Joseph Vithayathil
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox saint
|name = Venerable
Joseph Vithayathil
|image = Joseph Vithayathil - ജോസഫ് വിതയത്തിൽ-1.JPG
|imagesize = 200px
|titles = Religious; Pithavu
|birth_date = 23 July 1865
|birth_place = Puthenpally, Ernakulam, Kerala, India
|death_date = {{death date and age|1964|06|08|1865|07|23|df=yes}}
|death_place = Kuzhikattussery, (Aloor, Mala, Kerala)Thrissur District, India
|venerated_in = Syro-Malabar Catholic Church
|beatified_date =
|beatified_place =
|beatified_by =
|canonized_date =
|canonized_place =
|canonized_by =
|major_shrine =
|feast_day = 8 June
|attributes = Religious habit
|patronage = Congregation of the Holy Family
}}
Joseph Vithayathil was a priest from India who has been declared as Venerable by the Catholic Church.{{cite web|url=http://www.news.va/fr/news/promulgation-de-decrets-27|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705193725/http://www.news.va/fr/news/promulgation-de-decrets-27|url-status=dead|archive-date=5 July 2017|title=Infos du Vatican - Toutes les infos sur l'Église - Vatican News|website=www.news.va}}
He was born in Puthenpally, Varapuzha, Ernakulam District of Kerala State of India to Catholic parents of the Vithayathil family on 23 July 1865.{{cite web |url=http://stjosephs.edu.in/index/jvmessage |title=St. Josephs College, Irinjalakuda |newspaper=Stjosephs.edu.in/index/jvmessage |accessdate=2018-01-03 |archive-date=21 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171121160354/http://stjosephs.edu.in/index/jvmessage |url-status=dead }} He had two brothers and two sisters.
At the suggestion of his parish priest Fr. Zecharias, he started priestly studies and joined the seminary{{cite web |url=http://mangalapuzha.org/servant_details.php?id=5 |title=St. Joseph's Pontifical Seminary, Mangalapuzha |newspaper=Mangalapuzha.org |accessdate=2018-01-03 |archive-date=13 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113093152/http://mangalapuzha.org/servant_details.php?id=5 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://www.chffatri.org/about/father-joseph-vithayathil |title=FATRI |newspaper=Chffatri.org |accessdate=2018-01-03}} on 30 May 1881. He was ordained as Priest on 11 March 1894{{Cite web |url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/saint_josephvithayathil.php?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=400&width=700 |title=Venerable Joseph Vithayathil |access-date=3 January 2018 |archive-date=6 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106180134/http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/saint_josephvithayathil.php?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=400&width=700 |url-status=dead }} by Bishop Mar Adolph Medlycott of Thrissur Diocese at the St. Antony's Church, Ollur with 11 others.
Priestly life
After being diocesan priest for a few years, in 1902{{cite web |url=https://mariamthresia.org/milestones.html |title=Bl. Mariam Thresia |newspaper=Mariamthresia.org |accessdate=2018-01-03}} he was sent to perform exorcisms on a young mystic girl called Mariam Thresia.{{cite web |url=https://www.vatican.va/news_services/liturgy/saints/ns_lit_doc_20000409_beat-Mankidiyan_en.html |title=Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan |newspaper=Vatican.va news |accessdate=2018-01-03}} Here he became her Spiritual director until her death in 1926. He asked her to write her life story from early childhood, on the instructions of his Bishop. This resulted in the Autobiographical Notes of Blessed Mariam Thresia dealing with her life experiences and events up to 1905.{{cite web |url=http://www.chfsisters.com/content/our-co-founder |title=Home :: Congregation of the Holy Family |newspaper=Chfsisters.com |accessdate=2018-01-03}}
He helped her{{cite web |url=http://www.irinjalakudadiocese.com/congregations_details.php?id=19 |title=Diocese of Irinjalakuda |newspaper=Irinjalakudadiocese.com |accessdate=2018-01-03 |archive-date=3 January 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103193542/http://www.irinjalakudadiocese.com/congregations_details.php?id=19 |url-status=dead }} establish the Congregation of the Holy Family on 14 May 1914 blessed by Mar John Menachery. He was appointed as the Chaplain of this convent in 1922. After the death of the Mariam Thresia, he guided the congregation{{cite book|last=Podimattam|first=Felix M.|title=Global Spirituality: Ecumenical, Inter-religious, and Continental Spirituality|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NUhtugQKiuQC&pg=PA60|year=2005|publisher=Media House|isbn=978-81-7495-199-1|page=60}}{{cite web |url=http://www.holyfamilyschoolfarakka.in/our-guiding-lights |title=Holy Family School |newspaper=Holyfamilyschoolfarakka.in |accessdate=2018-01-03}} until the formation of its General Council in 1942.{{cite web |url=https://www.mala.co.in/article/fr-joseph-vithayathil-co-founder-of-congregation-of-holy-family-chf-kuzhikkattussery |title=Fr. Joseph Vithayathil, Co-Founder of Congregation of Holy Family (CHF), Kuzhikkattussery |newspaper=Mala.co.in |accessdate=2018-01-03}} Under his guidance a school for teaching stitching, tailoring, weaving, knitting etc. was started in 1929 at Kuzhikkattussery.
Death and Veneration
He died on 8 June 1964 (same date on which Mariam Thresia died) and was buried at Kuzhikkattussery near the tomb of Mariam Thresia.
He was declared as Servant of God on 18 May 2004 by Pope John Paul II.{{cite web |url=https://zenit.org/articles/indian-co-founder-a-servant-of-god/ |title=Indian Co-Founder a "Servant of God" – ZENIT – English |newspaper=Zenit.org |date=11 June 2004 |accessdate=2018-01-03}}{{cite web |url=http://www.syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar_saints.php |title=The Syro Malabar Church: Saints |newspaper=Syromalabarchurch.in/syro-malabar_saints.php |accessdate=2018-01-03}} Mar Paul Alapatt, the current bishop of Ramanathapuram Diocese, was the Promotor of Justice for the Cause of the Servant of God Fr. Joseph Vithayathil.{{cite web |url=http://www.ramanathapuramdiocese.com/home/inner/3 |title=Eparchy of Ramanathapuram |newspaper=Ramanathapuramdiocese.com |accessdate=2018-01-03}} He was elevated to Venerable on 14 December 2015 by Pope Francis{{cite web |url=http://mattersindia.com/2015/12/indian-among-17-to-advance-on-sainthood-track/ |title=Indian among 17 to advance on sainthood track |newspaper=Mattersindia.com |date=17 December 2017 |accessdate=2018-01-03}}{{cite web |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/thesundaystandard/2016/sep/11/kerala-on-the-path-of-sainthood-1518104.html |title=Saints from India |newspaper=Newindianexpress.com |date=11 September 2016 |access-date=2018-01-03}}{{cite web |url=https://nominis.cef.fr/contenus/saint/13049/Venerable-Joseph-Vithayathil.html |title=Vénérable Joseph Vithayathil |newspaper=nominis.cef.fr |accessdate=2018-01-03}} along with 16 others.
Media
- Dhanyan Joseph Vithayathil is a teleserial on his life, broadcast on Shalom (TV channel).{{cite web |url=https://vimeo.com/213652421&usg=AOvVaw3bMvjJMTCyqCr8zl2hKc6d|title=Dhanyan Joseph Vithayathil episode on Vimeo |publisher=Shalom TV |accessdate=2018-01-03}}
- A book titled Karmayogi: Life History of S.D. Fr. Joseph Vithayathil edited by Lucy Arikkatt has been published Holy Family Publications in 2004.{{cite web |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wshBQwAACAAJ |title=Karmayogi: Life History of S.D. Fr. Joseph Vithayathil |publisher=Holy Family Publications |accessdate=2018-01-03|year=2004 }}
- Joseph Vithayathil has written a book titled Biography of Rev.Mother Mariam Thresia.{{cite web |url=http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/36450/12/chapter%202.pdf |title=BRIEF HISTORY OF BLESSED MARIAM THRESIA |newspaper=Shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/36450/12/chapter%202.pdf |accessdate=2018-01-03}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Christianity in Kerala|state=collapsed}}
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{{Subject bar |portal1= Biography |portal2= Catholicism |portal3= India}}
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Category:20th-century venerated Christians
Category:Christian clergy from Thrissur
Category:Syro-Malabar Catholics
Category:Venerated Catholics by Pope Francis
Category:Venerated Eastern Catholics
Category:Venerated Catholics from Kerala