provincial@cmibijnor.org
+91-1341-220466
Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born on 10th Feb. 1805 of God fearing parents Iko (Kuriakose) Chavara and Mariam Thoppil of the Syro-Malabar Church, at Kainakary, near Allappuzha, Kerala. According to the local custom the infant was baptized on the 8th day in Chennankari Parish Church, Alappuzha.
From the age 5 to 10, he attended the village school (Kalari) to study languages, different dialects, and elementary sciences under the guidance of a Hindu teacher (Asan). Inspired by the desire to become a priest, he began studies under the parish priest of the church of St. Joseph. At the age of 13 in 1818 he entered the seminary at Pallipuram where Malpan Thomas Palackal was the Rector. He was ordained priest on 29th November, 1829 at Arthunkal and celebrated his First Holy Mass at Chennankari Church. After the ordination he was engaged for some time in pastoral ministry; however he soon returned to the seminary to teach and also to officiate for Malpan Thomas Palackal during his absence. Thus he joined Malpan Thomas Porukara and Malpan Thomas Palackal when they were planning to found a congregation.
Faith is the foundation of Christian life and it can be imparted only in an atmosphere of love. Hence, all attempts of disseminating faith have to be marked by love. The experience of love that the Beloved Disciple had from person of Jesus, the way that he felt being loved by him, and the reciprocal live that he had for him, became the foundation for his faith in the person and mission of Jesus. This in turn, enhanced his witnessing life. Through the prism of love, John was able to see the various dimensions of relationship that the Messiah had with the world, his home. It is when the ray of human love sent through the prism of the divine, that love is refracted into various hues of experience of compassion, sympathy and empathy, which in turn, invites the believer to partake in the life-giving mission of the Messiah. As a person who was close to Jesus leaning towards him at the supper, and as a person who followed Jesus to the cross witnessing his sacrifice of love, John was able first drink deep into that divine love that “gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life, then to speak of the length and depth of that divine love.
In 1972, the Exarchate of Bijnor was carved out of the diocese of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and was entrusted to Sacred Heart Province of the CMI congregation. Mgr. Gratian Mundadan CMI was the first superior of the CMI missionaries working in Bijnor. In 1978 the CMI missionaries serving in the mission of Bijnor were constituted into a Mission unit and Rev. Fr. Raymond Mancheril was appointed Mission Superior. The mission unit was raised to the status of a mission region-St. John’s Region, and Rev. Fr. Basil Pynadath was appointed its first Regional Superior on 27th October 1981. Rev. Frs. George Edathiparambil, Mathew Vazhappilly and Augustine Keemattam were successive regional superiors later. On January 11, 1991, the CMI General Synaxis raised St. John’s Region to the status of a Vice-Province. Rev. Fr. Augustine Keemattam was elected as the first provincial of the vice-province on April 11, 1991. The vice-province was formally inaugurated by Rev. Fr. Thomas Mampra, the Prior General on February 27, 1992. Hitherto, the single task of the CMIs in Bijnor was to take Christ’s message of love to the Himalayan valleys. But with the change of times the call is coming from beyond the Himalayas too. At present St. John’s Province is rendering service of its members in dioceses of Bijnor, Meerut, Agra, Bareilly and Lucknow in India, Kumasi and Goaso, Ghana in Africa, the Vicariate of Nepal, Ecaudor, Germany and the USA. This shows the high appreciation of their dedicated works by the people they serve.
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In 1972, the Exarchate of Bijnor was carved out of the diocese of Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and was entrusted to Sacred Heart Province of the CMI congregation.
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