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For about Four decades in the first half of the
last century The Chaldean Syrian Church of The
East in India was administrated by the late MAR
ABIMALEK TIMOTHEUS METROPOLITAN of
blessed memory. This great Metropolitan was an
instrument of the Divine Omnipotence. It was His
Grace who showed the chaldean Syrians of India
the tree of true faith, and because of his
heroic leadership and the rare dazzle of his
spiritual stature this sacred relic of the
church founded by Apostle Thomas could survive
whose dark and dangerous days. Mar Timotheus
mended the fences of the deserted wine yard, and
he labored with single minded devotion and stout
heart determination.
Protracted litigation and the problems it gave
rise to take away much of his time and energy,
yet Mar Timotheus could work wonders in church
in India. Comforted with the appalling necessity
of beginning from the scratch, His Grace toiled
with indomitable courage and determination and
produced results which have become part of the
history of the Church of The East in India.
Mar Abimalek Timotheus was not a born Indian,
but the ease and earnestness with which he
identified himself with the people of India was
amazingly inimitable. His Grace was a great
friend of the Indian freedom movement and true
admirer of Mahathma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru
who with his daughter Indira Priyadarsini (
Indira Gandhi ) visited the metropolitan house
at Thrissur and stayed there during the period
of freedom movement and had discussions with His
Grace Mar Abimalek Timotheus
Metropolitan. He has Proudly mentioned of those
sweet memories in his famous books of "AUTO
BIOGRAPHY" and "GLIMPSES OF WORLD
HISTORY". After India became an independent
Nation and when Mrs. Indira Gandhi honored with
the prestigious crown of the president of the
Indian National Mahila Congress, she visited the
Metropolitan's house in Thrissur and with
utmost respect placed wreath on the tomb of late
Abimalek Timotheus Metropolitan. It was His
Grace's great and gracious attitude to the
Indian National Movement that whetted the
patriotic zeal and fervor of his flock and
helped in a really Big Way the Chaldean Syrian
Community in India to keep itself happily and
firmly in the main stream of India's National
life.
Mar
Abimalek Timotheus Metropolitan died on
30th April 1945.
Mar
Abimalek Timotheus truly a man of God, and his
life a saga of service and sacrifices.
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