Saint Coorilos Paulose of Panampady

Saint Coorilos, born Paulose on December 4, 1850, in Kandanad, Kerala, was a gift to the Malankara Church from his devout parents, Varkey and Anna. His spiritual inclination was evident from a very young age. At the tender age of nine, he was ordained as a deacon by the Reesh Episcopo of Malankara, Koorilos Yuyakim, beginning a life wholly dedicated to the service of God. He pursued his theological studies diligently under the guidance of esteemed teachers such as Pallathattu Geevarghese Kassisso and Koonappillil Geevarghese Kassisso.

He was later ordained to the holy priesthood by Mathews Mor Athanasius, the Malankara Metropolitan, and celebrated his first Holy Qurbono at the Kandanad Church. During a period of dispute within the church, he was re-ordained by Dionysious V and served faithfully as a vicar at the historic Mulanthuruthy Church, demonstrating his commitment to stability and apostolic authority.

The call to a deeper spiritual life led the young priest to embrace monasticism. He was ordained as a monk (Ramban) by Patriarch Ignatius Peter IV and began a disciplined monastic life at the Vettikkal Shrine, which the Patriarch had declared the first monastery of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Malankara. He shared this ascetic life with the future saint, Geevarghese Ramban, who would become St. Gregorios of Parumala. This period of intense prayer and spiritual formation profoundly shaped his ministry.

Even as a monk, his administrative skills were recognized. He served as the manager of the Old Seminary and was instrumental in the construction of significant churches, including the St. George Church in Trivandrum and the St. Thomas Chapel in Manarcad. He was also a passionate advocate for education, founding several schools to uplift the community. His close bond with St. Gregorios of Parumala was further strengthened when they undertook a blessed pilgrimage to the Holy Land together.

In recognition of his unwavering faith and leadership, and in accordance with the decisions of the Malankara synod, he was consecrated as a Metropolitan. On May 31, 1908, he was elevated to the episcopate by the Patriarch of Antioch, His Holiness Ignatius Abded Aloho II, at the Monastery of Saint Mark in Jerusalem. He was given the episcopal name Coorilos.

The early 20th century was a period of severe crisis for the Malankara Church. Following deep disputes, the church split in 1911. Patriarch Abded excommunicated the serving Malankara Metropolitan, Geevarghese Dionysius. In this critical hour, the faithful looked for a leader who could preserve the apostolic faith. On August 30, 1911, at a meeting of the Syrian Christian Association held in Aluva, Mor Coorilos was elected as the rightful Malankara Metropolitan, a position he accepted with humility and a deep sense of responsibility.

After shepherding the church through its most turbulent years with steadfastness and prayer, Paulose Mor Coorilos passed into eternal rest on December 14, 1917. His mortal remains are interred at the St. Mary's Jacobite Syrian Church in Panampady, which has since become a center of pilgrimage for the faithful who seek his intercession.

Nearly a century later, the sanctity of his life was officially recognized by the Holy Church. On October 24, 2008, the Patriarch of Antioch, His Holiness Ignatius Zakka I Iwas, declared him a saint. He was lauded as a holy father who had heroically preserved the true faith during the great crisis of the Syriac Orthodox Church in India. His Holiness gave permission for the name of St. Coorilos Paulose to be remembered in the Fifth Diptych, alongside the great saints and martyrs of the Church.

The legacy of St. Coorilos of Panampady is one of unwavering fidelity. At a time when the Church was threatened by division, his leadership provided a crucial anchor for the faithful who remained loyal to the Patriarchate of Antioch. He was not merely an administrator but a true monk and a man of prayer, whose life was a testament to the power of faith in the face of adversity. His memory continues to inspire the faithful to remain steadfast in the apostolic traditions of the Holy Church.