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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Catholic bishop from Kerala, India (1873–1925)}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2015}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}}<br />
{{Infobox Christian leader<br />
| type = Bishop<br />
| name = Thomas Kurialachery<br />
| image = Bischof Kurialacherry JS.jpg<br />
| title = [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry|Bishop of Changanacherry]]<br />
| predecessor = [[Matthew Makil]]<br />
| successor = [[James Kalassery]]<br />
| appointed = {{date|1896-08-11|dmy}}<br />
| honorific_prefix = [[Mar (title)|Mar]]<br />
| honorific-suffix = [[Beatification|Blessed]]<br />
| term_start = {{date|1911-08-30|dmy}}<br />
| term_end = {{date|1925-06-02|dmy}}<br />
| consecration = <br />
| consecrated_by = Archbishop [[Wladyslaw Michal Zaleski]]<br />
| ordination = 27 May 1899<br />
| ordained_by = Cardinal Cassantha<br />
| venerated = Catholic Church<br />
| birth_place = [[Champakulam]]<br />
| buried = Changanassery St Mary's Metropolitan Cathedral Church<br />
| birth_date = {{date|1873-01-14|dmy}}<br />
| death_date = {{date|1925-06-02|dmy}}<br />
}}<br />
<br />
[[The Venerable|Venerable]] '''Thomas of Kurialacherry''' (14 January 1873 &ndash; 2 June 1925) was a Catholic bishop from Kerala. Kurialacherry was a member of the [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Church]], had his ordination in May 1899 from Cardinal Cassantha, and was bishop of what would become the [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Archeparchy of Changanacherry|Archdiocese of Changanacherry]].<ref name=Archeparchy>[https://www.archdiocesechanganacherry.org/index.php/welcome/about_glimse "A Glimpse into the Past", Archeparchy of Changanacherry]</ref> He is also known for establishing the prestigious [[St. Berchmans College|SB College Changanasserry]], one of the oldest Institutions of Higher Education in Kerala, in 1922.<ref>{{Citation |last=Shambayati |first=Behdad |title=Introduction: a glance at the past, a glimpse of the future |date=2018-05-28 |work=Cytopathology |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hesc/9780198717362.003.0001 |access-date=2024-11-14 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-871736-2}}</ref><br />
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==Life==<br />
Kurialacherry was born on 14 January 1873 as the sixth child of Chackochen and Accamma in [[Champakulam]], Kerala. After his primary education, Thomas joined St.Ephrem school in Mannanam.<ref name=sabs>[https://www.sabscongregation.org/FounderThomasKurialachery.php "Venerable Mar Thomas Kurialacherry", Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (SABS)]</ref><br />
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In 1891, the vicariate of Kottayam was renamed Changanacherry and its headquarters moved to [[Changanassery]].<ref>[https://www.ucanews.com/directory/dioceses/india-changanacherry/145 "Archdiocese of Changanacherry", UCA News]</ref><br />
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Kurialacherry's seminary education was at the [[Pontificio Collegio Urbano de Propaganda Fide|Propaganda Fide]] in Rome. During the nine years he spent in Rome he excelled and became prefect of the seminarians. He was ordained on 27 March 1899 by Cardinal Cassantha at the [[Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran|Basilica of St. John in Lateran]].<ref>[https://ijisrt.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Mar-Thomas-Kurialacherry.pdf Keerthy, G. "Mar Thomas Kurialacherry: A Socio- Religious Reformer", '' International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology''] Volume 3, Issue 1, January – 2018</ref> After his ordination, he remained some time in Italy and was a guest for some days of [[Pope Pius X|Giuseppe Cardinal Sarto]], Patriarch of Venice.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=qp3mAAAAMAAJ&dq=Thomas+Kurialacherry&pg=RA1-PA45 Cathenar, S.J., "Zealous Labors of an Indian Bishop", ''Catholic Missions''] February 1916, p. 45</ref><br />
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In 1908, he founded the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (SABS).<ref>{{cite web | title = History (SABS)| url = http://sabscongregation.org/History.php}}</ref> Kurialacherry was appointed as the apostolic vicar of the Changanassery vicariate.<ref name=Archeparchy/> He was consecrated on 3 December 1911 in [[Kandy]], Ceylon.<br />
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In 1922 he established [[St. Berchmans College]] in Changanassery.<ref name=sabs/> In 1923, [[Pope Pius XI]] established the Diocese of Changanacherry, suffragan of the [[Syro-Malabar Catholic Major Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly|Archdiocese of Ernakulam]].<br />
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In 1925 he went to Rome where he died on 2 June 1925 in Rome.<ref name=Archeparchy/> Kurialacherry was a strong advocate for the education of women.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.bkcollege.ac.in/message.aspx?id=%2738%27 |title=Bishop Kurialacherry College for Women, Amalagiri |access-date=28 November 2021 |archive-date=28 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211128213353/http://www.bkcollege.ac.in/message.aspx?id=%2738%27 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bishop Kurialacherry College for Women in [[Amalagiri]]<ref>[https://www.bkcollege.ac.in/ Bishop Kurialacherry College for Women, Amalagiri]</ref> is named after him.<br />
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==Canonization==<br />
In 1935, ten years after his death, his cause of canonization was initiated giving him the title "[[Servant of God]]". On 2 April 2011 [[Pope Benedict XVI]], in an audience with Cardinal [[Angelo Amato]], Prefect of the [[Congregation for the Causes of Saints]], approved a statement saying that Bishop Kurialachery had lived a life of heroic virtue. This gave him the additional title of "[[Venerable]]".<ref>[http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/saint_thomaskurialacherry.php?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=490&width=700 "Venerable Mar Thomas Kurialacherry", Syro-Malabar Church]</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
{{commons category}}<br />
* [http://www.archdiocesechanganacherry.org Archdiocese of Changanacherry]<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
{{Christianity in Kerala}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kurialassery, Thomas}}<br />
[[Category:1873 births]]<br />
[[Category:1925 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century Eastern Catholic bishops]]<br />
[[Category:Archbishops of Changanassery]]<br />
[[Category:20th-century venerated Christians]]<br />
[[Category:Christian clergy from Alappuzha district]]<br />
[[Category:Christian clergy from Kerala]]<br />
[[Category:Venerated Catholics by Pope Benedict XVI]]<br />
[[Category:Syro-Malabar bishops]]</div>JAY JADABA