KOCHI: Thomas Mar Athanasios, Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church, Chengannur diocese, passed away on Friday after he fell from the train he was travelling. He was 80. Mar Athanasios, a celebrated educationist and an efficient administrator, was returning from Baroda and was getting ready to get down at the Ernakulam Junction station when he slipped and fell on the railway track near Pulleppady overbridge, between Ernakulam Town and the Ernakulam Junction stations, officers said. The accident occurred around 5.45 am.
Though he had planned his travel to Kochi by air, the closure of the Cochin International Airport owing to flood forced him to reschedule his return journey by train. His funeral services will be held at the Othara Dayara Chapel, near Tiruvalla, at 3 pm. Born on April 3, 1938, to K T Thomas and Eliyamma Thomas, the Metropolitan was the founder-principal of Basil School, Baroda, and had founded six other schools in Gujarat.
These six schools, including The Gujarat Refinery English Medium School, are under the Trust of the Society of St Basil; the founder of the Society of St Basil was the late Geevarghese Mar Philoxinos of Puthencavu. He is the 42nd in the priestly generation and the fifth bishop in the Vadakkethalackal family. The other bishops in the family are Simon Mar Dionysios, Yuakim Mar Ivanios, Abraham Marthoma and Geevarghese Mar Philoxinos. As an educationist, his approach was completely ‘child-oriented’ and nothing was more important to him than the welfare and all-round personality development of students.
He had novel ideas for improving teaching techniques and he inspired even the mediocre students to excel. Besides being the Metropolitan of the Diocese of Chengannur, he also served the Malankara Sabha in various capacities - such as the secretary of the Holy Episcopal Synod, the manager of the Catholicate & M D Schools, the president of Akhila Malankara Balasamajam, the president of Akhila Malankara Prarthana Yogam and the president of the Church Accounts Committee and the president of the Church Finance Committee.
Thomas Mar Athanasios became the first Metropolitan of the Diocese of Chengannur on August 1, 1985.