18 Facts About Geevarghese Ivanios

Geevarghese Ivanios was a key figure in the Malankara Reunion Movement, which sought to reunite the Malankara Church with the Catholic Church, culminating in his joining the Roman Catholic Church in 1930 along with a small group of followers.

Mar Ivanios was instrumental in founding the Bethany Ashram and played a vital role in the establishment of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Hierarchy, becoming the first bishop of the Archdiocese of Trivandrum in 1932.

Geevarghese Ivanios is a candidate for sainthood in the Catholic Church, having been declared a Servant of God by Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottungal in 2007 and Venerable by Pope Francis in 2024.

Geevarghese Ivanios was a member of the Panickervettil family, an aristocratic lineage in Mavelikkara, which was part of the princely state of Travancore, now located in the Alappuzha district of Kerala.

Geevarghese Ivanios received his early education at Protestant and government schools.

Geevarghese Ivanios completed his matriculation in 1899, after receiving minor clerical orders on 20 September 1898.

Geevarghese Ivanios was ordained a deacon on 9 January 1900 by Pulikkottil Dionysius, the then Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church.

Geevarghese Ivanios organized basic church communities and initiated Bible conventions, earning him the popular title "Koodhasa Shemmashan".

Geevarghese Ivanios was a key figure in the efforts to establish hierarchical autonomy for the Malankara Church, which led to the erection of the Catholicate on 5 September 1912.

Geevarghese Ivanios chose Geevarghese to accompany him to the event.

Geevarghese Ivanios became influenced by the writings of Basil of Caesarea on sanyasa, which played a significant role in shaping his vision.

Geevarghese Ivanios envisioned the ashram as a place of refuge for the poor and marginalized, and alongside it, he established a home for orphans.

In 1932, Geevarghese Ivanios traveled to Rome in response to letters from the Vatican, where he met Pope Pius XI and received the pallium.

Geevarghese Ivanios sent missionaries to various regions, including receiving clergy from the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church.

Geevarghese Ivanios passed away on 15 July 1953, at the age of 70 after a prolonged illness.

Geevarghese Ivanios was dressed in his episcopal robes, with his pastoral staff and cross in hand.

In 1999, Mar Geevarghese Ivanios College became the first institution affiliated with the University of Kerala to receive accreditation from the National Assessment and Accreditation Council.

Geevarghese Ivanios was declared a Servant of God, the initial step in the process toward sainthood, on 14 July 2007, one day before the 54th anniversary of his death.