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MOST REV. PAULOSE MAR PHILOXINOS
Paul Thomas was born as the eldest child of Thomas and Th?ndakutti on 28 April 1928 at Ayyamkulangara. He studied in the Thozhiyoor CMUP School and in the Government High School at Kunnamkulam. He completed his intermediate from Wellington College, Sangli in Maharashtra with the intention of becoming a doctor. Unfortunately he couldn’t continue his studies, as the college was shut down. He returned home and started pondering over his vocation. He received his diaconate in 1952 and priestly ordination in 1961 from Metropolitan Geevarghese Mar Koorilos. On 9 December 1967 he received the sacred order of Remban from Metropolitan Mathews Mar Athanasios of Marthoma Church and the sacred order of the Episcopa on 16 December from the Marthoma Metropolitans Yoohanon and Thomas Mar Athanasios after the name Paulose Mar Philexinos III.
He had a clear picture of the weaknesses and limitations of the ‘Church of Thozhiyoor’ and earnestly got desired to reunite with the Catholic Church. He intended for the reunion not as an individual but together with the entire faithful of the Church of Thozhiyoor. Cherishing this desire in mind, he sent a pastoral letter to all the parishes under his administration. But the people of his Church paid no heed to it. On 28 August 1977 he left the Thozhiyoor Syrian Church, of which he was the thirteenth Metropolitan and got reunited with the Catholic Church at the Bishop’s house, Trissur. He was appointed Titular Bishop of Chayal by the Holy See on 11 October 1977. Later, he was appointed the Episcopal Vicar of the Archieparchy of Trivandrum. He visited the Pope in 1979. He made pilgrimage to Lourdes, Liseux, etc. He worked for the welfare of the Church without considering his health problems. At 10 p.m., on 3 November 1998, he breathed his last and his mortal body is entombed in St. John’s Cathedral, Tiruvalla.