Jacob Mar Theophilos (21 February 1891 in Olassa,

Kottayam Kottayam () is a municipal town in the Indian state of Kerala. Flanked by the Western Ghats on the east and the Vembanad Lake and paddy fields of Kuttanad on the west. It is the district headquarters of Kottayam district, located in south ...

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South Ca ...

– 27 June 1956 in

Tiruvalla Thiruvalla, alternately spelled Tiruvalla, is a town in Kerala and the Headquarters of the Taluk of the same name located in Pathanamthitta district in the State of Kerala, India. The town is spread over an area of . It lies on the banks of ...

) was the co-builder of the Reunion Movement and the first bishop of Eparchy of Tiruvalla of the

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church 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 ...

Early life

Jacob (Yakob) Mar Theophilos was born as the first son of Abraham Tharakan and Achama of Kulapurackalveedu. After primary education from a nearby school, he completed matriculation from MD High School,

, where he later became a teacher. He longed to lead a life of priesthood by his own religious tradition and by the inspiration of MA Achan ( Fr. P. T. Geevarghese Panikerveettil, later Archbishop Mar Ivanios), who was then Principal of the MD High School. Mar Theophilos received his sacred order of the Diconate from Metropolitan Vattasseril Mar Divannasios. MA Achan took Mar Theophilos, his deacon, to

Serampore Serampore (also called ''Serampur'', ''Srirampur'', ''Srirampore'', ''Shreerampur'', ''Shreerampore'', ''Shrirampur'' or ''Shrirampore'') is a city of Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarter of the Srirampore ...

when he (MA Achan) took up an assignment as Professor of the

University.

In Bethany Ashram

Deacon Yakob stood with Archbishop Mar Ivanios in the founding of Bethany Ashram and later in embracing the Catholic Communion through the Re-union Movement. One of the first members of the Bethany Congregation was Fr. Yakob. He was the Guru(Master) of the Novices. He was ordained priest in 1924 and was elected and ordained Bishop after the name Yakob Mar Theophilos.

Ecclesial Communion Movement

Mar Theophilos gave full support to Mar Ivanios in all his pioneering endeavours especially of the Reunion Movement. Though other Bishops backtracked from the decision of the Synod of Parumala held in 1926, Mar Theophilos endorsed it with full conviction and commitment. Thus he became one among the first five members of the Re-union Movement on 20 September 1930.

Bishop of Tiruvalla

When the Syro-Malankara Catholic Hierarchy was established in 1932, he was appointed the first Metropolitan of Tiruvalla. His Aramana (Bishop's residence) was a small two storied building named Cherupushpagiri, situated in the place where now stands the Pushpagiri Medical College. In 1933 Mar Theophilos visited Rome and paid his respects to

Pope Pius XI Pope Pius XI ( it, Pio XI), born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti (; 31 May 1857 – 10 February 1939), was head of the Catholic Church from 6 February 1922 to his death in February 1939. He was the first sovereign of Vatican City f ...

. Jacob Mar Theophilos blessed the new Bishop’s house on 24 November 1934. Many churches, schools, Infant Mary Minor Seminary (the first seminary in the syro malankara catholic church) and the St. Joseph’s press were started by him. With the mission to spread the faith and to strengthen the Re-union Movement, he formed "Sakshyasangam" ("Group of Witnesses").

Death

Due to ill health, he handed over the administration of the Eparchy to Mar Severios and took rest. Mar Theophilos died on 27 June 1956, aged 65. His remains are entombed in St. John's Cathedral, Tiruvalla.

External links

Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martheophilos, Jacob Converts to Eastern Catholicism from Oriental Orthodoxy 20th-century Eastern Catholic bishops Saint Thomas Christians Syro-Malankara bishops Christian clergy from Kottayam 1891 births 1956 deaths