Bl. Devasahayam Pillai

First Indian lay martyr to be beatified
Born	On April 23, 1712  Palliyadi, Nattalam, Kanyakumari District, Kingdom of Travancore
Died	On January 14, 1752 (aged 39) Aralvaimozhy, Kingdom of Travancore
Servant of GOD	22 December 2003
Venerated	On June 28, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI
Beatified	2 December 2012, St. Xavier's Church, Kottar, Tamil Nadu by Angelo Amato (On behalf of Benedict XVI)
Major Shrine	Cathedral of St. Francis Xavier,Kottar
Feast	14 January

Devasahayam Pillai is the first lay person to be elevated to the rank of "Blessed" in India.

Martyr Devasahayam Pillai was born in the year 1712 at a village called Nattalam to Vasudevan and Devahiammai in a nair community. His original name was Neelakandapillai. He married Bargaviammal. From his early childhood he was a learned man well versed in Malayalam, Tamil and Sanskrit. He was an expert in the ancient Indian martial arts. As a young man he was employed at Padmanabapuram palace when King Marthanda Varma was ruling the state. After the Kulachal war, he came under the spell of Dutch captain Eustacheus Benedictus De Lenoy, who, being caught a war prisoner, later joined Marthanda Varma's forces. De Lenoy was believed to be instrumental in converting Pillai to Christianity and he was christened as Lazar, but later came to be known as Devasahayam locally. Then he happened to narrate his tragedies to Delenoy. The captain gave him the Bible and asked him to read it. He also gave him the holy rosary and asked him to pray to the blessed mother Mary. Delenoy explained the life of Jesus to him. Neelakandan’s heart was leaning towards Jesus and catholic faith. He decided to received baptism. In 1745, he was baptized by Rev. Fr. Buttari a Jesuit Priest at Vadakkankulam. He was named Devasahayam Pillai. His wife was also baptized and received the name Gnanappu Devasahayam Pillai found answer to his problems in Jesus.   The conversion of Devasahayam Pillai angered the hindu priests. The reason is that Devasahayam Pillai who belonged to a high casted joined Christianity which was then considered by them as a religion of low caste. They thought that it was an insult to them. They were also scared that the Christian faith will spread fast.They requested King Marthanda Varma to arrest him and put him in jail and persecute him to change his mind. But Devasahayam Pillai was strong like a rock in his faith in Jesus. To him everything was for Christ. It was imprisoned, scourged, put into indignified sufferings, starvation and thirst. He accepted every suffering for Christ. Hence the King sentenced him to death in the year 1752. On 14th January 1752 He was shot dead at Kattadimalai, Aralvaimozhy which is 20 kilometers away from Puliyoorkurichy. His mortal remains were buried in front of the main altar of  Xt. Xaviers Cathedral, Kottar.   tZhklmbw ]nÅ   {]Ya `mcXob càkm£nbmb tZhklmbw ]nÅ 1712 apX 1752 hscbpÅ ImebfhnemWp Pohn¨ncp¶Xv. 1712þ sX¡³ XncphnXmwIqdn ]Zva\m`]pc¯n\Sp¯p \«mew F¶ Øe¯p acpX¡pf§cw F¶dnbs¸Sp¶ Xdhm«nemWp \oeIWvT]nÅ F¶ tZhklmbw ]nÅ P\n¨Xv. sNdp¸¯nte kwkvIrXw, aebmfw, Xangv `mjIfnepw XÀ¡w, thZm´w, hymIcWw apXembhbnepw ]pcmW]mcmbW¯nepw Bbp[m`ymk¯nepw {]mhoWyw t\Sn. bphXz¯nte¡p IS¶tXmsS At±lw kzPmXnbnÂs¸« Hcp s]¬Ip«nsb hnhmlw Ign¨p. tZhklmbw ]nÅbpsS Ignhpw kmaÀYyhpw IWvSp amÀ¯mÞhÀa almcmPmhv ]Zva\m`]pcw \oeIWvTkzman tImhnen ImcyhnNmcI\mbn At±ls¯ \nban¨p. Ipf¨Â bp²¯n XShpImc\mbn ]nSn¡s¸SpIbpw ]n¶oSp amÀ¯mÞhÀabpsS XncphXmwIqÀ ssk\ym[n]\mbn amdpIbpw sNbvX U¨v Iym]vä³ Une\mbn bpambpÅ kulrZamWp tZhklmbw ]nÅsb ss{IkvXhhnizmk¯nte¡v ASp¸n¨Xv. IpSpw_]camb Nne {]iv\§sf¯pSÀ¶v ZpxJnX\mbn \S¶ tZhklmbw ]nÅbv¡p Une\mbn tbip{InkvXphnsâ PohnXhpw ss__nÄ hN\§fpw ]Tn¸n¨psImSp¯p. ss{IkvXhhnizmk¯n BIrã\mb At±lw {InkvXpaXw kzoIcn¡p¶Xn\v B{Kln¨p. 1745þ amt½mZokm kzoIcn¨t¸mÄ tZhklmbw F¶ÀYw hcp¶ emkÀ F¶ t]cpw kzoIcn¨p. AtXmsS A¡mes¯ khÀW ta[mhnIÄ At±l¯ns\Xncmbn. ss{IkvXh hnizmk¯nÂ\n¶p XncnsI hcp¶Xn\v ]ecpw Bhiys¸s«¦nepw At±lw hnizmk¯n Dd¨p\n¶p. 1749þ At±lw XS¦en ASbv¡s¸Sp¶Xphsc kzPohnXwsImWvSpw D]tZiwsImWvSpw t{]jnX{]hr¯n sNbvXp. PmXnhyhØbv¡pw aäv A\mNmc§Ä¡pw D¨\oNXz§Ä¡psaXntc iÐapbÀ¯n. 1752 P\phcn 14\vv tZhklmbw ]nÅsb cmP`S·mÀ XncphXmwIqdnsâ sXt¡ AXnÀ¯nbnse ImämSnaebn sImWvSpt]mbn shSnh¨psIm¶psh¶mWp Ncn{Xw. tZhklmbw ]nÅbpsS càkm£nXz¯n\pw \maIcW¯n\pw kp{][m\ sXfnhmbn tdmanse XncpkwLw kzoIcn¨ncn¡p¶Xp _\UnÎv ]Xn\mema³ amÀ]m¸bv¡p sIm¨n cq]Xbnse A¶s¯ _nj]v amÀ s¢aâv tPmk^v FgpXnb I¯nse hnhc§fmWv.

SG Fr.Sebastian L.C. Presentation

Ø  Founder of Sisters Of Visitation Congregation Alleppey (S.V.C.)
Born	August 10th 1867 , Kattoor
Servant of GOD	13th June 2013

Rev.Fr.Sebastian L C Presentation was born in the noble ‘Presentation’ family of kattoor on August 10th 1867. After completing the formal education from Leo Xlll school, Alappuzha, he was sent to Goa for his higher studies and in the year 1893 he was ordained from the famous Rashol seminary. It was his earnest desire from childhood onwards to see the local community which comprises the backward people also be benefited by the service rendered by the sisters. While doing service as the vicar of St.Michael’s church, Kattoor, he started Holy family L.P.school on may 7th 1920. He founded the   Sisters Of Visitation Congregation Of Alleppey (S.V.C.), at  Kattoor in the Diocese of Alleppey on 1924. Fr.Sebastian L.C. Presentation declared  as ‘Servant of God’ on  13th  June 2013.

Malayalam Bible Quiz

Bible Quiz -Malayalam
SNO	Portions	View
01	Romans 1 -16	Click Here
02	1 Corinthians 1-8	Click Here
03	1 Corinthians 9-16	Click Here
04	Galatians 1-6	Click Here
05	Ephesians 1-6	Click Here
06	Philippians 1-4	Click Here
07	1 Thessalonians 1-5	Click Here
08	2 Thessalonians 1-3	Click Here

Two New Doctors of the Church

Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed two new Doctors of the Church: St. John of Avila and St. Hildegard of Bingen

Venerable Mar Thomas Kurialacherry

 

First Bishop of the Diocese of Changanacherry
Born	Jan. 14, 1873
Died	on June 2nd, 1925, Rome
Servant of GOD	Dec. 13, 1991
Venerated	April 2, 2011, By  Pope Benedict XVI
Founder of	Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament(S.A.B.S.)
Motto	“Renew everything in Christ”
Mortal Remains In	Changanacherry , Metropolitan Cathedral Church

 

The Venerable Thomas Kurialacherry born on January 14, 1873 at Champakulam (Kerala) in Kurialacherry family. He was fortunate indeed to have his priestly studies in Propaganda college, Rome . He was ordained priest on May 27, he served as vicar in the parishes of Chennamkary, Kavalam, Edathua and Champakulam. Mar Thomas Kurialacherry was consecrated bishop on 3rd Dec. 1911.   In order to make his vision concrete, the Venerable founded the religious Congregation of the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in 1908.  As Bishop, Mar Thomas took keen interest in educating the faithful in the doctrine and the teachings of the Church and in promoting evangelical values. He introduced discipline and accountability in the administration of the parishes; fought against such rampant social evils as alcoholism, exploitation of women, social injustice. The poor and the suffering found in him a father and a refuge. Being a strong advocate of education, Mar Thomas started several educational institutions including St. Berchman's College at Changanacherry. His 113 pastoral letters bear witness to the apostolic zeal for the spiritual welfare of the people of God.   The saintly bishop died in Rome on June 2nd, 1925. His mortal remains were brought back to Changanacherry on July 25, 1934 and interred in the Metropolitan Cathedral Church.His cause of canonization was taken up in 1983 and he was declared Servant of God on Dec. 13, 1991.   On April 2, 2011, the Holy Father,His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI approved a statement saying that Bishop Kurialachery had lived a life of heroic virtue. This gives him the additional title of "Venerable".

Isaiah 30:20

Venerable Fr. Matthew Kadalikkattil

 

Founder of Sacred Heart (S.H.) Congregation for Women
Born	1872 April 25 .Edapady, Meenachil, Pala Diocese, Kerala.
Died	23rd May 1935
Servant of GOD	1989
Venerated	27th June 2011
Founder of	Founder of Sacred Heart (S.H.) Congregation for Women
Mortal Remains In	Mortal remains interred at  S.H. Convent Chapel, Palai

 

Venerable Fr. Matthew Kadalikkattil  born on 25thApril, 1872 as the second son of Cherian and Rosa of a Syrian Catholic family Kadalikkattil at Edappady belonging to the diocese of Pala.                 He joined the seminary conducted in the Syrian Carmelite monastery at Mannanam and was ordained priest on February 17, 1901. To experience and share the compassionate love of the Sacred Heart to the poor and the destitute he started a new religious community on January I, 1911 in a small house with four members and consecrated it to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Fr. Mathew was later twice in charge of Lalam new and twice of the filial church at Kannadiurumpu within Palai itself. Here he bestowed special attention to the conversion and uplift of a very backward class called 'Harijens'.   Another area he worked and spent himself for God and his people was education.. He bestowed his fatherly care upon the primary school and middle school at Kannadiurumpu. Later he established an English middle school at Lalam facing almost insurmountable difficulties and hardships. This school later grew into the great girls High School, which is doing wonderful service for the higher education and overall progress of women in the area.   He had become an apostle of devotion to the Sacred Heart to the extent that he used to sign himself under the title 'The servant of Sacred Heart'. He yielded his soul to the loving Heart of Jesus on May 23, 1935.        He dedicated his life to the service of the less privileged and rejected ones of the society. So from the very beginning of the congregation he started orphanages also. His cause of canonization was taken up in 1987 and he was declared Servant of God in 1989 and declared as 'Venerable' on 27th June 2011.