Palakunnel Mathai Mariam Kathanar (20 February 1831 – 20 April 1900) was an Indian clergy member that served in the Archdiocese of Changanacherry.

Early life

Koothrapally Church in Kootbrapally town

He was born on 20 February 1831, in Koothrapally to Palakunnel Puthiyachirakav Itticheriyath and Mariam. In his childhood, he was known as Mathen. Mathen joined Mannanam Monastery for studies in 1845. He completed his studies under the tutelage of

Kuriakose Elias Chavara Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara, CMI (10 February 1805 – 3 January 1871) was an Indian Catholic priest, religious, philosopher and social reformer. He is the first canonised Catholic male saint of Indian origin and was a member of the Sy ...

, the Abbot of Mannanam Ashram. He was ordained as a priest at Mannanam by Bernardine Baccenelli of St. Teresa, O.C.D, the Vicar Apostolic of Verapoly on 2 July 1855.

Social reformations

Throughout his life he worked for the betterment of people of all castes and especially the illiterate Dalits who were suffering in the society. Initiatives were taken to provide education to

Dalits Dalit ( from meaning "broken/scattered") is a term used for Untouchability, untouchables and Outcast (person), outcasts, who represented the lowest stratum of the Caste system in India, castes in the Indian subcontinent. They are also called ...

. He spent money from his own hands and established Churches and Schools to teach the Dalits. In the month of April 1870, Valiyachan obtained permission from

T. Madhava Rao Raja Sir Tanjore Madhava Rao, KCSI (20 November 18284 April 1891), also known as Sir Madhava Rao Thanjavurkar or simply as Madhavarao Tanjorkar, was an Indian statesman, civil servant, administrator and politician who served as the Diwan of T ...

, who was the Diwan of

Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...

, to say Mass at the

Central Prison, Poojappura Central Prison and Correctional Home, Poojappura, also known as "Poojappura Central Jail", or "Central Prison, Thiruvananthapuram", is a jail in Poojappura in Thiruvananthapuram in the Indian state of Kerala. It was established in1886 as a part ...

for inmates. Valyachan offered mass at

in the same year on Palm Sunday.

Contributions

List of Churches and institutions constructed by Valyachan #Koratti Church, Erumely – 1858 #Puthiya Chirakkavu Church – 1859 #Koothrapally Chappel – 1876

Nalagamam

Valyachan's Nalagamam (Diary) is a valuable source for the history of Syriac Church of Kerala and the social and cultural history of

Central Travancore Central Division or Central Travancore, also known as Kollam District or Quilon Division was one of three (or four) administrative subdivisions of the princely state of Travancore in what is now Kerala. It was administered by a civil servant o ...

from 1857 to 1896. The main events of that time and the historical course of the Syriac Church were carefully observed and recorded. He Has a habit of writing down all these in his own perspective. Nalagamam helps us to know about the religious moral and cultural standard of living of Nasrani Nasrani community at that time. Construction of

Changanassery Changanassery, () formerly Changanacherry, is a municipality in the Kottayam district of Kerala, India. It is located south of the district headquarters in Kottayam and about north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. As per the 2011 ...

–

Peerumedu Peermade, also spelt Peerumedu is a village, Grama Panchayat and hill station in the state of Kerala, in southwestern India. It lies above sea level in the Western Ghats (Sahyadri) about east of Kottayam on the way to Kumily. Etymology The n ...

road in 1863, establishment of Alappuzha Light House, smallpox disease which killed thousands of people in

and other places, locust plague on Easter Thursday in 1878, earthquake in 1881, floods in

Kuttanad Kuttanad is a river delta landscape region in the state of Kerala, India, known for its vast paddy fields and geographical peculiarities. It is in the Districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta. The region has the lowest altitude in ...

in 1882 and 1883, etc. are all explained in Nalagamam.

Death

Palakunnel Mathai Mariam Katanar died on 20 April 1900. On 21 April, he was buried in a self-made grave in a chapel built by Valyachan for the dedication of

Saint Maurus Maurus, OSB (; ) (512–584) was an Catholic Church in Italy, Italian Catholic monk best known as the first disciple of Benedict of Nursia. He is mentioned in Gregory the Great's biography of the latter as the first oblate (religion), oblate ...

on the roadside near Koothrapally church. Later his mortal remains were moved inside the newly built Koothrapally church.

References

* *Mathai Kathanar Palakunnel. പാലാക്കുന്നേൽ വല്യച്ഛന്റെ നാളാഗമം alakunnel Valyachante Nalagamam he diary of Father Palakunnel Changanacherry, India: Palakunnel Mathai Mariyam Kathanar Death Centenary Committee 2000, 2000. *P.J. Sebastian (ed.), ''Palakunnel valiachante nalagam (1831-1900)'', Changanacherry, (n.p.), 1972. *സ്കറിയ സക്കറിയ : ഇരുപതാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിലെ കേരള ക്രൈസ്തവർ – https://kerala-digital-archive.sgp1.digitaloceanspaces.com/original/fdea1e4f943ae73f7c8b6adc110f19643a350edb.pdf {{DEFAULTSORT:Valiyachan, Palakunnel 1831 births 1900 deaths Christian clergy from Kottayam Syro-Malabar priests 19th-century Eastern Catholic clergy