Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysius I (Mar Dionysius II) I Sabha Jyothis – Nov. 24

Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysius I (Mar Dionysius II)was born on January 15, 1742; to Chummar and Eliyamma, an ancient Pulikkottil family of Kunnamkulam, which had moved to close-by Arthatt. His mother belonged to the Pazhanji parish; thus, he developed a close relation with the vicar of Pazhanji Church too. He was baptized by name Joseph at the Arthatt St. Mary’s Church, Arthatt and was also fondly called as Ittoop. Here learned Syriac language, Arithmetic and Vasthusastra (Indian science of architecture) and led a deep pious and spiritual life. 

He was ordained as a deacon and later Malankara Metropolitan Valiya Mar Dionysius (Mar Thoma VI) ordained him as a priest. Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop Kathanar was appointed him as the Vicar of Chattu-kulangara Arthatt Church. He started a Malpan school at the Chiralayam Church in Kunnamkulam and started to teach candidates for priesthood. He came to be known as ‘Ittoop Malpan.’ Tippu Sultan attacked Cochin in 1789, and a calamity followed. The Mysore army forcefully converted native people to Islam, murdered many and Churches and Christians seminaries were destroyed. The faithful were scattered to various places. Ittoop Malpan motivated the Syrian Christians to remain firm in their faith. Tippu Sultan’s army insisted that the Vicar should join the Islam religion. But refusing to succumb to this pressure he spent his days in prayer. He took the initiative to renovate the Arthatt church and other destroyed churches, which was ravaged by Tippu Sultan. Dr. Claudius Buchanan who visited Arthatt Church on 6 December 1806 has given us an account about Pulikkottil Joseph Kathanar.

On 27 August 1809 Fr Joseph was professed as a Ramban. After becoming Ramban, his activities were concentrated in and around Kottayam. He realised a need for systematic training and formation of candidates to priesthood was deeply felt at this time. Ittoop Ramban gave timely, impetus and leadership for this ecclesiastical urgency. Joseph Ramban commenced efforts to establish and guide the work of ‘Study House’, with adequate support of the British resident Colonel Munroe and the Queen of Travancore for his endeavors. He was very much particular that the education and skills of the priests in the Malankara Church should not be substandard, but on par with those of other Churches where modern system of education had been introduced. The Seminary started training priests in 1815. He had convinced the Travancore Resident Colonel Munro of the necessity of constructing ‘House of Learning‘ (Seminary) for training priests and the latter who was greatly interested, gave all support for starting the seminary. Queen Parvathi Bai of Travancore gave sixteen acres of land bordering the River Meenachil as gift to the Church and there a seminary was established. In 1815 the Seminary started training priests.

He felt the need of imparting education to common people also. Christians were not appointed in government jobs during that time. Thus, English education was started here for the first time in Kerala. He helped many educated people to obtain government jobs. It was his efforts that led to the declaration of public holiday on Sundays. During this period the ‘Arthat Padiyola’ and ‘Kandanad Padiyola’ were officially issued by the St. Thomas Christians. ‘Padiyola’ were our official and agreed document of faith and practices. In addition to the Catholic missionaries, missionaries were also working in Kerala. They started translating the Holy Bible and order of worship to Malayalam. He, together with Philippose Ramban of Kayamkulam, translated the Holy Bible from Syriac to Malayalam. However, only translations of the Gospels could be done; and they were printed at the Courier Press in Bombay.

While undertaking all these developmental works, he was a Ramban. However, during the establishment of ‘Study House’ it became necessary for him to be a bishop in order to obtain due concessions from the government. Even though, he preferred to remain a monk, he agreed to become a bishop solely for the benefit of the Church. Kidangan Mar Philoxenos consecrated him as Malankara Metropolitan on 21 March 1815, with the title Joseph Mar Dionysius I. The Rulers of Travancore and Cochin issued a ‘Royal Proclamation’ calling upon all Syrian Christians to respect and honour Joseph Mar Dionysius I. Mar Dionysius II had a fore sighted vision regarding the Church.

Kidangan Geevarghese Mar Philoxenos of Thozhiyur consecrated Pulikkottil Mar Dionysius II on March 21, 1815, mainly because of the persistent compulsion from Col. Monroe in order to receive the interest money. Metropolitan Pulikkottil Mar Dionysius II never executed any function of bishop except signing receipts. Pulikkottil Mar Dionysius I was the first Metropolitan from outside Pakalomattom family. He had stressed the importance of theological education and developed the Seminary in Kottayam. It was he who decreed that the assets of the Metropolitan would be assets of the Church. The construction of the seminary, which had started in February 1813, was completed by March 1815 and immediately started functioning. The Nalukettu (style of constructing buildings on all four sides with a courtyard at the centre) of the seminary which has completed 200 years in 2015 is a testimony to the Vasthusastra expertise of the Mar Dionysius. Though Rev. Thomas Norton, an English priest was appointed as teacher in the seminary the bishop introduced a curriculum which included studies in Syriac, Orthodox Theology, scriptures, prayer, fasting, solitude etc. also. The Kottayam Orthodox Seminary and the Malankara Metropolitans who reigned from there became renowned in Malankara Church history. The establishment of the Old Seminary was a seminal, crucial and decisive event in the Church for several reasons, in the years to come. The Seminary has been the living witness and forum of action for many great events in the history of the Malankara church. It was the first locale to start English education in Kerala, the first to have Englishmen as teachers, the first in Kerala to have printing press, the first venue to the translation of Bible into unified and standardized Malayalam vernacular, the first venue of the composition of Malayalam-English, English-Malayalam dictionaries.

Since the title ‘Dionysius’ was already given to the Marthoma VI, Joseph Ramban was considered as Mar Dionysius II. Acknowledging his great contributions, the Metropolitan was given the title as ‘Sabha Jyothis’ (The light of the Church) on October 31, 1991. His reign as Metropolitan was very brief; he departed on 24 November, 1816 after a brief period of nine months as the primate head of Malankara Church. He was entombed in the chapel in the Kottayam Orthodox Seminary (Old Seminary), which was established by him. He is commemorate him on 24/25th November.