Blessed Thevarparampil Kunjachan
A Kerala priest who lived among Dalit communities and was called the Little Father
- Rank
- Blessed
- Kind
- Priest
- Life
- 1891 – 1973
- Era
- 20th century
- Feast
- 16 October
- Countries
- India
Life story
He was born Augustine Thevarparampil on 1 April 1891 at Ramapuram in Travancore, now Kerala. He was ordained a priest on 17 December 1921 and from 1923 served as assistant parish priest at Kadanad. Because of his small stature he was called Kunjachan, Malayalam for Little Father.
From about 1926 he spent much of his time living and working among Dalit communities, groups regarded as low-ranking in the society of his day. He visited them, taught catechism and helped them, and some sources say thousands came to the faith through his work, though the exact figure is hard to verify. Poor health later forced him back to Ramapuram.
He died on 16 October 1973 at Ramapuram, aged 82. It is reported that at his funeral a priest remarked that those present were attending the funeral of a saint, and his tomb at Ramapuram's St Augustine church soon became a place of pilgrimage.
His cause was opened on 11 August 1987. Pope John Paul II declared him venerable on 22 June 2004. A miracle approved under Pope Benedict XVI, the cure of a boy's clubfoot, led to his beatification at Ramapuram on 30 April 2006, presided over by Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil.
Works and witness
- Ordained priest on 17 December 1921
- Assistant priest at Kadanad from 1923
- Lived and worked among Dalit communities from about 1926
- Died at Ramapuram on 16 October 1973
- Beatified on 30 April 2006
Saints from the same country
References
- Decrees of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints on Thevarparampil Kunjachan (2004, 2006)
- Syro-Malabar Church / Diocese of Palai, biographical material
- Martyrologium Romanum
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.