Fr. John Bosco Thottakara

Call Number : PER-28

Fr. Bosco Thottakara
1920 - 2005
Birth : 12/4/1920; Profession : 24/11/1939; Ordination : 31/5/1947; Death : 19/10/2005; Parish : Poonjar; Burial : Poonjaar

Fr. Bosco Thottakkara enthusiastically pursued his studies and research in Church History, even after his higher studies at S.B. college and Mar Ivanios College. In his early priesthood years, he served as rector of the boarding house at Mutholy, and as the director of apostolic schools, at Ambikapur and Mutholy. At Koothattukulam and also at St. Vincent School Pala, he served as a teacher. As an inmate he lived in ashrams, such as: Prior General’s House, Kurianad, Palampra, Amanakara and Poonjar. He collaborated in the publication of the book, Mar Thoma Churches in Asia. He dedicated his life for the promotion of the identity and individuality of the Mar Thoma Nazrani Church. Through the association known as Navajeevaparishat and his letters and representations to Rome, he reminded and urged Rome for greater autonomy, extension of territory, and AII-India jurisdiction for Syro-Malabar Church. A gifted orator, he was also a retreat preacher, rooted in oriental spirituality and patrimony. He died in 2005, and he was buried at Poonjar.

Personal Details

Proud To Be A Syro Malabar Nasrani added a new photo to the album മാർത്തോമ്മാ നസ്രാണി സഭയിലെ വിശുദ്ധർ.

19 February 2018

  • Mar John Bosco Thottakkara CMI(Mar Punnoose Arkadiyakon/Mar Guru Yohend
  • Death:2005 October 19
  • Tomb:Little Flower Monastery Church,Poonjar (Erattupetta,Kottayam)
  • Mar Guru Yohend(Fr.John Bosco CMI) founded an association called ‘Navajeevaparishad’ in 1957 but it took a few years to bear fruits.
  • The foundation was made through the influential lay leaders and scholars.
  • A periodical called “Nazrani” was published for a few years.
  • In 1965, a memorandum “Hendo: The Church of India” was sent to the second Vatican Council.

    It had been described: “a bomb shell in the Council.

    The rest is history! But many do not know this courageous group which demanded all India jurisdiction for the Marthoma Nazranis and establishment of a Patriarch (or at least a Major Metropolita) of India.

    The boundary of the Church was confined to a small corner of India in those days. The memorandum questioned the colonial legacy behind this.Heated discussions took place in the second Vatican Council, especially among cardinals from France and Germany.What is happening in India?, they asked.

  • The Decree on Oriental Churches added a few clauses on the basis of the discussions that followed the memorandum.
  • The commentators specify this in their footnotes.
  • The territory of the Church was extended beyond the borders of Kerala.
  • This process got started by the establishment of Chanda as an Eparchy.
  • Later on, eparchies were established throughout India, one in America – Canada and most recently one even in Australia - New Zealand. A Major Archbishop was also enthroned when Guru Yohend was still alive. But who remembers that Guru Yohend was seriously condemned and punished for his role in formulating and forwarding the memorandum! He pleaded for the Church and it was maligned and accused as anti-Christian. Only an appeal to Rome and a commission of inquiry in the person of Fr. Placid saved Guru Yohend from excommunication and expulsion! Once, Fr. Placid revealed a secret: when Chanda Eparchy was erected, he was asked: “Who should become the Bishop of Chanda?” His replay was prompt: “make a statue of Fr. John Bosco and erect it in Chanda and then you can consecrate anybody in front of that statue”.

    The sufferings of such a great lover of our Church should not be forgotten.

Our Mission

Christian Musicological Society of India is an international forum for interdisciplinary research, discussion, and dissemination of knowledge, on the music, art and dance of about thirty million Christians in India, who belong to a diverse set of communities and linguistic groups and follow a variety of liturgical traditions some of which date back to the early Christian era. Founded in 1999 by Dr. Joseph J. Palackal CMI, the Society hopes that such researches will draw attention to the lesser known aspects of India in connection with the rest of the world.

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