Fr Augustine Thevarparambil Beatified

On 22 June 2004 Pope John Paul II approved the heroic practice of virtues of Kunjachan and declared him venerable.

          Meanwhile the process of the miraculous cure of the clubfoot of a boy was undertaken and the findings were sent to Rome for consideration. After a thorough investigation of the miraculous nature of the cure, made by competent personnel in Rome, Pope Benedict XVI approved it, opening the way for Beatification.

Venerable Kunjachan was beatified by His Eminence Cardinal Varkey Vithayathil, major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church on 30 April 2006 in the very same village Ramapuram, where he was born, worked, died and buried.

The feast of Blessed Kunjachan is celebrated on 16 October every year.

Now let us pray that Blessed Kunjachan may be elevated to sainthood in the near future.

The Papal Nuncio to India Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, Cardinal Telesphore P Toppo, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), and other Bishops and priests participated in the ceremony.

Fr Augustine is the fourth in the Syro-Malabar Church to be declared as Blessed.
Sr Alphonsa of Bharanaganam, Fr Kuriakose Elias Chavara  and Mother Mariam Thresia of Irinjalakuda are the others.