Panikkervettil Thomas Panicker Geevarghese (21 September 1882 – 15 July 1953), known formally as Geevarghese Mar Ivanios, was the first metropolitan archbishop and founder of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church. He 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 Catholic Church in 1930 along with a 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. He also served as the principal of the Kottayam M.D Seminary High School and as a professor at Serampore College. Geevarghese established about 50 schools, including one 'A' grade college named Mar Ivanios College.
He 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.
P. T. Geevarghese was born on 21 September 1882, in Mavelikkara, Kerala, India, to Thomas Panicker and Annamma Panicker.
Geevarghese 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. The family was recognized with the title of "Mylitta Panicker" by the rulers of Travancore.
Geevarghese received his early education at Protestant and government schools. In 1897, he attended M. D. Seminary High School in Kottayam, and later pursued higher studies at Serampore College and Madras Christian College. He completed his matriculation in 1899, after receiving minor clerical orders on 20 September 1898.
He was ordained a deacon on 9 January 1900 by Pulikkottil Dionysius, the then Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church. Following his ordination, he pursued further studies at CMS College, and later obtained a bachelor's degree in economics and Indian history from Madras Christian College. In 1907, he completed his Master's degree (MA) with distinction from the same institution. Upon returning from Madras, he was appointed principal of M.D. Seminary High School, his alma mater. During his tenure, he played a significant role in various initiatives aimed at renewing the Malankara Church. He organized basic church communities and initiated Bible conventions, earning him the popular title "Koodhasa Shemmashan" (Deacon of Sacraments).
On 15 September 1908, he was ordained to the priesthood as P.T. Geevarghese by Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril, the Malankara Metropolitan of the Malankara Orthodox Church. Geevarghese became widely known as "M.A. Achan", as he was the first priest in Malankara with a Master's degree. He 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. This event resulted in a division within the Malankara Church, with one faction led by Malankara Metropolitan Vattasseril Dionysius (the Bishop's party) and the other by the Antiochian Jacobite Patriarch (the Bava party). Geevarghese was aligned with the Bishop's party.
1912-1925: Professorship in Serampore; Bethany Ashram, Bethany Madham
In 1912, Mar Dionysius of Vattasseril received an invitation to attend a conference in Calcutta. He chose Geevarghese to accompany him to the event. During the conference, they met Dr. Howels, the principal of Serampore College, who requested that the Metropolitan allow Geevarghese to serve as a professor at the college. With the Metropolitan's permission, Geevarghese accepted the position, using the opportunity to contribute to the education of Malankara youth. Approximately 20 young people from Kerala traveled to Calcutta for higher education as a result of this initiative.
While at Serampore, Geevarghese found more time for prayer and contemplation. He became influenced by the writings of Basil of Caesarea on sanyasa (monasticism), which played a significant role in shaping his vision. Additionally, visits to Mahatma Gandhi's Sabarmati Ashram and Rabindranath Tagore's Santiniketan provided him with a new perspective on Indian monasticism. These experiences led Geevarghese to consider establishing an order of missionaries dedicated to evangelization in India. Gradually, his residence at Serampore, along with his followers, evolved into an Ashram (monastery), where they adopted a form of religious life based on the monastic rules of St. Basil, adapted to Indian culture. Following this decision, Geevarghese resigned from his position at Serampore College.
After returning from Calcutta, Geevarghese sought a location to establish an ashram. A friend, E. John Vakeel, donated 100 acres (400,000 m2) of land at Mundanmala, Ranni-Perunadu, Kerala, at the confluence of the Pamba and Kakkatt rivers. The land was initially covered with dense, thorny vegetation. Geevarghese and his followers built a small thatched hut from tree branches and bamboo, marking the establishment of the first ashram in Malankara on 15 August 1919. After prayerful reflection, Geevarghese named the ashram "Bethany," finding the name appropriate for a religious order that emphasized both contemplation and action. Over time, the Bethany Ashram became a site for pilgrimage and spiritual retreats, particularly during Passion Week. Geevarghese envisioned the ashram as a place of refuge for the poor and marginalized, and alongside it, he established a home for orphans.
While at Serampore, Geevarghese also contemplated the empowerment of Syrian Christian women through education. To advance this goal, he initiated the education and training of selected young girls with assistance from the Epiphany Sisters of England, who were working in Serampore. In 1925, he founded the Bethany Madom (literally "Bethany Great House" or convent) as a religious institution for women.
1925–1930: Bishop of Bethany; Ecclesial communion
Geevarghese was ordained as the Bishop of Bethany by the Malankara Synod and consecrated as a bishop of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church by Baselios Geevarghese I on 1 May 1925, adopting the name Geevarghese Ivanios. On 20 September 1930, Mar Theophilos, John Kuzhinapurath, Alexander Attupurath, and Chacko Kiliyileth made a Catholic profession of faith before Aloysius Maria Benziger, the Bishop of Kollam. Many members of the Bethany orders also entered into full communion with the Catholic Church, leading to the formation of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church.
1932: Establishment of the Syro-Malankara Catholic hierarchy
In 1932, Geevarghese traveled to Rome in response to letters from the Vatican, where he met Pope Pius XI and received the pallium. He also attended the thirty-second Eucharistic Congress in Dublin, Ireland, where he met G. K. Chesterton, who remarked on Geevarghese's role in bringing his community into the Roman Communion.
The dignified Indian gentleman, who represented this far off triumph in the Orient, had changed his neighbours by bringing them to the Roman Communion.