History
Until the 19th century there was no organized from of charitable services in Kerala to care for the poor and the destitute, aged and infirm, unwanted and downtrodden fellow men abandoned in the streets or uncared for at home. Deeply moved by Jesus words “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” ( Mt.25:40) Rev. Fr. Varghese Payapilly a zealous and devoted priest from Ernakulam diocese came forward with the idea of founding a congregation to continue Christ’s redemptive mission among the poor. The life of venerable Fr Varghese Payapilly was a tireless run to wherever there was a cry for help. His strength derived from his contemplation that necessarily merged into apostolic action…
Founder: Venerable Fr.Varghese Payapilly
Venerable Fr. Varghese Payapilly was a priest of the Diocese of Ernakulum in Kerala. He was born on August 8, 1876 at Konthuruthy a typical village in Kerala in the Diocese of Ernakulum. He was ordained on Saturday 21 December 1907 at the age of 31 at Papel Seminary Chapel, Kandy by the then Bishop of Kandy, Msgr. Clemens Pagnani OSB. After completing fruitfully his syriac study, Fr. Varghese was assigned to pastoral ministry at Kadamakudy as the parish priest. Later, he served also as the vicar of Alangad (1910-1913 and 1916-1920), manager of St. Mary’s School, Aluva (1913-1918 and 1922-1929) and vicar of Arakuzha (1920-1922). It is during his ministry at Arakuzha that he founded the St. Joseph’s parish at Meenkunnam as a token of his compassion on the people who had to walk a long distance to reach the Church at Arakuzha to attend Holy Mass. During this period of his ministry in these parishes for 10 years he lived with his fellow priests in fraternal love and communion sharing all resources as in the proto Christian community of Jerusalem. He was also a member of the diocesan council, and served as director of the provident fund for priests and director of apostolic union. His zeal and love for the kingdom of God had prepared him to begin the parish activities as a committed pastor. According to the heart of Jesus, the Good Shepherd he led an exemplary priestly life and exercised his priestly duties with great zeal and piety. His unconditional obedience to the ecclesiastical authority, consulting nature and submissiveness are very evident in his letters and petitions to the bishop on all matters regarding the parish. He was a good organizer, always involving people in every undertaking.
Director: Msgr. George Valliarumpeth (1929- 1970)
Soon after the death of Fr. Varghese Payapilly the responsibility of the Congregation and old age home was entrusted to Msgr. George Valliarumpeth who was appointed as its director and the spiritual director of the sisters. He took charge of the newly assigned responsibility on 28 October 1929. He was endowed with the spirit and magnanimity of its Founder Fr. Varghese Payapilly and could assimilate the same charism and internal attitude that prompted the founder to found and nurture the Congregation. He was a person of deep faith, discipline and asceticism with an ardent devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. He directed the Congregation in its original charism for 41 years till his death on 11 May 1970. The Congregation is highly indebted to Msgr. Valliarumpeth for its spiritual and material growth.
Pioneers: First members of SD
Venerable Fr. Varghese Payapilly was deeply moved by the deplorable condition of those poor people in Kerala and got inspiration and enlightenment from the Words “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me” (Mt.25:40). It prompted him to found a Congregation that can care for the destitute. He prayed and discerned the will of God and consulted the hierarchy, His Grace Mar Augustine Kandathil, the late Archbishop of Ernakulum and asked for suggestions, looked for possibilities and waited patiently till the will of God was revealed. At this point a providential coincidence took place. Five young women (Kalamparambil Thresia, Kizhakambalam, Kuppiyil Idakala Ouseph Thresia, Kizhakambalam (Sr. Josephina), Madathiparambil Antony Eliswa, Pazhanganad (Sr. Cicily), Mazhuvancherry Antony Rosa, Kizhakambalam (Sr. Gertrude) and Ootancherry Antony Thresia, Chunangamvely (Sr. Kochuthresia) happened to meet together and shared their ardent desire to serve the poor and destitute in a new congregation. They expressed their desire to the Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil. But they too had to wait for discernment of the will of God. Finally, convinced of their interior call, the Archbishop directed them to Fr. Payapilly. This providential encounter was a significant event. It is with these young women as pioneers that Fr. Payapilly founded the Congregation of the Sisters of the Destitute. A new chapter began in the social and religious history of Kerala when a home for aged and infirm for the poor and destitute was inaugurated on the same day.
Canonized Persons
1.Venerable Fr. Varghese Payapilly.
After 80 years of our Founder’s demise, the Canonization process the Servant of God Fr. Varghese Payapilly, started by the Major Archbishop Mar Varkey Cardinal Vithayathil of Archdiocese of Ernakulam Angamaly with the request of the then Mother General of SD Congregation, Sr. Smitha Vempilly on 25th August 2009. Sr. Roseline Elavanal was appointed as the Postulator of the cause. The Archdiocesan Tribunal for the beatification and canonization of the Servant of God Fr. Varghese Payapilly (Rev. Fr. Varghese Pottackal, Rev. Fr. Saju Augustine Kuthodiputhanpurayil CST, Rev. Sr. Sibia FCC, Rev. Sr. Mahima MSJ) took their responsibility by an oath on 6th September 2009 in the public meeting held at the Mother House Chunangamvely. The tribunal interviewed 85 people who have seen the Servant of God and heard about him from the family members and parishners. Major Archbishop appointed a Historical Commission ( Rev. Fr. Thomas Panthaplackal CMI, Rev. Fr. Augustine Kallely, Rev. Sr. Kusumam SD) on 28th September 2009, to examine and to write a report of the documents that are not published about the Servant of God. After completing all the inquiry, the Archdiocese tribunal were closed by the Major Archbishop Mar George Cardinal Alencherry. Then the boxes containing the documents were sent to Rome on 16th November 2012 through the Nuncio in Delhi. On 24th April 2013 the boxes which was containing the documents of were opened in Rome. We got the Validity Certificate of the Archdiocesan Inquiry conducted in the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly for the Cause of the Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Fr. Varghese Payapilly on 10th June 2014. On 17th May 2016 the Historical Commission in Rome accepted the positio prepared by the Roman Postulator, Sr. Grace Koovayil SD, with consultation of Msgr. Paul Pallath, the Relater of the Causes of Saints. On 24th October 2017 the Theological Consulters and on 10th April 2018 the Congregation of the Cardinals accepted the positio by casting votes. On 14th April 2018 Pope Francis declared the Servant of God Fr. Varghese Payapilly as the Venerable.
2.Servent of God Sr.Fidelis
Sr.Fidelis Thaliath (1929 – 2008), popularly known as “Doctoramma” (“Mother Doctor”), was an Indian religious sister, gynecologist and social reformer who worked among the destitute people in Delhi. She was declared Servant of God in 2021. Fidelis Thaliath was born as Kochuthresia in 1929 in Puthanpally, a village in the then Cochin State, now part of the south Indian state of Kerala to Joseph Thaliath and Mariamkkutty. She joined the religious congregation, Sisters of the Destitute in 1952 and took the perpetual vow of chastity in 1956. In 1964, she moved to Chicago where she joined the Loyola University to obtain a medical degree in Gynecology. Subsequently, she returned to India to start her career as a medical professional in Holy Angels’ Nursing Home in Delhi but returned to Chicago in 1973 to complete her master’s degree in 1977. Returning to India in 1977, she founded the Jivodya Hospital, which was built on a plot of land in Ashok Vihar in Delhi, bought with a gift of US$ 1000 she had received for purchasing a car and served there in the Department of Gynecology. During her time in Delhi, she was involved in several social activities, focusing on helping the destitute people and founded two centres, one to house the poor women in Vikaspuri and the other, a home for the handicapped children in Ghaziabad. Hers was a life set aside for the underprivileged and the needy. Nourished by the sacrament of eucharist and rosary in her hands, she walked through the streets of Delhi, caring for the sick and the abandoned. She not only took care of them and provided medicines, but also prayed for them. Her selfless service brought meaning to the lives of so many poor patients, especially the lepers. Sr.Fidelis Thaliath died on January 17, 2008, at the age of 79.Loyola University Chicago, her alma mater, have since instituted a scholarship, Class Of 1960 Sister Fidelis Thaliath, MD, Medical Student Scholarship Fund, in her honor.
Sr. Fidelis Thaliath is reported to have performed several miracles which are being considered and verified by Syro-Malabar Catholic Church and her social and religious contributions were considered by the church while deciding upon initiation of her canonization process. As the first step towards canonization, she was declared Servant of God by the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church on 14 July 2021 in the Archdiocese of Faridabad by the Archbishop Mar Kuriakose Bharanikulangara.