl; Amharic: ሳሙኤል

Saint Thomas Christian denominations

The Saint Thomas Christian denominations are traditional Christian denominations from Kerala, India, who trace their origins to the evangelistic activity of Thomas the Apostle in the 1st century. They are also known as "Nasranis" as well. The Syriac term "Nasrani" is still used by St. Thomas Christians in Kerala.

Geevarghese alongside Varughese, Varghese, Verghese, Varkey, Varughis, and Vergis are Syriac–Malayalam variants of George in India. Geevarghese may refer to:

Baby Varghese, born in India, is a Malankara Orthodox priest and a Church historian and scholar in Syriac Liturgical Theology.

Thomas Koonammakkal is a Syro-Malabar Catholic priest and syriacist, scholar and church historian. He is an authority in Garshuni Malayalam and is the author of the most comprehensive Garshuni Malayalam introduction to date. He holds master's degree in Syriac studies and doctorate from the University of Oxford. He served as the professor of Syriac and Patrology in SEERI, Vadavathoor Saint Thomas Apostolic Seminary and Paurastya Vidyapitham. He is the founder of Beth Aprem Nazrani Dayara and strong proponent of traditionalism in the Syro-Malabar Church.

References

  1. 1 2 Panicker, Rev Dr Gheevarghese; SEERI. "India's SEERI Center for Syriac Studies". CNEWA. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 "WELCOME TO SEERI.ORG". seeri.org. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  3. Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen-. "St. Ephrem Ecumenical Research Institute, Kottayam - Georg-August-Universität Göttingen". www.uni-goettingen.de (in German). Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  4. University, Catholic. "Outreach". The Catholic University of America. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  5. 1 2 "WELCOME TO SEERI.ORG". seeri.org. Retrieved 17 September 2020.