His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Augen I

His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Augen IDiocese of Kottayam Central


His Holiness Moran Mar Baselios Augen I

Ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1909
Consecrated as Metropolitan on May 15, 1927
Served as Metropolitan of the Kandanad and Thumpamon Dioceses from 1927 to 1964
Enthroned as Catholicos of the East on May 22, 1964
Fell Asleep in the Lord on December 8, 1975

His Holiness was born on June 26, 1884 to Reverend Father Abraham and Annamma of Chettakulathukara Family, in Perumbavoor, Vengola. His father, who was known by many as ‘Abraham Kathanar’ was a scholar of the Syriac language. He was baptized Mathai by Metropolitan Paulos Mar Ivanios, the spiritual father and teacher of Abraham Kathanar. Young Mathai had his primary education at Puthencruz while staying with his mother’s family.

At a very young age, he became the disciple of the Malankara Malpan - Very Reverend Mathen Konat Chor Episcopos, and received theological education from Pampakuda Seminary. Mathai was later ordained to the subdiaconate by Metropolitan Kadavil Paulose Mar Athanasios. Thereafter, he joined MD Seminary School in Kottayam and learned English.

In those days, Mathai met Deacon Sleeba from Syria (later Metropolitan Sleeba Mar Osthathios). Together they visited almost every Church in Malankara, where he would translate the Syriac speeches of Deacon Sleeba. He left for Syria with Deacon Sleeba in 1905, and was ordained to the Holy Diaconate at Mor Mathai Dayaro. An impressionable time for the young deacon was his stay at one of the oldest monasteries in Christendom - Mor Augen Dayaro - in Turabdin. In 1908, Deacon Mathai was tonsured to the monastic orders with the name Augen.

Having stayed at the various Syrian Orthodox monasteries in Turkey and Syria, he came in contact with various Syriac scholars which helped him to master the Syriac language. His love for languages also helped him master Malayalam and Sanskrit, which enabled him to compose the Penqitho Namaskaram in Syriac for the Feasts of Saint Mary, Saint Gregorios of Parumala, and translated the same into Malayalam. He was also able to translate from Syriac to Malayalam, the Prumeons & Sedros for the liturgical year, the prayers of Great Lent, Rite of Ordination, Rite of Consecration of Churches. He also composed the Hoothomos which are chanted at the end of the Divine Liturgy.

Upon his return to Malankara, Augen Remban was ordained to the Holy Priesthood by Metropolitan Sleeba Mar Osthathios at Kottayam Cheriya Pally. On May 15, 1927, His Holiness Patriarch Ignatius Elias III, consecrated him as Metropolitan Augen Mar Thimithios in Jerusalem. The new Metropolitan took charge of Kandanad & Thumpamon Dioceses.

Known for his wisdom of the faith, and knowledge of the Syriac liturgical tradition, he was appointed as the Principal of the Orthodox Theological Seminary.

On May 17, 1962, when the Malankara Syrian Christian Association met in Niranam, Metropolitan Augen Mar Thimithios was chosen as the Catholicos of the East. The meek and holy Metropolitan, was enthroned at the fourth Catholicos of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church at MD Seminary, Kottayam on May 22, 1964.

Due to his old age, and desire to live a life centered in prayer and reflection, His Holiness relinquished his position on September 24, 1975 to his successor. During his primatial reign, His Holiness Catholicos Augen I, participated and represented the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church at the Oriental Orthodox Synod held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in January 1965. The prayerful Catholicos of the East, also received the sacred relics of Saint Thomas the Apostle, from Patriarch Yakob III, as a present to the Malankara Church signifying the re-established peace in the Church, and a witness of the Apostle's evangelization in India. These sacred relics were installed in the Chapel of the Catholicate Palace, in Devalokam, India.

His Holiness asleep in the Lord on December 8, 1975, and was laid to rest in the Chapel of the Catholicate Palace, in Devalokam, Kerala, India.