Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara
A Kerala priest who founded India's first native men's congregation and opened schools
- Rank
- Saint
- Kind
- Priest, Founder, Religious
- Life
- 1805 – 1871
- Era
- 19th century
- Feast
- 3 January
- Countries
- India
Life story
Kuriakose Elias Chavara was born on 10 February 1805 at Kainakary in Kerala, within the ancient Saint Thomas Christian community of the Syro-Malabar Church. He studied the faith and Sanskrit in the local tradition, was ordained a priest in 1829 and was soon influenced by older priests of the region, above all Fr Thomas Palackal.
In 1831, with Fr Palackal and Fr Thomas Porukara, he founded a religious community at Mannanam, which became the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI), regarded as the first native men's religious congregation of the Catholic Church in India. He was elected superior general after the founders had died.
Beyond community life he gave attention to education and communication: he opened a Sanskrit school in 1846, set up a printing press at Mannanam, and, as tradition recounts, encouraged every parish church to have a school beside it, including for children of lower castes. In 1861 he was made vicar general of the Syro-Malabar community. In 1866 he and Fr Leopold Beccaro founded a women's congregation, now called the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel (CMC).
He died on 3 January 1871 at Koonammavu. John Paul II beatified him in 1986, and Pope Francis canonised him on 23 November 2014, together with Sister Euphrasia Eluvathingal. His feast is kept on 3 January, the day of his death. The CMI congregation, which he helped found, remains a large religious institute of men in India.
Works and witness
- Co-founded the Mannanam community in 1831, now the CMI order
- Opened a Sanskrit school in 1846 and a press at Mannanam
- Vicar general of the Syro-Malabar Church from 1861
- Co-founded the women's congregation CMC in 1866
- Beatified in 1986, canonised in 2014
Saints from the same country
References
- Martyrologium Romanum
- Dicastery for the Causes of Saints – biographical profile
- Acta Apostolicae Sedis, canonisation decree of 2014
Written by Anawim from documented history. Some details about ancient saints rest on tradition and are marked as such.