Rev.Dn. Alexander and “Holy Brahmawar”

Rev.Dn. Alexander and “Holy Brahmawar”
Ref:- Article published on 13th Dec. 2009 in ICON as post No. 2438
I am happy to read the posting on “Holy Brahmawar” by Mr. George Alexander, Chief
coordinator, D P R of OBL Forum in ICON on 13th Dec. 2009. It gives more information
on Portuguese Padruvado community church and the Propaganda Church of Rome and
how Mar Alvares Julius started the new Brahmawar Orthodox church for the oppressed
old Christian community who wanted freedom from Rome.
The article traces the persons who built up the Orthodox community in Brahmawar. H G
Mar Alvares became in 1889 a consecrated Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox
Church. He constructed this new church in Brahmawar. He got an ardent supporter in Fr
Nuronah, 39 years, who was then already a Catholic priest. They were the pioneers of this
community. Mar Alvares pleaded to his superiors in Malankara to send missionaries to
inculcate the Orthodox liturgy and rituals to his 5000 odd families who were his
followers in the new church. H G Pulikottil Mar Joseph IInd sent Rev. Dn. K J Alexander
who was a reputed orator and convention speaker. He went in 1905 to Brahmawar to join
Fr. Nuronah in building up the Orthodox community. Dn. Alexander thus became the
first Kerala Missionary in Brahmawar.
Fr. Nuronah and Dn. Alexander then requested for woman volunteers from Kerala to
work among women in Brahamawar. They got Ms. Annamma Vettiyil, Vakathanam and
others. As she later got married in her advanced years to my relative, I had an opportunity
to personally hear from her, about her stay in Brahmawar. Dn Alexander was sent by Fr.
Nuronah to nearby localities in Karnataka, and Telugu and Marathi speaking
population for the mission work. Rev. Dn K J Alexander was later ordained by H G Mar
Alvares in 1911 and returned to Kerala to become vicar of his mother parish St. John’s
church, Mepral. It was Dn. K J Alexander and Fr. Nuronah together who built the
COSMOPOLITAN SCHOOL the first educational institution for this community. In1936
Fr. K J Alexander went from Mepral to the death bed of Fr. Nuronah in Brahma war
These facts are not seen in the said article. Fr. P G .Koshy came in after Rev.Dn.
Alexander, who went for higher studies to Serampore College, Kalkota around 1909-‘10
Ref:
1 Light of Life- Feature –H.G. Alvares Mar Julius [1889-1923]
By Prof. Joseph K. Alexander-2005 July Vol. IV- issue 10
2. Kanianthra family History. Feature-Rev Fr K J Alexander Corepiscopa:
Joseph Alexander and Achamma Ammini Joseph –2000- Sankar Printers.
Bangalore .PP 136-141
3. Kanaianthra Kudumbam(Malayalam) Feature- K J Alexander Corepiscopa
1882-1955:– Dr.J Alexander, K. J Ninan and Prof. Joseph Alexander -1991. – M
M Press. Trivandrum. PP 261-271
4. Church Weekly 1956. April 8: Feature- Parethanaya Kanianthra Achen- P P
Varkey
5. “XRAY”- a vituperative book attacking Malankara Orthodox Church- p. 32
says that Mar Alvares ordained Kanianthra Fr K J Alexander, Kannamcote Fr.
Lukose and Kunnamkulam Dn. David.
6. Alvares Mar Julios” Malayalam D Mathews-Feature- “Kanianthra
Alexander Kathanar PP 106-107
7 Ordination Document. Copy - published in “News And Views” of MGOCSM
– Vol I Bk 7 Oct-Dec.2004