Benedict Mor Gregorios (1 February 1916 – 10 October 1994) was the second

metropolitan archbishop Metropolitan may refer to: Areas and governance (secular and ecclesiastical) * Metropolitan archdiocese, the jurisdiction of a metropolitan archbishop ** Metropolitan bishop or archbishop, leader of an ecclesiastical "mother see" * Metropolitan ar ...

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 that employs the West Syriac Rite and is in full communion with the worldwide Catholic Church posse ...

Life

Gregorios or "Thangalathil Thirumeni" was born and raised in the Malankara Orthodox Church in Kalloopara, present day

Pathanamthitta Pathanamthitta (), is a municipality, city in southern Kerala, India, spread over an area of . It is the administrative capital of Pathanamthitta district. The town has a population of 37,538 (as of 2011 census). The Hindu pilgrim centre Sab ...

district. He was baptised by the name Varghese Thangalathil. As a teenage boy Varghese came closer to the ideal of Bethany Ashram. He was attracted by the personality of Geevarghese Ivanios and later became a member of Bethany Ashram and adopted the name Benedict. He studied philosophy and theology at Papal Seminary,

Kandy Kandy (, ; , ) is a major city located in the Central Province, Sri Lanka, Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of ...

, Sri Lanka. He was ordained a religious priest of Bethany Ashram by then Bishop of Kandy Bernad Reinjo in 1944. As a dynamic young priest he taught Syriac for some time in St. Aloysius Seminary, Trivandrum. He was sent for higher studies in economics to St. Joseph's College, Trichy (1946–1949). He became the first principal of Mar Ivanios College. He was consecrated as bishop on January 29, 1953, by the hands of Archbishop Ivanios, and he received the name Benedict Mar Gregorios. After the death of Ivanios, Gregorios became the second metropolitan archbishop of the

in 1955. Parish communities were formed in

during this period. Gregorios paved the way to establish Mar Theophilos Training College, Trivandrum and Mar Gregorios College of Arts and Science, Chennai. After 41 years of episcopal ministry, Gregorios died on 10 October 1994. His body was entombed in St. Mary's Cathedral, Pattom, Trivandrum. St. John's College, Anchal, a first grade arts and science college in Kollam district was established by Gregorios. St. John's College Anchal became the nerve centre of the total development of a remote rural village into a fast developing township.

References

Sources

Thomas Inchaykkalodi, Archbishop Mar Ivanios, Vol. 1, Bethany Publications, Kottayam, 2006.

External links

"Syro-Malankara Catholic Church – homepage"Syro-Malankara Catholic Church – alternative site built by Malankarites
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gregorios, Benedict 1916 births 1994 deaths Converts to Eastern Catholicism from Oriental Orthodoxy 20th-century Eastern Catholic bishops Syro-Malankara bishops Burials at the Cathedral of Saint Mary, Pattom Christian clergy from Kerala