KOCHI: The cause for canonisation of Archbishop Joseph Attipetty, the first indigenous prelate of Verapoly in Kerala, will formally begin on January 21 at St Francis Assisi Cathedral, Broadway, Ernakulam, where his mortal remains were entombed 50 years back.
Verapoly Archbishop Joseph Kalathiparambil will declare him as a Servant of God, the first official act recognising him as a candidate for sainthood and initiating the long process of canonical investigation in accordance with the Universal Catholic Church’s legislation for the Causes of the Saints, during a solemn thanksgiving Mass on his 50th death anniversary.
A dossier, with testimonies from 40 witnesses, including bishops and other ecclesiastical dignitaries and the religious, was submitted to Rome at the culmination of the preliminary stage of investigation in the Archdiocese of Verapoly and diocese of Kottapuram, which was part of the undivided archdiocese under Archbishop Attipetty’s jurisdiction.
Archbishop Kalathiparambil will be the celebrant for the Mass. After the introductory part of the eucharistic celebrations, Fr Ebigin Arackal, chancellor the archdiocese, will read the Latin text of the ‘nihil obstat’ (a declaration of no objection) from the Holy See. Attipetty was born on June 25, 1894 in Vypeen and was consecrated an archbishop at the age of 39. He died on January 21, 1970.