St. Gregorios Geevarghese

Saint Gregorios of Parumala (Geevargese Mar Gregorios)
Geevarghese Mar Gregorios of Parumala (Portrait done by Raja Ravi Varma)
Born	15 June 1848 Mulanthuruthy, Kerala, India
Died	2 November 1902 (Aged 54) Parumala, Kerala, India
Venerated in	Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church;Malankara Jacobite Syrian Christian Church;Syriac Orthodox Church and Coptic Orthodox Church
Canonized	2 November 1947 (Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church) 20 December 1987 (Syrian Orthodox church) by H.H Baselios Geevarghese II and H.H. Ignatius Zakka I Iwas
Major shrine	St.Peter's and St.Paul's Orthodox Syrian Church, Parumala
Feast	2 November

Saint Geevargese Mar Gregorios popularly known as Parumala Thirumeni (Bishop of Parumala) (15 June 1848 – 2 November 1902) was a bishop of the Malankara Syrian Church. He is also known as Chathuruthil Kochu Thirumeni. He became a deacon at the age of 10, a priest at the age of 18, a bishop at the young age of 28. He died at the age of 54 and was buried at St.Peters and St.Pauls Orthodox Church, Parumala. In 1947, Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church declared Mar Gregorios as a saint. He is the first canonized Christian saint from India.

Gregorios was born as Kochu Ipeora in the priestly family of 'Chaturuthil' in the village of Mulanthuruthy near Kochi on 15 June 1848. His parents, Kochu Mathai and Maryam, had three sons and two daughters. Soon after the birth of the fifth child, Ipeora Maryam died. His elder sister Maryam, who was married to Varkey of Palal Kalappurackal Vadakkeveedu (Kurinji) near Puthencruz, brought him up. He christened as Geevargese at the Mulanthuruthy Marthoman Jacobite Syrian Church. Gregorios was taught by his father's brother who was a Malpan (Syriac: 'Malfono' ; a Syrian scholar-priest).

He was ordained as a reader-deacon called Koroyo on 14th Sept, 1858 at the age of ten by Palakkunnath Mathews Mar Athanasius at Karingachira St. George Jacobite Syrian Cathedral. Koroyo Geevarghese continued his training under Geevarghese Malpan until Geevarghese died due to smallpox. Although Deacon Geevarghese was also infected with smallpox, he miraculously survived it. Afterwards Deacon Geevarghese moved to Pampakuda to continue his studies under Konat Geevarghese Malpan. In the meantime, Deacon became associated with the visiting Syrian Bishop Yuyakim Mar Coorilos. Mar Coorilos had great admiration for the deacon and was pleased to ordain him as full deacon, priest and cor-episcopa within few months in 1865. Later he settled at the Vettikkal Dayra near Mulunthuruthy where he led a monastic life. He had a thorough knowledge of Theology and Syriac, which he learned from his teachers, Chaturuthil Fr. Geevarghese Malpan (uncle), Konatt Malpan of Pambakkuda and Yuyakim Mar Koorilos. In 1872 he was ordained Ramban (Monk-Priest) by H G Pulikottil Mar Dionysius, the Malankara Metropolitan.