New Church History Book from Archdiocese of India

The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East – A Short History has been published by Mar Timotheus Metropolitan Memorial Fellowship, Thrissur, India, in honor of and in commemoration of the third pastoral visit of His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV to the Church of the East in India.

The book was formally released by His Grace Mar Youkhana Yosip, Bishop of India and the UAE, on Sunday, 21 November, 2010 at a function held at M.T.M. Auditorium, East Fort, Thrissur, to observe the 9th memorial anniversary of His Grace Mar Timotheus Metropolitan.

His Grace Mar Yosip presented the author, Prof. Ignatius, with the Fellowship’s gold medal, and Prof. (Dr.) Krishnan Nair, President of Thrissur Public Library, presented to him the Fellowship’s Mar Timotheus Metropolitan Memorial Award 2010 for Church Literature.

Dr. Nair addressed the function with an eminently scholarly exposition of the book, while noting the importance of faith in the turbulent world of today. His speech also gave the audience a brilliant assessment of the book and concluded with hearty congratulations to Prof. Ignatius and the Fellowship.

The meeting was also addressed by Rev. Fr. M. A. Charlie; Mr. I. G. Joy, Chairman, the Board of Central Trustees; and Mr. E. T. Paulson, Headmaster of the Sunday School, selected for the third time as the best Sunday School. Dr. C. K. George read the messages of His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV, the Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East and His Beatitude Dr. Mar Aprem, Metropolitan of Indian Archdiocese.

The book contains colour photographs of the Church’s Prelates, Patriarchal Insignia and its description, forward by the President of the Fellowship, messages of Catholicos Patriarch His Holiness Mar Dinkha VI and His Beatitude Dr. Mar Aprem Metropolitan and biographical sketch of Catholicos Patriarch His Holiness Mar Dinkha IV. The history portion is divided into seven Chapters (1) The Birth of Christianity (2) The Church of the East-Origin (3) Faith and Doctrine (4) Growth and Expansion (5) Councils and Controversies (6) The Church of the East in India (7) Decline-Present Position. Three Appendices Viz., The Cotton Award dated 18.04.1925 relating to Thrissur Church Case, The Unity Agreement-1995 and The Table of Succession of Patriarchs.

President of the Mar Timotheus Metropolitan Memorial Fellowship, K. L. Rappai, said the Fellowship is doing its humble best to help the children of the Church.

“It organizes study classes at different parishes, where the clergy presents selected topics, and publishes the papers prepared by them on these topics. The Fellowship hopes that this educational programme can not only give the faithful a purposeful form of enlightenment but create in them an earnest and enduring desire to know the Church.”

The Fellowship has now organized 36 study classes and published seven collections of papers. It has also published two books in the regional language (Malayalam). The first, Hymanutha, published in December 2007, is a collection of the papers presented by the clergy at the study classes. The second publication was a short biography of the late Mar Abimalek Timotheus Metropolitan, who was the Head of the Church in India from 1908 to 1945. Published in February 2008 in commemoration of the centenary of His Beatitude’s arrival in India in 1908, this biographical sketch is a concise account of the great services rendered by this great Metropolitan, who was a true man of God. The Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East – A short History is the third English publication of the Fellowship.

Mar Timotheus Metropolitan Memorial Fellowship was founded in October 2001 with the object of perpetuating the sacred memory of His Beatitude Mar Timotheus, who left for his heavenly home on 6 August 2001.