Infant Jesus Parish, Thalore.

Infant Jesus Parish, Thalore. Estd: 23-01-1977
The Tragic History of The Suppression of 
Infant Jesus Parish Thalore 
attached to CMI Monastery 
in the Archdiocese Thrissur, in Kerala.
                               Father Davis Kachappilly CMI, Former vicar - 2005-08.  Phone: 9497179433

Fr. Davis Kachapilly CMI

Dated: 18th August, 2012

The Infant Jesus Parish church Thalore, attached to Infant Jesus Monastery Thalore, was erected on 23rd January 1977 by Mar Joseph Kundukulam, the then bishop of Thrissur Diocese in accordance to the provisions of canon law of the church.  The prior of the monastery was appointed as the vicar of the parish according to the agreement based on the tenants of the canon law for the smooth administration of the parish attached to religious monastery. According to this agreement the vicar of the parish would be appointed by the bishop from among the members of the monastery, nominated by the provincial.

Under the leadership of the vicar, the member of the monastery and the co-operation of the other members of monastery, the Infant Jesus parish flourished  as one of the best parishes of Thrissur Diocese. Mar Joseph Kundukulam and his successor, bishop Jacob Thoonkuzhy provided all kinds of support to the parish and CMI priests. But the present Bishop, Mar Andrews Thazhath has adopted a personal approach of keeping the religious away from the parish work and held a hidden agenda of transferring the administration of the parish from the religious priests to diocesan priests. When I was the vicar of the parish, the bishop made an envious attempt to overturn the unanimous decision of  the faithful of the parish in 2007 to reconstruct the monastery church, which had been officially declared as their parish church at the time of the erection of the parish in 1977. Hence the bishop secretly advised some of the members of the parish to construct a new church at a different place away from the monastery and promised financial help for its construction. This news was spread among the parishioners and some of them started agitation for the same. I have reported every event of agitations to the bishop. But the bishop did not respond to my complaint, and he kept silence in every instance. This is the proof that the bishop was supporting a group of parishioners for agitations.

Sensing the hidden agenda of the bishop and realising the great spiritual loss in separating the parish from the monastery, majority of the parishioners wanted the continuance of the once established parish church, attached to the monastery in 1977. Because since the monastery started in 1925, the faithful had great spiritual relationship with religious priests and it increased at a high level by the erection of the parish through the generous pastoral services of the priests of the monastery. Due to the misguidance of the bishop, the faithful of the parish was divided into groups and the majority was in support of the parish attached to monastery.

The bishop realised that the parish could not be shifted from the monastery by the consent of the majority of the parishioners. All his attempts for two years to construct a new church by the faithful at a different place away from the monastery also could not be realised. Hence the bishop, disregarding all the laws, regulations, and traditions of the universal church, diocese, and parish for modifying or suppressing an established parish, especially attached to religious monastery, declared the parish suppressed on his own personal decision in 2009 October 31. The bishop gave the instruction that till the parish will have its own church building, away from monastery, the daily holy mass and other sacred rites would be held in the Cemetery and in the small chapel of the vocationist’s minor seminary, and the marriages would be held in the neighboring parish churches. He also instructed that the monastery church, which was the official parish church for 33 years, should not be used for the pastoral needs of the parishioners. This was a tactic to pressurize the faithful to construct a new church at a new place. But inspite of these unjust actions and instructions of the bishop, the majority of the faithful continued to resist the suppression of the parish and they participated in the liturgical ceremonies conducted by the religious priests in the monastery church, as it was their own parish church. Since 3 years after the suppression of the parish, the worse situation continues at Thalore parish. The faithful are not co-operating to construct a new church. 

Seriously considering the tragic situation and the suffering of the faithful due to the unjust and illegal suppression of the parish by the bishop, the cardinal Mar George Alancherry instructed to Mar Andrews Thazhath to allow  the faithful who want to be a part of the monastery parish to continue as such. Eventhough eight months have elapsed since the instruction was given, the bishop seems to be sleeping over it. As a result the faithful are becoming more and more disturbed and restless. There were community fasting of the faithful and of religious priests on different occasions and various protest marches and meetings at different public places.

Against this highly scandalous background I humbly request to the highest authorities of the universal catholic church to intervene in the issue in order to get truth and justice to the parishioners.

**

Mrs. Baby George, Fr. Davis Kachapilly, V.K. Joy & Joy Paul Puthussery.

I received this article from the author on 18th August, 2012 for publish. On my enquiry facts of this article is correct.  Any body can publish or republish this article and for clarification if any kindly contact Fr. Davis Kachapilly or me.

V.K. Joy.