Dear Thomas Daniel,

I can give you a short biography of H G Yuyakkim Mar
Koorilos Bava.

Bava was born in a village nearby Tur-abdin, in the
year 1818.

His home Parish was in 'Habab'

He was born in the family 'Amir-d-gadhani'

He was the son of 'Malkibar Israel'

He had 5 brothers named Elia, Israel, Mordechai,
Skariah, and Gabriel.

He had two sisters named Satta and Hedna.

Bava was ordained in 1845 by H H the Patriarch
Ignatious Elias the Second, and was appointed as the
secretary to HH.

During that period Malankara was in deep trouble due
the the acts of the Anglican missionaries and by
Palakunnath Athanasious. H G Chepaud Mar
Divanasious,who was the then Malankara Metran was
finding it difficult to counter the protestents.


In 1846 at the age of 28, H G Yuyakkim Mar Koorilos
was sent to Malankara with the title "Reesh Episcopa"
of Malankara to maintain the true faith in this
place.

Even though He underwent much trouble and humiliation,
He was successful in His mission of maintaining the
true faith.

Most of the time He was deported from the states of
Travancore and Cochin, and He had to live in Fort
Cochin which was then part of British India.

The Church in Fort Cochin was built by Bava "to be
used by the Delegates from the Holy See."

In 1865 Bava ordained a teenager as decon and later as
a priest and cor-episcopa.

That priest later became Chathuruthil St Gregorious.

Towards the end of His life in malankara, Bava could
reestablish the true faith in malankara.

Bava was well versed in Malayalam and He translated
the liturgy to Malayalam. 2000 copies of this
translation was made in a press in Calicut and sent to
the churches for usage.

Bava was a docter and used to treat people of their
ailments. He is even said to have done minor
surgeries.

Even though He traveled the length and breadth of
malankara, Bava used to stay mostly in Mulamthuruthy
Church, Kuruppampady Church and Kattapuram Church.

Towards the end of His life Bava came back to
Mulamthuruthy church and decided on the place he had
to be entombed.

On 1874 sept 2nd around midnight Bava took bath, wore
his robes, entered the church and lied down. He
recited the 'viswasapramanam' thrice on His own and
entered the heavenly adode.

His memorial feast is conducted in Mulamthuruthy
church every year on sept 2nd. Thousands of people
irrespective of caste and religion take part in that
perunal. People from places like kuruppampady and
surroundings make it a point to attend this perunal.

Koorilose Bava came to malankara at the age of 28,and
He lived here for 28 years.

((Source:Inscription on the Fort Cochin Church made by
Bava Himself, and Mor Koorilose sovenier brought out
by Mulamthuruthy Church))

rgds

Baby Gleeson Zachariah
St George Jacobite Syrian Church
Arakunnam

PS: It may be noted that one of the brothers of
Koorilos Bava ( named Israel) had accompanied Him to
Malankara. Israel got married to a girl in the
'Chalakuzhi' family in Thiruvalla. They had a son and
two daughters. "H G Yuyakim mar Koorilos Episcopa",
who is one of the present day Bishops of the Marthoma
Syrian Church is the great grand son of one of these
daughters.