Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas-I
Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Kochi: Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas-I, the spiritual head of the Syrian Christians of India, breathed his last at a super specialty hospital in Kochi on Thursday evening.
He was 95.
According to the Syrian Church authorities, the Catholicos passed away at 5.21 PM.
He was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments for a long time.
The funeral will be held at Puthencruz, where the headquarters of the Syrian Church is located.
The details of the funeral will be disclosed later, church sources said.
He was born in the Cheruvillil family of Vadayambadi, Puthencruz, near here to Mathai and Kunjamma on July 22,1929.
His priestly formation was under the guidance of Mor Philoxenos Paulose (late Catholicos Mor Baselios Paulose-II) who ordained him 'Korooyo' in 1952 and 'Shamshono' at Kadamattom Church in 1957.
In August 1958, Thomas was ordained 'Kassisso' (full priest) by Mor Yulius Elias at the Majanikkara Dayro.
In 1959, he was appointed as the vicar of St. Peter's church, Puthencruz. Later he served the churches at Vellathooval, Kizhumuri, Fort Kochi, Valamboor, Kolkata and Thrissur.
He also served as the chief organizer of the North Indian mission at Bhilai in 1970's and as the secretary of the Pourasthaya Suvishesha Samajam in 1974.
He was well known as a great revivalist preacher and was also recognized as an excellent organiser.
In January 1974, Fr. Thomas was elected to the episcopate by the Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Association convened at the Karingachira St. George Church and was consecrated Metropolitan with the title ‘Mor Dionysius’ by Mor Ignatius Ya`qub-III on February 24, 1974 at Damascus, Syria.
He was entrusted with the charge of Angamali diocese, the largest of all the Syrian Orthodox dioceses.
Mor Dionysius Thomas was elected as the Catholicos and the Metropolitan Trustee of the Jacobite Syrian Christian Church at a convention held at Puthencruz, Kerala on July 6, 2002 in which delegates from all the parishes participated and they approved a new constitution for the effective administration of the Indian Church, with the consent of the supreme head, the Patriarch of Antioch.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan condoled the demise of Catholicos Aboon Mor Baselios Thomas-I.