Indian Orthodox Bishop Thomas Mar Makarios Passes Away

(Paul Ciniraj)
London, SVM News, 23 February, 2008: Canada, UK and Europe Bishop of the Indian Orthodox Church Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios (82) died on February 23 at 11 am (Indian Time 4.30 pm) at New Castle General Hospital in London.
He was held in a serios road traffic accident on January 5 on his way to New Castle airport and was admitted in Newcastle General Hospital with critical condition.
Bishop Makarios was one of the senior bishops of Indian (Malankara) Orthodox Church, residing at Episcopal Diocesan House in Buffalo in New York, USA.
The immediate arrangements are being processed to bring Bishop's dead body to India. Dr. Geeverghese Mar Coorilos, the bishop of Bombay Diocese will be arriving in New Castle to make necessary arrangements.

The funeral will be held at the specially constructed enclosure at Catholicate palace, Devalokam, Kottayam. The funeral services will be led by Catholicose Baselios Marthoma Didymos I, Catholicose designate Paulose Mar Milithios and other bishops.The funeral is expected to be delayed by a few days on account of the long procedures for autopsy of the body as per British law. Since the bishop is a US citizen and the funeral is planned in India, complicated rules also will be attendant to it.

Bishop Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios was born on May 26, 1926, the son of Mr.Chacko and Mrs. Mariamma Kuttikandathil in Kerala. He entered into the priesthood as a deacon in February 23, 1951 and ordained as a priest in 1952 by His Holiness Catholicos GeeVarghese Baselios II.

His death came on February 23, exactly at his 57th year of priesthood. Also it was 74th memorial day of St. Geeverghese Dionysius of Vattasseril.

Thomas Mar Makarios was the first vicar of the Orthodox Church in New Delhi after his ordination.

Then he studied in various religious institutions in England, Germany, Switzerland and France. He has been in the U.S since 1963 and earned a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Nashota House in Wisconsin, a Master's of Sacred Theology from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate in Theology from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond.

He returned back to India and worked as a professor of Church History at Orthodox Theological Seminary in India. Mar Makarios was consecrated as a Metropolitan by His Holiness Catholicos Ougen I in 1975. And he was appointed as the first metropolitan of Diocese of Bombay. Four years he served as bishop of Bombay.

In 1979 Mar Makarios was transferred as the metropolitan of the Diocese of America of the Indian Orthodox Church. Since 1985, he has been teaching religion at Alma College in Michigan. Although he is busy year around as senior metropolitan of his church in western hemisphere, he sets aside the time to come to Alma College.

He believes that he can help give students a deeper insight into the 'mysterious' insight of the Eastern Church. Inrecognition of Makarios' achievements and contributions to church and society, the college awarded him the degree of Doctor of Divinity Honorees Causa in 1990.

The American diocese was devided in 1992 as two dioceses by name Diocese of America and Diocese of Canada, UK and Europe. Since then he was ruling the diocese of Canada, UK and Europe as its bishop.

The family of Thomas Mar Makarios is noted for submitting themselves at the service of God through the Indian Orthodox Church. Rev K C Mathew Cor Episcopa is one of his brothers. Another brother, Lazarus Ramban is a monk. Sister Mary, one of his sisters is a nun.

Director and staff of the Salem Voice Ministries conveyed their condolences for the demise of Bishop Thomas Mar Makarios. Christian Ministers of the Churches of India (CMCI) also conveyed deep condolences.

SVM News (with picture): http://salemvoice.org/svmnews295.html