Howard recounts how his consecration was attended by large num bers of clergy and laity from Chatukulum Kunnamkulam and Pazh3nji- an indication no doubt of the acceptance of the Thozhiyur diocese as well as a tribute to Mar Philoxenos himself.2 Philoxenos I seems to have died soon after the consecration, leaving Philoxenos II as Metropolitan. Colonel Munro, the British Resident of Travancore and Cochin and a devout Christian , arrived in India in 1810 and took a keen interest in the affairs of the Syrian Christians . These were in a (characteristically) confused state with accusations being made against the Metropolitan , Mar Thoma VIII, denying the validity of his consecra­ tion . (le is interesting to note that the future reformer, Abraham Malpan, had doubts about the validity of his ordination by Mar Thoma VIII and had himself been re-ordained by a Jacobite Metropolitan from Syria, for which he suffered a period in prison .) One of the leaders of the protest against Mar Thoma VI I I was the Ram ban Pulikotil lttoop (Joseph) who, as noted in the previous chapter, had been a pupil of Abraham Mar Koorilose I of Thozhiyur in his days as a Mal pan and who had invited him to Kunnamkulam.

An extensive plot in the heart of the town was purchased. It is an elevated place and so could command a beautiful view around. It is still commonly known as ‘The Hill Church’, though formerly it seems to have been called the Seminary Church. Later, it became a fully constituted parish. It is noteworthy that the local Christians of all denominations have heartily co-operated in all the activities of the church and also in its renovation in the year 1940.
Another church acquired by Joseph Mar Koorilose was the one at Chalissery in British territory. It is unique in two respects. Firstly, its patron saint is St. Augan the Martyr. Churches with Mar Augan as the patron saint are very rare in this area. Secondly, it is unique in its architecture. The sanctuary is more or less a hemisphere built of stone. These two features are clear evidence of the fact that it was designed by a foreigner. The foreigner in fact was Yoakim Mar Koorilose, the delegate of the Patriarch of Antioch who arrived in Malankara in 1846. This very Koorilose had claimed that the properties of the Thozhiyur Church belonged to the Patriarch and had launched a civil suit to try and gain possession of them. The court ruled against Yoakim Mar Koorilose and required him to pay the costs. Since he had no assets other than the churches he had established he was required to forego those churches. Thus the churches of St. Augan, Chalissery, and St. Adai at Porkulam came under the jurisdiction of the Thozhiyur. A third church at Matancherry at Fort Cochin was also gained by the MISC but its distance from Thozhiyur made it difficult to maintain and it was disposed of. All three churches were in British Malabar. Yoakim Mar Koorilose, having lost the churches to a diocese which he had hoped to bring under his own control, now disappears from the story.
In 1896 the church at Chalissery was renovated; but its sanctuary was kept intact in order to preserve its uniqueness.
St. Adai’s Church at Porkulam is two miles north of Kunnamkulam. It is on a hill away from the busy roads and din of the town an ideal place for worship and retreat. It is said that due to an earthquake a crack appeared on the eastern wall of its sanctuary and so it was rebuilt in 1970. Like the St. Augan Church at Chalissery the name of the patron saint of this church, St. Adai, too is unique, for such names are very rare in these places. According to tradition there was a church by this name at the foot of the hill where the local school now stands.
While Mar Koorilose IV was Metropolitan one of the priests was bitten by a dog. Nobody took a great deal of notice, for the animal was a pet in the bishop’s residence. Later, however, the priest began to show symptoms of rabies. The Metropolitan was extremely sad, not least because the Church was a place where rabies was treated. So he closed himself in the church for prayer. The third day he celebrated the Holy Qurbana and the victim was brought in. By that time he had gained his normal senses and received Holy Communion with due respect and devotion as before. It was this priest who later on succeeded the Metropolitan under the name Joseph Mar Athanasios (Maliyakkal).

An entry in the Thozhiyur Visitors’ Book dated 28 March 1889 reads, ‘I was sorry to hear of the demise of my old respected friend Mar Curialos, who treated my son, John from mad dog bite.’ The man (whose signature is illegible) had in turn with three other children likewise afflicted. The entry is an interesting testimony to the Church’s healing ministry.

In this ceremony too Thomas Mar Athanasios took part.

In 1893 Thomas Mar Athanasios passed away without consecrating a suc¬cessor, to the delight of his opponents and the consternation of the reformers , who elected the priest Dethos (Titus), the eldest son of Abraham Malpan, as bishop designate. They also decided to seek the help of the Metropolitan at Thozhiyur for his consecration. At the same time the opponents of the Mar Thoma Church (as the Reformers may now be designated, following the loss of the Seminary Case) were bent upon preventing the consecration in order to annihilate the Mar Thoma Church once and for all. The leaders of the Mar Thoma Church, the Rev. Punnathra Chandappilla, the Rev. Mathen Kizhake thalakal and Paramel Iyyu lttoop came to Thozhiyur to invite the Metropolitan to perform the consecration .The Metropolitan Joseph Mar Athanasios (after some initial hesitation according to some accounts) consented to help an episcopal church, as his predecessor had done for the Malankara Church earlier. So in 1894 he and his suffragan, Geeverghese Mar Koorilose, reached Kottayam and con¬secrated Father Dethos under the title Titus Mar Thoma in the Cheriapally (small church).

In 1857, he filed a civil case stating that he was the Malankara Metropolitan and he had the rights to the Thozhiyoor Church and its properties. In 1862, the Madras High Court issued the final verdict stating that the Church was an Independent Syrian Church in Malabar and that Yuyakim Mar Koorilos had no claim on the Church or its properties. Because of this case Thozhiyoor Church was given the name Malabar Independent Syrian Church.

Geeverghese had to discontinue his studies after he had passed the lower primary examination from the local school but his thirst for knowledge made him a voracious reader and by his own endeavour he became a scholar in Syriac. Though he had not been able continue his own studies he was anxious to get others educated. So he started schools at Porkulam, Chalissery and Thozhiyur. In some places he had to face bitter opposition from the managers of neighbouring schools. He was interested not only in secular education but also in religious education. He sent the clergy to the theological institutions at Serampore and Kottayam.

His love and sympathy for the poor was not confined to his church. He helped all, irrespective of caste or creed. It is said that once a poor Hindu boy came to him and requested help to continue his studies. The Metropolitan took pity on the boy and promised to give him his tuition fees. One day as usual the boy presented himself before the Metropolitan who asked his secretary to pay the fees. But the secretary said that there was no money available except Rs3, kept to purchase wheat since the Metropolitan was diabetic. The Metropolitan asked him to give the amount to the boy and added that he would gladly forgo his meal of wheat and share their meal of rice. It was a time when the church was bankrupt due to the fall in the price of coconuts, the main yield of the church estate.

Another incident which shows Mar Koorilose-V’s compassion for the poor is that of Nzhiyath Krishnan Nair who eventually the manager of ‘Matrubumi’ newspaper became. While Krishnan Nair was a student in the church primary school, the Metropolitan happened to hear him recite a poem during the school anniversary celebration. He was much pleased and since then he used to call the boy to his residence and listen to his recitation. But when he passed the primary classes he had to discontinue his education for his parents were very poor. So the Metropolitan himself undertook to educate him. As the boy was bright and clever he soon rose to prominence and became an employee on the ‘Mathrubumi’. Krishnan Nair remained very grateful to his benefactor. In 1952 when a high school was started at Thozhiyur he promised to sponsor a student. Later he instituted an endowment to give a scholarship annually to the boy who comes out first in the final examination of CMUP School, Thozhiyur, where Krishnan Nair had his early education.

The Metropolitan was generous too. It was the time of ‘Khilafat’ (the Mappila rebellion in Malabar). One day the Deputy Collector came to the Metropolitan along with a Muslim who was under arrest. The man previously had illegally taken possession of a property that belonged to the Church. He was suspected of being an accomplice in the rebellion. Although he pleaded his innocence, he was not released. It was made clear that he would not be released unless a responsible person of the locality would speak for him. The Metropolitan, as soon as he saw the Muslim, said ‘Oh, yes, he is loyal’.

The Metropolitan was very influential among the high officials of the time.

Sir C. Sankaran Nair, a member of the Viceroy’s executive council, and Mr. Statham, the Director of Public Instruction in Madras, were some of the dignitaries who visited him and signed the Visitors’ Book. He had also the privilege of nominating a member to the District Education Board. A.T.George Alimoottil was his nominee for a long period. Mar Koorilose-V was an eminent administrator. He paid special attention to office work as well. Records and accounts were checked and scrutinised by him every month.

The Metropolitan also had to experience certain vicissitudes of fortune. Every evening he used to go out in a horse and cart. One day the cart turned aside and fell into the paddy field close by, causing an injury to his right foot. Within a few days it became worse and the doctors believed that amputation of the foot was the only remedy. But he himself refused to agree. At last Dr. Homes, the Royal Physician of Cochin, was called in and he dared to conduct the operation, which took place in the episcopal palace itself. By the grace of God the Metropolitan recovered speedily, the only legacy of the accident being a permanent scar on his right foot.

Soon after Mar Koorilose-V recovered he determined to find a suitable suc­cessor. The choice fell upon Father Paulose of the Panakal family. He was ordain­ed as Ramban in 1907 and consecrated as bishop under the title Paulose Mar Athanasios in 1917. He was suffragan till his death in 1927 when he passed away following a severe attack of asthma. He was the great nephew of the late Joseph Mar Koorilose IV who had been the Metropolitan from 1856 till 1888.

The contribution of Geeverghese Mar Koorilose-V to the church is consider­able. Besides the educational institutions, he established churches at Pazhanji and Kallumpuram. The church at Pazhanji lies in the heart of the town, so he had to surmount serious difficulties before he could obtain permission from the government. The church at Kallumpuram, Two miles north of Pazhanji, was a blessing to the local people, for till then there was neither a church nor a good road leading to the neighbouring churches at Pazhanji and Chalissery. In order to fund these institutions and churches he had to pledge some of the church properties, for in those days the price of coconut, the main product of the church estate, had fallen very low.

As described above, in 1893 he participated in the consecration ceremony of Titus-I Mar Thoma along with Joseph Mar Athanasios. It was he who ordained Titus-II in 1898 and Abraham Mar Thoma in 1917 as Ramban. He also participated in the consecration ceremonies of both. In 1924 he took part in the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the consecration of Titus Mar Thoma II.

Even a brief account, such as this, of the life and message of the Metropolitan, would be incomplete without a mention of his devotional life and religious fervour.

He would never tolerate anyone to distract his prayers. Once there was an ordination ceremony at Porkulam, The native place of the candidate to be ordained. The church was so small that it would not accommodate more than a hundred or two. In those days, such occasions being rare, there was a large gathering. When the prayers began some miscreants pushed from behind and a few, especially children in the front, fell flat upon the floor of the sanctuary. The Metropolitan with all seriousness advised the congregation to attend to the prayers reverently. The prayers continued, but the unruly mob paid no heed to him and they once again disturbed the service. The Metropolitan turned back. His face shone like that of an angel. He said ‘Cursed be the man who disturbs the service’. No sooner did he utter these words than a sturdy young man fell unconscious. At once he was removed. Silence ensued and the service continued. After the service the Metropolitan came to that man who was still unconscious, laid his hands upon him and prayed. He regained his senses and begged for pardon. Every day Mar Koorilose-V used to get up before the sun rose. It was the time for his morning devotion which lasted more than an hour. His favourite book for devotion was the psalms in Syriac. Before the celebration of the Holy Qurbana, he used to confine himself to his study for the preparatory prayers. His birthday fell on 15 August and it was his never-failing custom to celebrate the Holy Qur­bana on every day in that month. His intonation and sweet voice made his service very solemn and attractive. Such attributes have won him a place of honour as a prominent Metropolitan of the Thozhiyur Church.

The Metropolitan began the meeting with prayer and spoke of the healthy co-operation between the Mar Thoma Syrian Church and the Malabar Independent Syrian Church and their mutual participation in consecrating bishops. Then he asked the members to mention their nominee. There was a pause for a few minutes. The silence was broken by Sri C. P. Chum¬mar, a leading member of the Chalisserri Parish. He, with all due respect, said they would be glad to accept whomsoever their distinguished guest nominated. The others agreed unanimously. The Metropolitan, with tears in his eyes, declared that Fr. K.M.Kuriakose, senior of the two, was to be elected and consecrated. He added that Fr. C.J.Verghese could succeed the selected nominee. Accordingly, Fr. C. J.Verghese eventually succeeded Kuriakose Mar
Koorilose in 1948. The congregation gladly accepted the advice of the Mar Thoma Metropolitan. No episcopal election has been conducted in such a peaceful atmosphere since 1935.
Father K.M.Kuriakose was consecrated under the title of Mar Koorilose -VI by Titus-II Mar Thoma in association with Abraham Mar Thoma, his suffragan, on 23 January 1936. He was the head of the church till 1947. Kuriakose Mar Koorilose participated in the consecration ceremony of Juhanon Mar Timothios Episcopa and Mathews Mar Athanasios Episcopa of the sister (i.e. Mar Thoma) church in 1937. During his episcopal ministry a chapel was built at Akathiyur, three miles north of Kunnamkulam, and the St. Thomas church at Kunnam¬kulam was modified and reconstructed in 1940. The income of the church increased and some of the mortgaged properties were recovered. Unfortunately he could not lead the church on the path of peace and prosperity. Gradually his eyesight failed and for the last two years he was completely confined to bed. On 15 October 1947 he passed away.

Dr. Mathews Mar Athanasios Episcopa. He was the tenth Metropolitan of the Independent Church of Thozhiyur. One of the remark¬ able achievements of this period was the starting of a high school at Thozhiyur.

In those days there were no high schools within a radius of four miles of the church. On 23 April 1952 the Metropolitan laid the foundation stone of St. George’s High School. To obtain recognition, an endowment of Rs30,000 had to be instituted under the Madras Educational Rules since Thozhiyur was in the erstwhile Malabar district in the Madras presidency at that time. As the Church had not enough funds some of the church properties had to be given as security. Later on the properties were recovered, following payment as stipulated.
The Metropolitan participated in the Mar Thoma consecration ceremony of Dr.Alexander Mar Theophilos, Thomas Mar Athanasios and Philipose Mar Chrysostom in 1953 and also in the Silver Jubilee celebration of the consecration of Dr. Juhanon Mar Thoma and Dr.Mathews Mar Athanasios held in 1962.

The Metropolitan was a friend of the poor and needy. One day while he was staying at Pazhanji he heard of an aged man who had been rendered homeless. Moved by his pitiable plight he pleaded that people like him should not be left uncared for in that Christian centre. Later he managed to purchase a site to put up a Poor Home in the heart of the town itself. In June 1950 the foundation stone for the Home was laid with money from his own pocket. The Christians in the locality also contributed liberally and eventually a building to house three families was constructed. By September 1951 the construction of the Poor Home was completed and it was inaugurated by the Metropolitan himself.

Mar Koorilose VII took a keen interest in the education of the poor children. He raised a fund to award scholarships to deserving students. Once some members of the church council wanted to divert a portion of this fund for some other cause. But he refused to do so and said that the entire amount should be utilized for the cause of education as desired by the donors.
Mar Koorilose VII took a keen interest in the work of the Gospel Association. It was founded in 1948 with a view to conducting Sunday Schools, Sunday even¬ing meetings, and organizing house visiting to strengthen the spiritual life of the people. The clergy, the representatives of Sunday school teachers and voluntary Gospel workers were-and still are-all involved in it. The office bearers include the President and the Secretary who are elected from among the members. The President should be a clergy man. The members meet at least once in two months. Every year the accounts are audited and a budget for the following year is prepared and published and a copy of the same sent to the Council. In addition to the activities already mentioned, the work of the Gospel Association includes printing and free distribution of Bible reading cards, the conducting of annual camps for Sunday school children and teachers, retreats in parishes, an annual convention, and the conducting of a common examination for the Sunday Schools every year in December. The money for this comes from collections from the parishes, and from the Central Church Fund.

The Metropolitan suffered from heart trouble and his health caused anxiety. An assistant was badly needed and the general body of the church was convened on 30 December 1965 to elect a bishop. But Kunnamkulam parish being a small congregation was not given representation in the assembly. This led to a civil suit. As a result, the election was stayed by the High Court. However, early in 1967 the stay was lifted .The general body met again on 9 May 1967 and elected the Rev. Father Paul Thomas. By then the Metropolitan had become so weak that the election had to be conducted with the assistance of Thomas Mar Athanasios Episcopa of the Mar Thoma Church. Mar Koorilose- II passed away on 9 June 1967. In order to avoid any further litigation, the constitution was amended on 5 November 1967, providing representation even to small parishes in the municipal area with a strength of at least ten families.

received his higher education at Solapur, where his father had been employed. In 1952 he was ordained as deacon and in 1961 as priest by Geeverghese Mar Koorilose -VII. Earlier, he had served the Church as the secretary of the Gospel Association and the Sabha Council. At the time of election to the office of the Bishop he was on the staff of the St. George’s High School.

On 16 December 1967 he was consecrated as Mar Philoxenos -III by Dr. Juhanon Mar Thoma, the Metropolitan of the sister church, assisted by Dr. Alex­ander Mar Theophilos Episcopa and Dr.Thomas Mar Athanasios Episcopa. The completion of the construction of the St. Mary’s Church at Perumannoor, the Bahanam Capel at Anjoor and the Mar Koorilose Chapel at Korattikara that had been planned and begun by his predecessor received his prompt attention. The new institutions established by him are the St. George Chapel at Karikkad, the St. Thomas Press at Kunnamkulam and the Poor Home at Chalissery. The memorable events during his ministry were the canonization of Mar Koorilose -I, the founder of the Cathedral Church and the celebration of the second Cen­tenary of the Cathedral Church. To mark these historic events, a mission hospital was opened at Anjoor on 28 May 1972 in memory of the first Metropolitan Mar Koorilose. No other monument could be more fitting to preserve the memory of Mar Koorilose-I who himself had been blessed with healing gifts. Mar Philox­enos -III left the Malabar Independent Syrian Church on 28 August 1977 to join the Syro-Malankara jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church (whose rites are essentially the same as those of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church).

The general body met on 11 December 1977 and elected Fr. K.I. Mathew to fill the gap.

The election took place in the presence of Dr. Thomas Mar Athanasios Episcopa of the sister church at the request of the Church Council. Fr. Mathew belonged to the well¬ known Koothoor family of Kottapadi which had already given two bishops to the Church of Thozhiyur, Geeverghese Mar Koorilose -III and Kuriakose Mar Koorilose -I. He was also the nephew of Cheeran Geeverghese Mar Koorilose -VII. Fr. Mathew had worked as a teacher and a parish priest before his election to the higher office. On 18January 1978 he was consecrated as Mar Koorilose -VIII by Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma, Metropolitan of the sister church, with the assistance of Dr. Thomas Mar Athanasios Episcopa, Dr. Joseph Mar Irenaeus Episcopa and Easow Mar Timotheos Episcopa.
The expansion of the Church outside Kerala was the outstanding land mark of this period, as till then the Church had been confined to Kerala alone. In 1974 the members residing in Madras purchased a plot for the construction of a church near the B. & C. Mill at Perambur. The construction was delayed due to the national emergency and lack of funds, but providentially Sri John Peter, a philanthropist and well-wisher of the Church, put up a small but beautiful church at his own expense on that plot. On 11 January 1981 the church was consecrated and at a meeting held after the service the key was handed over to the Metropolitan.

The Panakal family had already supplied two bishops: Joseph Mar Koorilose -IV and Paulose Mar Athanasios, Suffragan Metropolitan.

Father Joseph was the second of the five children of Sri P. I. Mathew kutty and Smt Kunjham. He completed his schooling in the David Memorial L P School and the M J D High School at his native Kunnamkulam town. He received his higher education first in the Sree Krishna College, Guruayur, and St. Thomas College at Trissur, and then in the Municipal College of Education at Chick­ ballapur in Karnataka State. Afterwards he was appointed to the staff of St. George’s High School, Thozhiyur, in January 1981. On 5 March 1972 he was ordained a deacon by Paulose Mar Philoxenos -III and on 1 March 1978 a priest by Mathews Mar Koorilose -VIII. He also served as the Secretary of both the Church and the Gospel Association. At his initiative a Youth Movement (with both spiritual and social activities) was organized in 1984. Fr.Joseph was the first editor of Kunjhadukalude Velicham, the first monthly magazine of the church, published by the Youth Association since September 1984.

At the time of his election as a bishop he was only 27 years old, but was nearly 32 when he was consecrated as the Metropolitan of the Church on 27 August 1986. A week earlier he had been made a Ramban by Philipose Mar Chrysostom, Suffragan Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. The delay between election and consecration and the failure of Mar Koorilose -VIII to consecrate his successor were mainly due to certain differences of opinion between the Met­ropolitan and the Church Council. In June 1986 Mathews Mar Koorilose -VIII passed away and in August 1986 Fr. Joseph was consecrated as Joseph Mar Koorilose-IX by Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma with the assistance of Joseph Mar Irenaeus, Easow Mar Timotheos and Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilos.

Soon after the consecration the Metropolitan took up enthusiastically the renovation of the cathedral, a long cherished wish of his predecessors. On 30 November 1987 the foundation was laid. With the liberal donations and co­ operation of the members of the Church and her well-wishers, the construction was completed in record time and the Cathedral dedicated on 16 April 1989. Mar Koorilose -IX visited Jordan and Syria and some of the Gulf States in 1988-the first time a Metropolitan of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church had left India. He met His Holiness Zakka -II was, the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch, who made available to him a Tableeta (the wooden board on which the Eucharist is celebrated) and all other things necessarily for the celebration of the Holy Qur­bana. The Metropolitan celebrated the regular services (with his own people attending as well as the local Syrian Orthodox) in Bahrain, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Alayn and Sharjah. The incident is an interesting confirmation of the acceptance of the Metropolitan as a canonically consecrated bishop by the Patriarch (who presumably was informed about the Malabar Independent Syrian Church by his people in India with whom Mar Koorilose -IX has generally cordial relations). In 1989 the present Metropolitan visited England where he met the then Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Robert Runcie. While in England he declared himself willing to extend Eucharistic hospitality to members of the Church of England. On this and on his subsequent visit the Metropolitan celebrated the Holy Qurbana both with Anglican and Mar Thoma congregations and took part in Anglican services, on occasion together with Anglican bishops, and received Holy Communion. At the end of the visit he spent a few days in Rome. The Metropolitan returned to England in 1991 as an official guest at the Enthronement of Dr. George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury. During that visit (which lasted three months in all) he underwent surgery to replace severely damaged ear-drums. The Metropolitan has also visited Germany, where links have been formed with a Lutheran parish in Hanover.

In December 1989 Mar Koorilose -IX took part in the consecration of three new Mar Thoma bishops at Tiruvalla, Geeverghese Mar Athanasios, Geeverghese Mar Theodosios and Yoakim Mar Koorilose. Friendship and co-operation with the Mar Thoma Syrian Church remain strong, but not at the expense of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church’s traditional Orthodoxy. In January 1991 the Metropolitan took part also in the consecration of the Jacobite bishop Thomas Mar Themotheose at Udayagin Seminary near Mulanthuruthy. The present Metropolitan’s eirenic openness to both ‘reformed’ and ‘unreformed ‘­ and his acceptance by both- is a strength which augurs well for the future role of the Malabar Independent Syrian Church in the attempts to overcome the divisions among the St. Thomas Christians.