The St George Orthodox Cathedral at Palayam witnessed a milestone event in its history on October 23. The sacred relics of St Gregorios of Parumala, reverently called Parumala Thirumeni, were installed here in the presence of Gabriel Mar Gregorios Metropolita of Thiruvananthapuram diocese and Cathedral Vicar Fr Thomas T Varghese. Health Minister V S Sivakumar, former Chief Secretary C P Nair, Councillor Palayam Rajan and others attended the public meeting on the cathedral premises.
The holy relic was welcomed with a rousing reception by the members of the cathedral while hundreds of devotees attended the installation ceremony. The Holy relic of ‘Parumala Thirumeni’ was placed in the special place constructed in the cathedral. The ceremony was followed by intercessory prayer.
The box carrying the relics was brought from Parumala in a procession which was accorded receptions at various places on the way. The relics were taken to Bethel Aramana in Chengannur; St George Orthodox Church, Paranthal; St Thomas Orthox Cathedral, Kannankode; St Ignathios Church, KOttappuram; and a joint reception by St Mary’s Church, Ayoor and St Thomas Church, Neerayikkode.
Parumala Thirumeni (1848-1902) was a bishop of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox church and is the first canonized saint from an Indian church. St George Cathedral also marked the memory of Parumala Thirumeni’s stay in the church in 1902 and Thirumeni had also performed the sacrament of the church and the installation ceremony in 1900.