St. Josemaría Escrivá in Kerala (India)

November 14, 2008

Tags: The Way, Canonization, The Way of the Cross, Pictures and statues of St Josemaria Escriva

The sixth anniversary of the canonization of St. Josemaría Escrivá was celebrated in a special way in Kottayam, in the state of Kerala in the south of India. On the 6th of October, 2008, a statue of the saint was placed for the veneration of the faithful and there was a book launch of the new translation of St. Josemaría’s book The Way, (“Divyapathā”) to Malayalam, a local language spoken by more than 32 million people.

The statue, about 140 cm high and of polychrome plaster, is the work of the sculptor T. J. Vincent, has been placed in the chapel of Chaithanya, the Pastoral Centre of the Archdiocese of Kottayam.

The Archbishop Emeritus of Kottayam, Mar Kuriakose Kunnacherry, presided the ceremony of installation of the statue, accompanied by Mar Mathew Moolakkatt and Mar Joseph Pandarasserril, Archbishop and Auxiliary Bishop of Kottayam, respectively.

Immediately following was a Eucharistic concelebration in the Syro-Malabar rite. Among the nearly 20 priests present were many who had studied in the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, fruit of the apostolic impulse and desire to serve the Church of St. Josemaría Escrivá.

The ceremony of the presentation of the first edition of The Way in Malayalam took place in the auditorium of the same Pastoral Centre. It is the second work of St. Josemaría Escrivá that has been translated to Malayalam. “Kristu Pātha” (The Way of the Cross) was published in January 2006. Mar Kunnacherry declared his desire to bring about the translation and publication of other books of the Founder of Opus specifically Furrow and The Forge. Archbishop Mar Mathew Moolakkatt, in speaking about the book, emphasized how current and important the message of St. Josemaría is for everyday life.

The translator, Sister Deepa, SJC, concluded the session by describing how the long, difficult and gratifying task of translation had helped her to grow in devotion to St. Josemaría.