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| His Beatitude Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysius II (Mar Dionysius V) Thirumeni. |
Nearly three decades before the saintly fathers St.
Gregorios of Parumala and St. Dionysius Vattasseril visited the St Peter's
Armenian Church-Colaba, Bombay, this church had witnessed the blessed visit and
stay of the spiritual guru of these two saints- His Beatitude Pulikkottil Joseph
Mar Dionysius II (Mar Dionysius V) Thirumeni.
Part -1: Background
Mar Dionysius V Thirumeni was born as Yauseppu (Joseph/Ittoop)
in the Pulikkottil family of Kunnamkulam. A summary of this saintly prelate’s biography
is a subject matter of another post. This article is limited to the details of
the visit of His Beatitude Mar Dionysius V Thirumeni to St. Peter's Armenian
Church, Bombay.
At the invitation of His Holiness the Patriarch of Antioch
and with the consent of the Malankara Church, Youseppu
Kasheesha (later Mar Dionysius V Thirumeni) travelled to Turkey, alongwith
Mattummel Geevarghese Kasheesha and Koothoor Thaarappan, to be ordained as
Metropolitan. This travel was necessitated by the fact that the Malankara Church
needed an able leadership to safeguard its faith and counter the tirade of
heterodox teachings and practices that were creeping in.
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| Mar Dionysius V Thirumeni's handwritten notes of this travelogue (kept in the archives of OTS, Kottayam). |
Accordingly, they left Kunnamkulam on Kumbham 27, year
1038 (~ mid-March,1864) and boarded the ship from Kochi on Medam 14, year 1038
as per Malayalam calendar (~April 30,1864). When the ship reached Kannur, a
Muslim merchant trader known to Youseppu Achen (they had met previously in
Kozhikode) had boarded the ship and was going to Bombay as well. This kind-hearted
man shared his food with Youseppu Achen and his co-travellers when their food
supplies dwindled. He also invited them to his home in Bombay.
The ship reached Bombay on Medam 22 and the group was in
Bombay till Edavam 09 (approx from second week till the last week of May)
waiting for the ship going onwards to the Middle East.
Part-2: The quest to find the Armenian Church
Upon reaching Bombay they all headed to the Muslim man'
home and kept their belongings therein. Thereafter, Youseppu Achen, Geevarghese
Achen and Koothoor Thaarappan went in search of the Armenian Church. The search
turned futile as nobody seemed to know where this Church was.
Finally, they met a police constable who agreed to show
the church for 4 annas (25 paisa). The priests and layman started walking
behind the constable. Having walked for a considerable time, the constable
pointed to a building with a huge dome and said it was the Armenian Church
which they were looking for.
On entering the building, Youseppu Achen and others were
confused to see turbaned Arabs and Muslims. They asked the constable if indeed
this was the Armenian Church. The constable gave a positive response. This
building was actually a mosque/'arabi pally'. Upon further probing, it was
found that the constable confused the word Armenian with Arabic and that is why
he took them to a wrong address. The people in the mosque were stern in telling
the constable to show the visitors the exact location of the Armenian Church.
Finally, they reached the correct destination.
Part- 3: Doubts cleared.
The Vicar of the Armenian Church was a native of Iran and
advanced in age. He wasn’t too willing in giving accommodation to outsiders in
the church. Seeing that Geevarghese Achen was wearing a white kuppayam
(cassock), the Armenian priest refused to believe that these two men were
Orthodox clergy, and this made him even more resolute in his decision to refuse
them the accommodation in the church.
Youseppu Achen and Geevarghese Achen tried to reason with
the Vicar that they were indeed Orthodox clergy. While the priests were
discussing this matter, their conversation was overheard by an Armenian layman
named Khoja Yakob. He corroborated what Youseppu Achen and Geevarghese Achen
were saying and convinced the Armenian priest to allow them to stay in the
church. The Vicar acceded to the request and a room in the church building was
prepared for their stay.
Youseppu Achen, Geevarghese Achen and Koothoor
Thaarappan then went to the Muslim man's house, retrieved their belongings, walked
back to the Armenian Church and placed it in the room allocated to them. The
sun had almost set by then and they realised that they hadn't had any food
since morning. Immediately the trio went to a market and got some food. It was
almost 11 PM when they had the dinner. Indeed, it was an eventful day.
The next morning, looking at the black cassocks of
Youseppu Achen and Geevarghese Achen all doubts of the Armenian priest were
removed. From that day onwards, Youseppu Achen and others would enquire every
day for a ship leaving for Basrah (a city in modern day Iraq).
Part 4- A renewed spiritual strength at St Peter’s Church.
Mar Dionysus V Thirumeni mentions an inspiring event that
happened during their stay in the Armenian Church. As their travel to the
Patriarch was being planned, some people
with crooked mind had handed few letters to Geevarghese Achen to be
given to the Patriarch. Geevarghese Achen, unaware of their intentions, took
the letters along. It was in Bombay that the saintly priests became aware of
the evil intentions.
Youseppu Achen was greatly dejected and thoughts of
discontinuing the journey surfaced in his mind.
Youseppu Achen reasoned that while he was present in
Malankara, the opponents of the Church were spreading lies against the faith
and such behaviour would increase in his absence (when he was traveling abroad
to get ordained). Achen also had received many discouraging comments when funds
were being collected for his journey. Geevarghese Achen and Thaarappan
tried to console Youseppu Achen but the despair was too great.
Once when nobody was there in the Armenian Church,
Youseppu Achen entered the Madbaha/Holy Altar and prayed on his knees with
tears. The saintly father earnestly implored to God to alleviate the pitiable
situation that the Malankara Church was in and to protect the Church from
the onslaught of heterodox teachings. In Mar Dionysius V Thirumeni's own words-
"I may not become the Metropolitan due to the plotting by evil men. But
that is of no issue. I submitted by humble prayers to the Holy Throne of the
Lord that he may chose an able bishop to lead the flock in Malankara."
After prayers, Youseppu Achen felt relieved in his heart
and he felt that there was radiance in his face when he came outside. Indeed,
this signified the time to come when he would be known as the 'radiance of the
Church' (Malankara Sabha Thejas) as under his spiritual and able leadership
that the Malankara Church gloriously grew by leaps and bounds.
It is so heartening to note that it was in St Peter's
Armenian Church where Mar Dionysius V Thirumeni received immense spiritual
strength to move ahead in the journey. Thirumeni had almost given up but his
tearful prayers in this blessed Church gave him the spiritual vigour to proceed
ahead.
On the 09th Edavam evening, Youseppu Achen, Geevarghese
Achen and Koothoor Thaarappan entered the ship for Basra (Iraq) having
paid the fees of Rs 96. The Armenian Christians of Bombay came to port to see
them off.
Part 5- Meeting Dr Wilson.
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| Dr John Wilson |
Mar Dionysius V Thirumeni on his way back to Kerala
(after the consecration) had a stopover in Bombay again in the Malayalam month
of Karkidakam 25, year 1039 (approx. second week of August in 1865).
Thirumeni stayed in Armenian Church this time as well. He was in Bombay till
Chingam 23 (approx. second week of September 1865).
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| Wilson College (1893, Bombay) |
During this period, he went to meet Dr Wilson at his
college (Wilson College, Chowpatty Seaface Rd). Mar Dionysius could not meet Dr
Wilson during their onward journey to Turkey as Dr Wilson was in Poona (Pune)
at that time.
Dr Wilson was very happy on meeting Thirumeni. He
handed a ‘Masumoora book’ in Syriac (book of Psalms) to Thirumeni. Dr
Wilson and his students were elated when Thirumeni started reading the Syriac
work. Dr Wilson, amongst other things, expounded the importance of Syriac to
his students and told that it belonged to the linguistic family which Jesus
spoke.
Dr Wilson was a great help to Thirumeni during the
latter's stay in Bombay and also came to meet Thirumeni at the Armenian Church.
******************
May the prayers of the saintly fathers help us as we begin
the journey to the holy Apostles’ fast.
In Christ,
Rincy John
Ref: Oru Paradeshayathrayude Katha, His Beatitude Joseph
Mar Dionysius V, Pgs 44-47, 96, (Part-IV, Malankara Sabhayude Suvarna
Yugasilpi Malankara Sabha Thejas Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysius II, Vol. III,
Editor: Fr. Dr. Joseph Cheeran, Published by His Grace Dr. Geevarghese Mar
Yulios Metropolitan, M. J. D. Publishing House, Kunnamkulam).
Image reference pages for Mar Dionysius V Thirumeni’s portait
and the picture showing his handwritten notes of this travelogue (kept in the
archives of OTS, Kottayam)- Pgs 2(appendix) and 5.
Images of Dr John Wilson and Wilson College (image of
1893) taken from Wikipedia.
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