Geevarghese Ivanios

Archbishop Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, OIC (September 21, 1882 – July 15, 1953), born Geevarghese Panickeruveetil, was a Christian bishop and the founder of the Bethany Ashram order of monks.

Childhood

Panickeruveetil was born in Mavelikkara, India, September 21, 1882 to Thomas Panicker and Annamma Panicker. He had his early education in protestant and government schools. From 1897 he attended M. D. Seminary High School, Kottayam. In 1899 he completed his matriculation education before which he received minor orders (of clerical life) on September 20, 1898.

Deacon

He was ordained deacon by Pulikkottil Mar Dionysius on January 9, 1900, he then continued his studies at CMS College, Kottayam and obtained a bachelor's degree in Economics and Indian History from Madras Christian College. In 1907 he took a Master's Degree (MA) with distinction from the same college. On his return from Madras he was appointed principal of his Alma Mater, M.D.Seminary High School. During this time he lead various schemes for the renewal of the Malankara Church. He organized basic church communities, commenced Bible conventions, because of this he was popularly entitled "Koodasa Semmasan" (Deacon of Sacraments).

Priestly Life

He was ordained to the priesthood as Fr. P.T. Geevarghese on Sept. 15th 1908 by Vattasseril Mar Dionysius. Geevarghese was popularly known as M A Achan, as he was the first priest with a MA degree in Malankara.. At the same time he took the initiative to empower the Malankara Church with hierarchical autonomy. He became instrumental to erect catholicate for the Malankara Church on September 5, 1912

Professorship in Serampore

In 1912 Vattasseril Mar Dionysius received an invitation to attend a conference at Calcutta. Mar Dionysius selected Fr. Geevarghese to accompany him to Calcutta to attend the conference. At the conference they met Dr. Howels the principal of Serampore College who requested the Metropolitan to avail the service of Fr. P.T. Geevarghese as the professor of the College. The Metropolitan permitted Fr. Geevarghese to take up the task. He made use of this opportunity to educate the Malankara Youth. About 20 young people from Kerala reached Calcutta for higher education.

He was ordained a bishop of the Malankara Syriac Orthodox Church by Catholicos Beselios Geevarghese I.

Mar Ivanios and most of his order united with the Roman Catholic Church in 1930, establishing the Eastern Catholic sui iuris Syro-Malankara Catholic Church in India. In 1932, Mar Ivanios was named the Archbishop of Trivandrum and received the pallium from Pope Pius XI, becoming the first metropolitan of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. Because of his theological-pastoral insights and his attempts at reunion of the Malankara Church with the Pope of Rome, Mar Ivanios is often nicknamed the "Newman of the East". Archbishop Mar Ivanios passed away on July 15, 1953.

Mar Ivanios College was founded at Bethany Hills outside Trivandrum in 1949: it was affiliated to the University of Travancore, which became part of the University of Kerala.

Archbishop Mar Ivanios was declared Servant of God (Daivadasan) on 14 July 2007, the day prior to the 54th anniversary of his death. The proclamation was read by Catholicos and Major Archbishop Moran Mor Baselios Cleemis at St. Mary's Malankara Syrian Catholic Cathedral in Trivandrum, India. He is the first member of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church to be so designated. His cause for canonization continues.

Sources

• "His Grace Most Rev. Geevarghese Mar Ivanios O.I.C."; Bethany Ashram website, retrieved January 10, 2006
• "Archbishop Ivanios (Giovanni) Giorgio Tommaso Panickerveetil"; Catholic-Hierarchy.org; retrieved January 10, 2006
• Fr. Thomas Inchakkalody, Archbishop Mar Ivanios (2 Vols.), Kottayam, 2006.

External links

• Syro-Malankara Catholic Church
• Syro-Malankara Catholic Church - alternative site built by Malankarites