Blessed Kunjachan
(Fr. Augusthine Thevarparampil)

Name : Fr. Augusthine
House Address : Thevarparampil,
Ramapuram P.O Kottayam Dist,
Kerala, South India

Father : Itty Iype Mani Mother : Eliswa Parish : Ramapuram diocese : Palai School : Ramapuram & Mannanam Seminary : Changanacherry & Varapuzha Importent Dates Born : 1-04-1891 Baptized : 08-04-1891 Received Cassock : 16-07-1915 Ordained Priest : 17-12-1921 Beginning of Ministry among Dalits : Sept. 1926 Died : 16-10-1973 Declared Servant of God : 11-08-1987 Tomb Opened : 10-03-1990 Venerable : 22.06.2004 Miracle Approved by H. H Pope Benedict XVI : 30.04.2006 Blessed : 30.04.2006 Special Prayer on Every Sunday at 8.30 Pm at Ramapuram Forane Church Dalits (Harijans) at the lowest rung of the Social Ladder For centuries they were treated as untouchables and even as unapproachables. The upper caste Hindus kept them at a specified distance. If this was violated, they had to purify themselves by a cleansing bath. The low caste people were not even allowed to use the public roads, near temples. They were never allowed to enter places of Hindu worship or schools or other public places. Mar Thomas Kurialacherry, Bp. of Changanacherry was very kind to these hapless people and he employed every possible means to raise them up from their sad plight. First of all he tried to convince the priests of the diocese about their obligation to sow the word of God among the poor. In a letter, the Bishop sent to the priests on 1st June 1916, we read: "The great desire of a good priest should not be acquiring higher positions or amassing abundance of wealth, instead it should be the salvation of souls. To achieve this end, priests should follow the example of the Lord Jesus, discarding comforts, wealth and even the very life". The counsel of the Bishop exerted a deep influence on the mind of the young priest, Augustine. Birth and Family of Kunjachan Thevarparampil Fr. Augustine, the Servant of God, whose parents were Itty Iype and Eliswa, was born on 1st April 1891, in Thevarparampil house, which was a branch of the ancient Kuzhumpil family. Among the five children born to those parents, Augustine was the youngest. On the seventh day the child was baptised in the parish church, Ramapuram. It is the baptising priest who calls a baby by a name for the first time. This child was given the name Augustine, in respectful remembrance of the patron saint of the parish. Prayerful Atmosphere in the Home The influence exercised by the parents in giving a good character formation to the boy Augustine was great. To the School In those days pre primary schools such as kindergarten, nursery schools etc. were unheard of. Children in the villages were taught the alphabets and other initial matters by certain professional teachers, called 'Ashans', in their own schools, which were called 'Kalaris'. The young boys and girls below five sat on the floor under a thatched roof. There were no pieces of furniture common to a class room, such as bench, desk etc. The Ashans were chiefly Hindus, and they treated all the children equally, irrespective of their religion. In the Primary School There was a primary school run by the Government of Travancore in the compound of Ramapuram Parish Church. The building was constructed by the Church, and then handed over to the Government. On completion of the course in the Kalari, Augustine joined the primary school. Wearing a small cloth around the waist and holding an umbrella made of palm leaf, the boy went to the school together with his companions. He was the shortest one in his class. At St. Ephrem's School, Mannanam** After completing the primary classes at Ramapuram, K.M. Augustine joined St. Ephrem's High School at Mannanam and resided in the St. Alosyius Boarding attached to the school. Perfect of Marian Sodality In the boarding Augustine got the opportunity to foster the devotion to Mary, Mother of God, which he acquired from his parents.