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I was watching this video recently because it was marked "Konkani Qurbana" (Konkani liturgy), and I know Konkani to be the language of Goa, which is the most Roman Catholic state in all of India. I knew in brief the story of Mor Alvarez, the Roman Catholic priest who converted to Orthodoxy and led his congregation to it while keeping their distinctive Latin rites, and that these continue to this day in the Diocese of Brahmavar.
I did not, however, know the story in the detail given by the uploader of this video, so I present the video and its description in this thread for the education and edification of all who might read it, so that we might know this fascinating community of fellow Orthodox Christians a bit better, and be sanctified and enlightened by their beautiful liturgy served in their own language.
(Note: Credit for the video and description is due to OrthodoxChurchTV)
The little known Brahmavar Orthodox Community deserves a very special status in the history of the Malankara Orthodox Church. The Indian Church which for centuries had been confined within the boundaries of Kerala obtained a national outreach when the former Roman Catholic Priest, Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvarez 1836-1923 and his community united with the Mother Orthodox Church and he received episcopal consecration as Metropolitan of the Diocese of Ceylon, Goa and India . Fr. Alvarez was consecrated as Metropolitan by of Goa and Ceylon with the name Alvaris Mor Julios by Metropolitans Dionysius Pulikkottil and Mar Athanasius Paulos and St. Gregory of Parumala, the Metropolitan of Niranam. The ceremony was held at the Old Seminary, Kottayam, Kerala, Father Alvarez was the first person to reunite with the Orthodox Church from the Roman Catholic Latin Rite in India. Metropolitan Alvarez was very much persecuted by the Roman Catholics. He devoted most of life serving leprosy patients and poor sections of society but he also fought a brave war to protect the Orthodox faith irrespective of the cruelty inflicted on him and his followers by the Roman Church. Sadly he died in reduced circumstances and was buried in one of the Municipal Graveyard in Panaji (Goa) without receiving either an Orthodox Christian funeral or the traditional burial accorded to an Orthodox prelate, on account of Roman persecution. Today he is regarded as the Hero of the Reunion Movement in India. Later his relics were recovered and moved to St Mary's Orthodox Church in Panaji in 1979 under the direction of His Holiness Mar Thoma Matthews I, Catholicos of the East. Presently there are nearly 750 Orthodox Christian families in Brahmavar with mother tongue Konkani, relied and still hold strongly on to the Holy Orthodox faith, who want to be an integral part of the mother Church. The Brahmavar Christians had followed Latin Rite of worship till 1980s. In 1986 Very Rev Dr. N. J. Thomas Ramban was appointed as the Vicar General of the Brahmavar Orthodox community. The next two decades were considered to be the golden era of this community. He introduced the celebration of the East Syrian liturgy for all Sundays, whereas earlier it had been celebrated only once in a month. The liturgical services were held in the Latin Rite with its Konkini and Kannada translations. Though many were hesitant to accept this change in the beginning, later the entire community accepted the beauty of the Eastern Liturgy and prayers. Konkini is the local language and Kannda is the regional language. Very Rev. G. M. Scariah Ramban took over the administration of Brahmavar on the retirement of Dr. N J Thomas Ramban. He was succeeded as Vicar General by Fr. Lawrence David Crasta. In 2010 the Holy Synod of the Malankara Orthodox Church , formed the Diocese of Brahmavar and appointed His Grace Yakob Mar Elias as its First Metropolitan. The diocese is Head quartered in Mangalore.
I did not, however, know the story in the detail given by the uploader of this video, so I present the video and its description in this thread for the education and edification of all who might read it, so that we might know this fascinating community of fellow Orthodox Christians a bit better, and be sanctified and enlightened by their beautiful liturgy served in their own language.
(Note: Credit for the video and description is due to OrthodoxChurchTV)
The little known Brahmavar Orthodox Community deserves a very special status in the history of the Malankara Orthodox Church. The Indian Church which for centuries had been confined within the boundaries of Kerala obtained a national outreach when the former Roman Catholic Priest, Antonio Francisco Xavier Alvarez 1836-1923 and his community united with the Mother Orthodox Church and he received episcopal consecration as Metropolitan of the Diocese of Ceylon, Goa and India . Fr. Alvarez was consecrated as Metropolitan by of Goa and Ceylon with the name Alvaris Mor Julios by Metropolitans Dionysius Pulikkottil and Mar Athanasius Paulos and St. Gregory of Parumala, the Metropolitan of Niranam. The ceremony was held at the Old Seminary, Kottayam, Kerala, Father Alvarez was the first person to reunite with the Orthodox Church from the Roman Catholic Latin Rite in India. Metropolitan Alvarez was very much persecuted by the Roman Catholics. He devoted most of life serving leprosy patients and poor sections of society but he also fought a brave war to protect the Orthodox faith irrespective of the cruelty inflicted on him and his followers by the Roman Church. Sadly he died in reduced circumstances and was buried in one of the Municipal Graveyard in Panaji (Goa) without receiving either an Orthodox Christian funeral or the traditional burial accorded to an Orthodox prelate, on account of Roman persecution. Today he is regarded as the Hero of the Reunion Movement in India. Later his relics were recovered and moved to St Mary's Orthodox Church in Panaji in 1979 under the direction of His Holiness Mar Thoma Matthews I, Catholicos of the East. Presently there are nearly 750 Orthodox Christian families in Brahmavar with mother tongue Konkani, relied and still hold strongly on to the Holy Orthodox faith, who want to be an integral part of the mother Church. The Brahmavar Christians had followed Latin Rite of worship till 1980s. In 1986 Very Rev Dr. N. J. Thomas Ramban was appointed as the Vicar General of the Brahmavar Orthodox community. The next two decades were considered to be the golden era of this community. He introduced the celebration of the East Syrian liturgy for all Sundays, whereas earlier it had been celebrated only once in a month. The liturgical services were held in the Latin Rite with its Konkini and Kannada translations. Though many were hesitant to accept this change in the beginning, later the entire community accepted the beauty of the Eastern Liturgy and prayers. Konkini is the local language and Kannda is the regional language. Very Rev. G. M. Scariah Ramban took over the administration of Brahmavar on the retirement of Dr. N J Thomas Ramban. He was succeeded as Vicar General by Fr. Lawrence David Crasta. In 2010 the Holy Synod of the Malankara Orthodox Church , formed the Diocese of Brahmavar and appointed His Grace Yakob Mar Elias as its First Metropolitan. The diocese is Head quartered in Mangalore.
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