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THE ARCHEPARCHY OF KOTTAYAM
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Knanaya Migration to North Malabar
The first immigration of the Knanites was in A.D. 345. It was an ecclesiastically organized and authorized transplantation of a Christian Community with a Bishop, four priests and deacons. And they came with the blessings of the Catholicos of Seleucia Ctesiphon. They belonged to 72 Jewish Christian families. They had a great lay leader named Thoma from Kynai (70 kilometers South of present Baghdad). The purpose of the immigration was missionary to strengthen the weakened Church of St Thomas.
There was a second immigration. It was into the North Malabar Region in search of virgin land to cultivate and to get relief from the poverty and financial strain caused by the Second World War. As in the first immigration there was a lay leader, Prof. V.J. Joseph Kandoth to plan the enterprise. There was also a Bishop, Mar Alexander Chulaparambil to encourage and to realize the project. This time the Kottayam bought 1800 acres of land in the Kazargod area in 1942. The new venture was announced in all the parishes and applications were invited. Just as in the' first colonization 72 families were chosen. Each family was given 11.5 acres of land. They assembled with minimum necessary things at Kottayam Bishop's House on the 1st of February, 1943. On the next day, the feast of the Presentation, the Bishop celebrated the Holy Mass for the emigrants and had breakfast with them and sent them off with his blessings. They went to Cochin by boat and from there by train to Shornur and Kanhangad. A team of priests, especially of the O.S.H. Society and laymen were sent ahead to prepare the ground and to receive them on their arrival. Prof. V.J. Joseph and others welcomed them and led them to a temporary chapel. After the Mass they were allotted their own plots of land. The settlement was dedicated to Christ the King, and the name of the place was changed from Echikkol to Rajapuram.
In the same pattern of the project of Rajapuram the diocese organized another settlement at Madampam near Kannur. The Diocese bought 2000 acres of land and 100 families migrated to the new area on May 3, 1943. The settlement was called Alexnagar after the name of Bishop Mar Alexander Chulaparambil.
Madathumala in Kasargod District at its eastern border with the Karnataka state was the venue of a third settlement of 45 families. The land was bought on September 26, 1969. The settlement inaugurated on February 2, 1970 was dedicated to Bl. Virgin Mary, and was called Ranipuram. Though there were initial difficulties due to wild animals, Ranipuram gradually prospered and today there is also a Government tourist center at Ranipuram.
The diocese is grateful for the untiring service of Prof. V.J. Joseph and many Fathers who helped the migrants. The diocese has honored Prof. V.J. Joseph by naming a B.Ed. College after him at Madampam.
There were individual migrations into Malabar, but the above three settlements were organized ecclesiastically after the manner of the immigration of 345 A.D. The Diocese of Kottayam made also arrangements with the Latin Ordinaries to have pastoral ministry and liturgical celebration according to our own Syro-Malabar Rite.
At present the Malabar area has a full fledged pastoral center at Kannur by name Barmariyam. Malabar is a privileged soil for priestly and religious vocations today. One third of the Knanaya Catholic population is in the Malabar area. From the diocesan Headquarters at Kottayam the farthest parish of Malabar region is 600 Kms. away. The Auxiliary Bishop usually resides at Kannur, though it is not yet declared head quarters of a Suffragan Eparchy.
(Taken with permission from Fr. Jacob Vellian's book, Knanite Community, History and Culture. The book is available at Jyothi Book House, K.K. Road, Kottayam 686001, Kerala, India).
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Abraham Mutholath at
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