Fr Thevarparampil, "apostle of the untouchables", to be beatified
The beatification of Fr Augustinus Thevarparampil, "protector of Dalits", will be held tomorrow in Ramapuram in Kerala. The bishop of Palai told AsiaNews: "His life was an inspiration not only for the clergy but for all. He bettered the conditions of people in the most marginalized strata in our society."
Palai (AsiaNews) The "protector of Dalits", Fr Augustinus Thevarparampil, will be beatified tomorrow, 30 April, in the church of St Augustine in Ramapuram, Palai diocese in the southern state of Kerala. The Blessed was born, bred, ordained priest, and died in this diocese. Born a Dalit the "outcastes" of Hindu society Fr Thevarparampil was their guide and protector, to the extent that he became known as the "Apostle of the untouchables".
"Through his intense pastoral ministry, Fr Augustinus, transformed the lives of Dalits," the Chancellor of the Palai diocese, Fr Dominic Vechoor, told AsiaNews. "A large number are Christians today thanks to his life's testimony, and he helped them to improve their way of life. He worked tirelessly for the education of Dalit youth and women's employment. It is also thanks to him that today Ramapuram is no longer a backward, remote village, but a prospering township."
But his life's work and testimony went beyond his commitment to the cause of untouchables. "He was one of the most loved parish priests in the area," said Fr Dominic. "The long hours he spent in the confessional endeared him to many; a good number of the concelebrant priests at his Beatification Mass knew him personally, and say he was their friend and mentor".
The bishop of Palai, Mgr Joseph Kallarangatt told AsiaNews: "This is excellent news, not only for our diocese, but for all the Church in India and more specifically for the Church in Kerala. This is the third beatification of a person from our state. The life of Blessed Augustinus is an inspiration not only to the clergy, but to all people irrespective of caste and creed. He was a very simple man, the most simple of priests. He was a many of prayer and was always ready to defend justice." For Mgr Kallarangatt, the new Blessed may aptly be described as a "social reformer because he did everything in his power to better the conditions of the most marginalized people in society."
Born on 1 April 1891 in Ramapuram, Fr Augustinus Thevarparampil entered the seminary of Palai and was ordained priest on 17 December 1921, aged 30, by Bishop Mar Tommasi Kurialacherry.
Fr Dominic added: "As the day of his beatification is drawing near, people are flocking to his tomb from across the country. Thanks to him, this town has become a place of pilgrimage. The pope's announcement that confirmed the heroic virtues of Fr Augustinus has been well received by the Kerala media, because Kerala has now truly become "God's Own Country", and not only for its high percentage of Christians."
The beatification ceremony will be held in the Syrian rite, and presided over by Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil: the Papal Nuncio and Cardinal Toppo, chairman of the Indian bishops conference, will concelebrate.
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