Joseph Mar Koorilose IX

Joseph was the second of the five children of Sri P. I. Mathew kutty and Smt Kunjham. He completed his schooling in the David Memorial L P School and the M J D High School at his native Kunnamkulam town. He received his higher education first in the Sree Krishna College, Guruayur, and St. Thomas College at Trissur, and then in the Municipal College of Education at Chick­ ballapur in Karnataka State. Afterwards he was appointed to the staff of St. George’s High School,

On 5 March 1972 he was ordained a deacon by Paulose Mar Philoxenos III and on 1 March 1978 a priest by Mathews Mar Koorilose VIII. He also served as the secretary of both the Church and the Gospel Association. At his initiative a Youth Movement (with both spiritual and social activities) was organized in 1984. Fr. Joseph was the first editor of Kunjhadukalude Velicham, the first monthly magazine of the church, published by the Youth Association since September 1984.

At the time of his election as a bishop he was only 27 years old, but was nearly 32 when he was consecrated as the Metropolitan of the Church on 27 August 1986. A week earlier he had been made a Ramban by Philipose Mar Chrysostom, Suffragan Metropolitan of the Mar Thoma Syrian Church. The delay between election and consecration and the failure of Mar Koorilose -VIII to consecrate his successor were mainly due to certain differences of opinion between the Met­ropolitan and the Church Council. In June 1986 Mathews Mar Koorilose -VIII passed away and in August 1986 Fr. Joseph was consecrated as Joseph Mar Koorilose-IX by Dr. Alexander Mar Thoma with the assistance of Joseph Mar Irenaeus, Easow Mar Timotheos and Dr. Zacharias Mar Theophilos.

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