Social Activities
On June 26, 1975 Prime Minister Indira Gandhi declared Emergency. At that time on August 25, 1974, Juhanon Mar Thoma sent a letter to the Prime Minister arguing for the restoration of democracy. He was the only Indian Christian leader to do such a brave thing.
Education was also a major interest for the Metropolitan. He established four institutions of higher education. In 1974 Mar Thoma Theological Seminary was upgraded to a BD grade college of the Serampore University.
Hospitals, and social welfare institutions were opened during his lifetime. Realizing the pain of a family without a house of their own, he introduced the idea of building houses for the poor and providing land by the landless even in 1949. In 1967, before moving to the new residence built for the Metropolitan (known as Poolatheen), he made it a point to present a house to a poor homeless TB patient who was a non Christian
Juhanon Mar Thoma died on September 27, 1976 at Kottayam. The funeral service was held St. Thomas Church in Tiruvalla. A huge crowd was present to bid farewell to their beloved Metropolitan. He was interred in the Bishops’ cemetery in the SCS Compound, Tiruvalla.
| Preceded by Abraham Mar Thoma |
Metropolitan of the Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church 1947–1976 |
Succeeded by Alexander Mar Thoma |
Read more about this topic: Juhanon Mar Thoma
Famous quotes containing the words social and/or activities:
“I complacently accepted the social order in which I was brought up. I probably would have continued in my complacency if the happy necessity of self-support had not fallen to my lot; if self-support had not deepened and widened my contacts and my experience.”
—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877–?)
“If it is to be done well, child-rearing requires, more than most activities of life, a good deal of decentering from one’s own needs and perspectives. Such decentering is relatively easy when a society is stable and when there is an extended, supportive structure that the parent can depend upon.”
—David Elkind (20th century)