KOCHI: The elevation of Fr Chavara Kuriakose Elias and Sr Euphrasia as saints by Vatican recently was a recognition for the spiritual traditions of India at large and that of Kerala in particular, said Chief Minister Oommen Chandy here on Saturday.
Addressing a gathering of over 50,000 people at Rajagiri Valley here, who assembled for a Thanksgiving Mass and a public function to commemorate the sainthood for the two, Mr Chandy said that no other country could claim such a spiritual tradition as that of India and that the Church in Kerala was as old as the universal Church.
“St Chavara not only led a spiritual life but worked for social changes as well. It was St Chavara who started the first Sanskrit school in Kerala and also the first printing press and his idea of a school with every church revolutionized the education sector in the state,” he recalled.
He said that St Euphrasia was known for her simple life. “With two more saints for us, our responsibility to help the downtrodden also goes up,” Mr Chandy reminded the gathering.
Apostolic Nuncio of India, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, who inaugurated the public meeting, praised the Kerala Church for its significant role in evangelization.
“Kerala is a land of religious vocations from where the Catholic Church gets a large number of priests and nuns,” he said.
Major Archbishop Mar George Cardinal Alencherry, CBCI president and Catholicos Mar Baselios Cardinal Cleemis, Supreme Court judge Kurian Joseph, ministers K.M. Mani, P.J. Joseph, K.C. Joseph, Anoop Jacob, K. Babu and V.K. Ebrahim Kunju, Prof. K.V. Thomas, MP, Hibi Eden, MLA, Mayor Tony Chammany, Archbishops Mar Joseph Perunthottam, Mar Andrews Thazhath and Rt Rev. Dr. Soosapakiam, Swami Sadashivananda, CMI Prior General Fr Paul Achandy and CMC Superior General Sr Sancta were among those who spoke.
