H.E. Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios Metropolitan Passes Into Eternal Rest

Devalokam (KOTTAYAM): His Eminence Dr. Mar Makarios Thomas, Metropolitan of the Canada, U.K. and Europe diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, died on Saturday(2008-02-23). He was 81.

Mar Makarios, who was seriously injured in a car accident outside London on January 5, was admitted to Newcastle General Hospital and was on life support system ever since. He succumbed to his injuries at 10:42AM (GMT), 4:12 PM (IST) on Saturday, according to the Catholicate office here. His body will be interred in a specially built crypt at the Catholicate Arama Chapel at Devalokam .

His Eminence had been injured and hospitalized for the last seven weeks at Newcastle General Hospital outside of London following a serious car accident. The accident took place in Newcastle as His Eminence was going to the Newcastle Airport on Saturday, January 5, 2008 to return to London. Another vehicle hit the passenger side where His Grace was seated. His Eminence had just declared a new parish in Sunderland during his annual pastoral visit to the UK and Ireland.

A meeting of the Holy Episcopal Synod was held at Devalokam at 8:00 PM on Saturday and discussed on the various matters related to the bringing of the mortal remains and the funeral of His Eminence Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios Metropolitan. As per the decision of the H. Episcopal Synod, His Eminence Dr. geevarghese Mar Coorilos will go to New Castle on Wednesday. After finishing the formalities the mortal remains will be brought to India by an Emirates flight most probably to Thiruvananthapuram by next monday/tuesday. From the airport the body will be brought to Orthodox Seminary, Kottayam where it will be kept overnight for prayer and vigil. The funeral is likely to take place the next day morning in a specially prepared tomb at the southern part of the Catholicate Aramana Chapel, Devalokam.

His Eminence was born on May 26, 1926, the son of Mr.Chacko and Mrs. Mariamma Kuttikandathil. He studied theology at the Orthodox Theological Seminary at Kottayam. He was ordained a priest in 1952 by His Holiness Catholicos Baselios Geevarghese II. He came to New Delhi, the capital city of India, and organized congregations inNorth Indian cities. He became the first vicar of Orthodox Church in New Delhi.

It was during the time of the litigation of the Church that Mar Makarios showed his ingenuity as leader and scholar in Church History. He helped the lawyers of the church understand the history, traditions and Canons of the Church. This was instrumental in seeking an historic verdict by the Supreme Court of India in favor of the Church in 1958. Mar Makarios has studied in various religious institutions in England, Germany, Switzerland and France. He has been in the U.S since 1963 and earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Nashota House in Wisconsin, a Master's of Sacred Theology from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate in Theology from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond. He returned to India and worked as a professor of Church History at Orthodox Theological Seminary in India. In 1975, Mar Makarios was consecrated as a Metropolitan by His Holiness Catholicos Augen I. In the same year The Catholicos appointed Mar Makarios the first metropolitan of Diocese of Bombay.

In 1979 Mar Makarios was installed as the first metropolitan of the Diocese of America. Since 1985, Mar Makarios has been teaching religion at Alma College in Michigan. He believes that he can help give students a deeper insight into the `mysterious' insight of the Eastern Church. In recognition of Mar Makarios' achievements and contributions to society, the college awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1990. In 1994 Mar Makarios was appointed as the first metropolitan of the newly created diocese of Canada and Europe.
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Thomas Mar Makarios dead

H E Thomas Mar Makarios Metropolitan Injured in a Car Accident in London