Mathews Mar Athanasius, the son of Mathachan, the elder brother of Palakunnathu Abraham Malpan of Maramon, was the first Metropolitan of Malankara to take over the leadership of the reformed Mar Thoma Church. He cherished that legacy forever.
Joseph Marthoma was a descendant and a strong advocate of the tradition that began to reform the Church in the Eastern way in the light of the Gospel preached by St Thomas the Apostle.
Mar Athanasius died in 1877. Thomas Mar Athanasius then became the Metropolitan. The second son of the father of reformation Abraham Malpan remained the Metropolitan until 1893.
Titus I, who later took office in 1894, was the fourth son of Abraham Malpan. He died in 1909.
Titus II, the youngest son of Ouseppachan, the brother of Metropolitan Mathews Mar Athanasius, then led the church. He passed away in 1944.
Subsequently, Dr Abraham Mar Thoma of the Kallooppara Maret family became the Metropolitan. After the death of Abraham Mar Thoma in 1947, a member of the Dr Juhanon Mar Thoma, a member of the Ayroor Cherukara family, took over as the Metropolitan. Juhanon Mar Thoma died in 1976.
Following this, Dr Alexander Mar Thoma, a member of the Kuriannoor Maliackel family, became the Metropolitan. He remained in office until October 23, 1999, when he handed over the responsibility to his successor Dr Philipose Mar Chrysostom and took to retired life. He died on January 13, 2000.
Dr Philipose Mar Chrysostom became the officiating Metropolitan on March 15, 1999, and took over as Metropolitan on October 23, 1999.
He resigned on October 2, 2007, due to ill health and handed over the responsibility of the Metropolitan to Dr Joseph Mar Thoma. Mar Chrysostom became the senior Metropolitan.
The eighth in a rare heritage
It owns the rare heritage that possesses the legacy of eight bishops.
The Maramon Palakkunnathu family has the distinction of having had five Metropolitans, including Dr Joseph Mar Thoma.
The first Metropolitan from the family was Mathews Mar Athanasius, the son of Mathachan, the elder brother of the father of reformation Abraham Malpan. Mathews Mar Athanasius was also the first Metropolitan of the church.
Thomas Mar Athanasius, who succeeded him, was the second son of Abraham Malpan. His successor Titus I was the fourth son Abraham Malpan. The fact that two children of a father became bishops is also noteworthy here.
The next Metropolitan, Titus II, was the youngest son of Ouseppachan, the brother of Metropolitan Mathews Mar Athanasius. Joseph Mar Thoma was the son of Lukose, whose father Kadon Thomas was the brother of Titus II.
Matrilineal Metropolitan ties
Abraham Malpan's daughter Saramma was married to the Sankaramangalam family in Eraviperoor. Mariamma, the mother of Dr Abraham Mar Thoma, is Saramma's granddaughter (her daughter’s daughter).
Mariamma, the sister of Mathews Mar Athanasius, was married to Geevarghese Kathanar of Cherukara, Ayoor. Their son is Philipose Malpan. CP Mathew Munsiff is the son of Philipose Malpan. Dr Juhanon Mar Thoma is the son of Munsif. (CP Philipose Kasseessa, also known as Ayroorachan, is Munsif's brother).
Eliamma, the mother of Dr Mathews Mar Athanasius, who was bishop of the church and hailed from the Kurudamanil Kanthappallil family in Ayroor, is the sister of Metropolitan Titus II.
Dr Joseph Mar Thoma can also claim ties with Suffragan Metropolitan Thomas Mar Athanasius. Mathai, the brother of Titus II, lived in Palakunnath tharavadu. His son Thomas was married to Elumma, the sister of Thomas Mar Athanasius, a family member in Panampunna, Kottayam.
