METROPOLITAN MAR DIASCORUS GEEVARGHESE

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Metropolitan Mar Discorus Geevarghese was born on 12th October 1926 as the youngest son of Kunjupappy and Achamma of the Thevervelil Family in Kozhencherry. His baptismal, official name was T. E. George. He had his primary education at Vanchithra School and Kozhenchery Government School, and secondary education at St. Thomas High School, Kozhenchery. After completing Intermediate with history as the main subject from Madurai American College in 1948, joined the Madras Christian College and graduated from there in BA (Economics) in 1950. In 1950-51, served as the Organising Secretary of Orthodox Christian Students Movement. As a High School student, he received spiritual inspiration from Puthencavil Geevarghese Mar Philexinos Metropolitan, who made him an altar assistant. In 1952, joined the School of Economics and Sociology in Bombay University at Bombay and obtained Masters Degree in Sociology.
In 1954, Mr. George ,joined the Kozhencherry Co-operative Bank, a bank founded as per the First Five Year Plan of the Government of India, as its Secretary. He was specially selected for a special training programme for the co-operative Bank officers organised by the Reserve Bank of India at Madras. While undergoing this course, he received divine call, resigned and left the job and joined the Orthodox Theological Seminary at Kottayam for theological studies in 1958. After completing the theological studies in the Kottayam Seminary, Mr. T.E.George went to USA for higher studies, and thereafter obtained Post Graduate Diploma in Patristics and Pastoral Counselling from St. George College, Jerusalem.
In 1962 April, Mr. TE George was ordained as a Sub-Deacon by His Holiness Baselios Geevarghese-II, in the presence of HB Mathews Mar Athanasios (later HH Mathews-I) and HG Daniel Mar Philexinos Metropolitans. On 2nd Februay 1963, His Holiness Baselios Geevarghese-II ordained him as full Deacon. Both the ordinations were held at Kottayam Old Seminary. In March 1963, His Holiness Baselios Geevarghese-II ordained Dn. TE George to the full priesthood at Devalokam Aramana Chapel. Fr George celebrated the First Holy Qurbana at St. Mathews Church, Kozhencherry.
For a period of three years, during 1962 – 64, he was the General Secretary of MGOCSM (Orthodox Christian Students Movement), under the Presidentship of HG Alexios Mar Theodosius of Bethany, his spiritual guru. He also worked as the Private Secretary to His Holiness Baselios Augen-I Bava. Thereafter he held the post of Vicar at various Parishes. Some of them are Kurichi Valiapally, Kottayam Cheriapally, Thazhathangadi Pally. In Gulf, he was Vicar of Bahrain, Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhahi Parishes. After returning from Gulf in 1967, he was appointed as the Vicar of St. Mathews Church, Kozhencherry,, Vadasserikara, and Ranni Thottamon Parishes. In 1970, he shifted his residence from Kozhencherry to his ancestral house in Ranny, where he established Holy Trinity Ashram.
In 1973, he was appointed as the Vicar of prestigious St. Thomas Orthodox Valiapally, Omalloor, and was instrumental in full success of the church litigation against the rebel group. It was the first major victory of the Orthodox Church against Patriarch group in the Supreme Court during the second round of litigations between these two Churches. During this period he was elected as the Diocesan Secretary of the Diocese of Thumpamon. On 16 May 1977 the Malankara Association that met at Mavelikara elected him for the Episcopal order. He was Professed as a Monk (Ramban) on 13th August 1977 by His Holiness Baselios Mathew-I Bava.
He was consecrated as Bishop Geevarghese Mar Dioscorus by Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews I, Catholicos of the East on 15 May 1978 at Pazhanji Church. He became the first Bishop of the newly formed Diocese of Thiruvananthapuram from 01st January 1979. After becoming the Bishop, his first visit outside Kerala was to Bombay and Ahmedabad. In Bombay, he settled the long pending disputes among the Parish members leading to a grand reception to His Holiness Baselios Marthoma Mathews-I at Bombay in November 1978. In Ahmedabad, he inspired the Parish members to start an educational institution as a source of income for future. His counsel was “do not return to Kerala, continue to stay here, educate the children and enjoy the peaceful life and build up a strong Church” Keeping his advice and counselling in mind, after a couple of years, the members started a nursery School at an outskirt of the city, which gradually rose to a top ranking institution in Gujarat State, and now houses the Diocesan Headquarters of the Diocese of Ahmedabad.
On 28 February 1981, Mar Dioscorus Episcopa was elevated and installed as Metropolitan in the Old Seminary Chapel. It was at the inspiration of Puthencavil Kochu Thirumeni that he founded the Holy Trinity Ashram (Society of the Mission Priests of St. Thomas) at his ancestral property at Angadi in Ranny. Among the earliest inmates of this Ashram are His Grace Joshuva Mar Nichodimus Metropolitan, and Very Rev K.T. Mathew Kutty Ramban Besides the Ashram, he founded the Ulloor Orthodox Church Centre, the Edamulaikal V.M.D.M Centre, the Sreekariyam Handicapped Children’s Welfare Centre, and the Thiruvananthapuram Holy Trinity School and Holy Cross Convent and the Pharmacy College at Trivandrum. He also founded the Shencottah Mission of the Orthodox Church, all in the name of the Holy Trinity.
A broad visionary, an able administrator, and a defender of Orthodox faith, he donated his entire ancestral and personal property to the Malankara Church and got them registered in the name of His Holiness the Catholicos. He led a very saintly life and prepared himself for the final call. He entered into eternal abode on 23 July 1999 and was interred in Holy Trinity Ashram, Ranny.
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