The Bethany Ashram

Bethany Ashram , Perunadu , Ranni is the first Ashram of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church . It was established by Fr Alexios (Later Alexios Mar Thevodosios metropolitan & Fr P.T.Geevarghese ( Later Archbishop Mar Ivanios ). The Ashram follows the religious order called Order of the Imitation of Christ (O.I.C.).^[1] It was founded in 1919 and was consecrated by the then Malankara Metropolitan H.B Vattasheril Geevarghese Mar Dionysius.

History[]

Foundation of the ashram[]

At Serampore, Fr. P.T. Geevarghese got more time for prayer and contemplation. He came across the writings of St. Basil on monasticism. The Basilian monastic vision had a great influence on him. Besides the visits to the Sabarmati Ashram of Mahatma Gandhi and Santiniketan of Rabindranath Tagore gave him a new vision of Indian Sannyasa (monasticism). These experiences made him reflect upon starting an order of missionaries to carry out the task of evangelization in India.^[2] Slowly the residence of P.T. Geevarghese and his followers at Serampore became an Ashram (monastery), and they began to live a sort of religious life according to the monastic rules of St. Basil, adapting them to Indian culture.^[3] As he accepted this as his way of life, he resigned from the Serampore College.

On his return from Calcutta, Fr. Geevarghese looked for a location to establish an ashram. One of his friends, Advocate E. J. John, donated 100 acres (400,000 m²) of land at Mundanmala, Ranni-Perunadu, Kerala at the meeting place of the rivers Pampa and Kakkatt. The adjacent area of 300 acres (1,200,000 m²) was bought from the Government of Travancore at a rate of 5 rupees per acre using a fund of about 2000 rupees received from his father. The place was thickly filled with thorny bushes and herbs. P.T. Geevarghese and his followers built a small thatched hut made out of the branches of trees and bamboo. On 15 August 1919, he established with this ashram the first indigenous religious congregation in the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, not yet in communion with the Catholic Church. He prayerfully searched for a name for the ashram and opened the Bible and he got the word "Bethany". He meditated upon it and concluded that it was an apt name for a religious order which upholds both contemplation and action.^[4] Eventually, the Bethany Ashram became a place of pilgrimage and spiritual experience. Spiritual retreats and discourses were given by Fr. Geevarghese especially in the Passion Week. P.T. Geevarghese envisioned the ashram also being a shelter for the poor and the marginalised. Along with the ashram, he started a house for the orphans.

P.T. Geevarghese founded the Bethany Madhom for religious women in 1925, with the help of the Anglican sisters, entitled Oxford Mission Sisterhood of the Epiphany working at Serampore.

Bishop of Bethany[]

The Malankara Synod decided to ordain Fr. P.T. Geevarghese bishop of Bethany. He was ordained by Catholicos Baselios Geevarghese I on 1 May 1925. He received the name Mar Ivanios.^[5] After the consecration there was a meeting to felicitate Mar Ivanios. In this meeting, he expressed his desire that the church might become one flock under one shepherd.

Reunion movement[]

On 20 September 1930, Mar Ivanios along with Mar Theophilos, the suffragan bishop of Bethany, Fr. John Kuzhinapurath OIC, Deacon Alexander Attupurath OIC, Chacko Kiliyileth, and most of the members of both the Bethany orders united with the Catholic Church establishing the Roman Catholic Churches Rite in India.^[6] although the uniate movement didn't gained much rapid momentum.^[7]

External links[]

• Bethany Ashram

References[]