CHAPTER: 05
Joseph Thamby in Kerala (1936 - 1937, 1939)
Urged by the missionary zeal, leaving Pachamalai, Joseph Thamby moved from place to place as a mendicant, especially in Kumbakonam and Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. From Tamil Nadu, he left for Kerala.
For some time, his activities were centered in Ernakulam. He was talking to the people about St. Francis of Assisi, who left a deep impression on his whole life and about the Franciscan Third Order. He worked in the fields as a daily labourer with the people and begged in the streets and shared with the poor what he earned. The police in Ernakulam were suspicious of Joseph Thamby. They objected him wandering in the streets begging.
Joseph Thamby went away from there and met the archbishop, Joseph Attipetty (+ 1970) of Verapoly archdiocese. Archbishop was impressed with the attire and attitude of Joseph Thamby living as a mendicant, going to the fields to work as a daily labourer, begging food and helping the poor. Knowing the sincere life of Joseph Thamby, archbishop encouraged him to live the way he was living.
Hence, the archbishop commissioned Joseph Thamby to go to Puthur Latin Mission Church of the Verapoly archdiocese. Two Theresian Brothers were staying there and engaged in mission work under the direction of the Archbishop. Archbishop asked Joseph Thamby to give formation to those two brothers.
Joseph Thamby was staying with the Brothers at Puthur and helping them in their formation. He used to go to the Latin Church in Thrissur to attend the Mass every day without fail. Now and then, he also used to attend Syro-Malabar Qurbana [Mass] at Puthur Syrian Church celebrated by the priests from Nadathara of Thrissur diocese.
Fr. Mathew Muringathery (+ 1994) was the parish priest and the chaplain of Nadathara Convent. Fr. Joseph Chungath (Senior + 2000) was the assistant parish priest at Nadathara and the parish priest of Puthur Syrian Church. Joseph Thamby was well acquainted with Fr. Joseph Chungath. Their meeting brought lot of spiritual enlightenment in the life of Joseph Thamby.
While staying and guiding the Theresian brothers at Puthur, Joseph Thamby was carrying out his mission and ministry in different parts of Malabar in his own usual way. There also Joseph Thamby faced many problems and objections from the police.
Joseph Thamby could not continue his stay and giving formation to those two Theresian Brothers for a long time. The Brothers disliked and considered him a mad man. He was said to be mad because he had his own peculiar ways of living; like eating leaves and grass [probably the medicinal], lying down under the shades of trees on the boundaries of the compound. His life in the midst of others was as if on the bush of thorns. He faced lot of criticism so much so his Stigmata were attributed to something other than the divine.
He might have continued his ministry there till the end of 1936 or the beginning of 1937 after which he moved to another southern state, namely Andhra Pradesh.
Joseph Thamby moved to Andhra Pradesh in the year 1937 [January]. He was at Bitragunta in Nellore diocese for few months [probably eight months]. From there, he came to a village called Kesarapalli [in October] near Vijayawada where he stayed for a year. From 1939 onwards, he took his residence at Peddavutapalli parish church premises. From Peddavutapalli, Joseph Thamby made visits to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and as far as Jhansi and other places in the northern part of India.
In the year 1939, when Joseph Thamby went to Puthur [certainly from Peddavutapally], where he was helping the Theresian Brothers, he met Fr. Joseph Chungath at Nadathara and was with him for three days. He also met Fr. Paul Chazoor at Ambarakhad. Fr. Joseph Chungath and Fr. Paul Chazoor are classmates and ordained together in 1937.
It was on 28 January 1939 that Joseph Thamby attended the Syro-Malabar Qurbana celebrated by Fr. Joseph Chungath at Puthur Syrian Church. Later when Joseph Thamby visited Nadathara, he recognized Fr. Joseph Chungath.
It was a Lenten Friday of 1939
[22 February 1939 was Ash Wednesday and 9 April 1939 was Easter Sunday], Joseph
Thamby was urged in his ecstasy to go to Nadathara and thus he reached there at
one o’clock in the afternoon. Fr. Joseph Chungath received him, took him to the
parlour of the Convent and gave him lunch.
Soon after lunch, Joseph Thamby hurriedly took Fr. Joseph Chungath to the residence of Fr. Chungath and was seated on the bench. Fr. Joseph Chungath was seated in his chair and between them was a table on which there was a Crucifix.
Then Fr. Chungath was keenly observing Joseph Thamby who was in agony for 20 minutes. He suffered a lot as he was bleeding and fell on the floor. Fr. Chungath was willingly keeping silence owing to his indifference to what was happening and he wanted to test Joseph Thamby.
After a while, Joseph Thamby requested for a piece of cloth and Fr. Joseph Chungath gave him some old cloth with which he wiped the wounds. He returned the blood stained cloth to Fr. Joseph Chungath.
Fr. Joseph Chungath later took the blood stained cloth to Thrissur Civil Hospital laboratory for a test. He contacted the Carmelite sisters who were working in the hospital [from 19 December 1925]. Mother Mary Agnes, the then mother superior of the hospital convent tested the cloth in the hospital laboratory and found that it was a genuine human blood. Fr. Chungath did not take the tested cloth back.
But later on, Fr. Joseph Chungath had the chance of witnessing Joseph Thamby’s agony of getting Stigmata for about six times. On those occasions Joseph Thamby wiped the wounds with the handkerchiefs of Fr. Joseph Chungath who preserved them with him.
After his death in 1945, Fr. Joseph Chungath also received a bead of the Rosary used by Joseph Thamby through one of his friends who was a military man stationed at Jhansi in north India [Joseph Thamby was seen at Jhansi in 1944]. Fr. Joseph Chungath covered the bead with the blood stained handkerchief and kept with him as a relic.
After this, Joseph Thamby returned to Puthur requesting Fr. Joseph Chungath to prepare some money in order that he may return and help the poor in Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh). Later Joseph Thamby came again to Nadathara and narrated many things about his mission to Fr. Joseph Chungath.
Then he asked Fr. Joseph Chungath whether he got anything for his journey back to Vijayawada. Fr. Joseph Chungath told him that he did not get any Mass stipend those days.
Immediately Joseph Thamby
asked Fr. Joseph Chungath whether he was ready to visit some houses for begging.
He agreed and both of them began the visit.
First, they went to the northern side of the parish and went to a rich man’s house. When they were about to reach the gate of the house, Joseph Thamby was very reluctant to proceed further. He told the priest that they would return without entering the house. But Fr. Joseph Chungath entered the house and received one rupee, while Joseph Thamby was waiting at the gate.
On their return, Joseph Thamby told that the house did not deserve our visit. Perhaps, Joseph Thamby could read the mind of that person. Then, they began to visit the eastern side of the parish. They visited a house named Parayil. The owner of the house was old and sick. His daughter, namely, Annamma who was a widow was consulting Fr. Chungath about her joining a Congregation in which widows were received to become nuns.
Since the man was not well, Fr. Joseph Chungath advised him to make his confession, but the man was unwilling to make the confession and was promising to make on another day.
Joseph Thamby requested Fr. Joseph Chungath that he would talk with the man. Fr. Joseph Chungath was surprised to hear the zealous words which he spoke very convincingly. Joseph Thamby told the man that he had something to do the restitution to the church. As a result of the advice of Joseph Thamby, the man immediately moved to make his confession at that very moment. While Fr. Joseph Chungath heard his confession, Joseph Thamby prayed for the man.
As they were going to Kizhuppillikkara two miles east of Nadathara, they met some people who were begging alms and Joseph Thamby gave them what he had.
In the evening, they went to the cemetery of the Church at Nadathara and spent some time in prayer. At that juncture, Joseph Thamby shared one of his experiences to Fr. Joseph Chungath: “one day, as usual, I visited a village to talk to the people and advise them, but that day nobody came as it was harvesting time. I was very sad. Then I went to the nearby cemetery and prayed to the souls, ‘My dear souls in purgatory, you come to hear my words, as my people had not come to hear me’. Then suddenly a few white dressed people appeared and I thanked them for their presence.”
On their return from the cemetery, they went to the convent chapel to visit the Blessed Sacrament. They met Mother Ursula on the veranda. Joseph Thamby told Fr. Joseph Chungath that he should console Sr. Ursula as she is sincere and pious and take care of her spiritual life. Fr. Joseph Chungath was surprised at the knowledge of Sr. Ursula.
Fr. Chungath decided to visit Fr. Paul Chazoor (+ 1993) his classmate, who was at Ambazhakad parish, from whom to get some money to help Joseph Thamby. Fr. Paul was an assistant vicar there. Later he was transferred to Nadathara. Fr. Joseph Chungath told Joseph Thamby to go alone next day morning and he promised to reach there by evening.
On that night before going to bed, Joseph Thamby was seated on the bench and he had Stigmata again. Fr. Joseph Chungath used his handkerchief to wipe the blood on his palms. After the stigmata, in their talk, Joseph Thamby revealed that he was often getting Stigmata on Fridays. After talking to each other for a while, they went to bed.
Next day morning, both of them went to the Chapel where Sr. Ursula and other sisters were having their meditation after reciting morning prayers. Fr. Joseph Chungath and Joseph Thamby were in sacristy for prayer and meditation before the Mass. At that time, Joseph Thamby was in ecstasy and received the Stigmata. This was observed by sisters too. After the meditation, Fr. Joseph Chungath celebrated Mass in which Joseph Thamby and sisters participated and received the Holy Communion.
After the breakfast in the convent, they went to see Fr. Mathew Muringathery, the Vicar who was in Thrissur. Fr. Chungath informed him of his programme with Joseph Thamby. From Thrissur, Fr. Chungath asked Joseph Thamby to go alone to Ambazhakad and he himself would reach there by evening after hearing confessions of sisters in Irinjalakuda.
Joseph Thamby reached Ambazhakad alone and introduced himself to Fr. Paul Chazoor. As he reached, Joseph Thamby asked him some water to drink. Fr. Paul went to get water that was placed outside of his room. As he came with water, he found Joseph Thamby in ecstasy and received Stigmata.
First, Fr. Paul thought that he was having some rheumatic convulsion and touched his feet to give him some massage. The feet were inseparably stuck together as if they were nailed. When Fr. Paul touched his feet, it gave immense pain; he was whiling and swinging as if he was on the cross. After few minutes, the Stigmata vanished and he began to speak normally. He accepted the water he had asked for. He showed his palms and feet which were wet with blood and asked for a towel with which he wiped the wounds. After wiping the blood, he gave back the towel to Fr. Paul.
It was about 7.30 p.m. when Fr. Joseph Chungath reached Ambazhakad. Both the priests spent some time together in the room discussing various things. After supper at 9 p.m. three of them talked about the next day’s programme. Fr. Joseph Chungath suggested that he would say Mass early morning at 6 a.m. Then Fr. Joseph Chungath soon went to bed arranged for him in a room.
Fr. Paul arranged a bed for Joseph Thamby in his room so that he might study him further. Joseph Thamby began to pray kneeling before the Sacred Heart picture. After that they conversed for some time and went to sleep. Generally, Fr. Paul would not sleep at night well, but that night he slept so well that he could not notice anything about Joseph Thamby. When he woke up at 5.30 in the morning, Joseph Thamby already woke up.
Meanwhile, Fr. Joseph Chungath got up at 3 a.m. and to his surprise, Joseph Thamby came to him and said that they should leave from there before 6 a.m. So, Fr. Joseph Chungath dropped the idea of celebrating Mass at 6 a.m. They went to Puliyilakannu from where they got into a bus to Pudukad. At Pudukad convent chapel, Fr. Joseph Chungath heard the confessions and celebrated Mass.
Then they went to Chowka where Fr. Joseph Chungath heard the confessions of sisters. While Fr. Joseph Chungath was hearing confessions Joseph Thamby was taking rest on a bench in the school veranda. At that time, a young man, namely, Jacob N. J. came to see Fr. Joseph Chungath. Jacob saw Joseph Thamby sitting on a bench, went to him just to talk to him. At that time, Joseph Thamby received Stigmata. After that, he told Jacob that he did not make a good confession before he received the sacrament of Confirmation. He also revealed all the sins that Jacob committed. At this, Jacob was sorrowful and he made a very good confession to Fr. Joseph Chungath.
They came to Thrissur from where they returned to their respective places. At that night, Fr. Joseph Chungath had a dream in which Joseph Thamby asked him to come immediately to Thrissur Latin Church. He woke up and at 4 a.m. he was looking for a rickshaw. He asked the help of one of his friends, namely, Mr. Pylee who told him, “It is difficult to call a rickshaw at 4 a.m. and we shall walk to Thrissur.” Mr. Pylee also accompanied Fr. Joseph Chungath to Thrissur and they went to the Latin Church. They reached there at 6 a.m. Fr. Joseph Chungath met the parish priest there and met Joseph Thamby. Thereafter, Joseph Thamby stayed one more day with Fr. Joseph Chungath at Nadathara and left for Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh.
First time when Joseph Thamby came to Fr. Joseph Chungath and after the Stigmata experience, Joseph Thamby said to him, “You should be careful that when you take Chalice [during the Mass], you should keep your hands pure.”
While Joseph Thamby was in Puthur, he built a small chapel with clay and dedicated to St. Antony of Padua. Archbishop, Joseph Attipetty visited this small chapel, celebrated Mass and baptized a Hindu family that was already instructed by Joseph Thamby. Fr. Paul Chazoor was present on this occasion, who testified that this small chapel is located in a place where Joseph Thamby had a vision of the Holy Cross on 14 September 1939.
Though Joseph Thamby stayed just one night with Fr. Paul Chazoor along with Fr. Joseph Chungath, he had great regard to Fr. Paul. Joseph Thamby wrote letters to Fr. Paul until 1945. He was more a penfriend to Fr. Paul than an intimately lived friend.
Fr. Paul testified that Joseph Thamby wrote to him four letters: in the first letter he requested Fr. Paul to make a statue of St. Francis of Assisi [today it is seen in Boyapati house in Avutapalli where Joseph Thamby built an altar dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi and where he breathed his last breathe].
In the second letter, Joseph Thamby asked Fr. Paul to pray for a town. In the third letter, he wrote that he was praying for Fr. Paul so that he may become bishop and asked him to send some of his photos. Fr. Paul testified that he did not send any photo saying that he was not worthy to become a bishop.
In the fourth letter received when Fr. Paul was in Chowannur, Joseph Thamby prophesied about the death of Fr. Paul saying that he would face lots of troubles and difficulties before his death. He wrote, “Father you are to suffer too much and die … but in the end you are to be a saint.” Joseph Thamby promised his constant prayer support to Fr. Paul till the last breath of his life.
In fact, even as a young priest, Fr. Paul Chazoor (Ordained in 1937) wanted to join the Capuchin Order and requested his Bishop Mar Francis Vazhapilly (1921-1942) who allowed him to make the arrangements. He even expressed his desire to join the Order to French Capuchin Friar Fr. Guido who was then in Alwaye. He later became the bishop of Ajmer (1939-1946). On the day when Fr. Paul had determined to ask his Bishop’s permission to go to Alwaye and to remain there a month to settle his vocation according to the direction of Fr. Guido, he saw his bishop unconscious and dying [died on 12 May 1942]. Then, Fr. Paul gave up the idea of joining the Capuchin Order. The next bishop was nominated on 11 March 1944 and consecrated on 1 May 1944 in the person of Mar George Alapatt (+ 1973).
At that time, Fr. Paul was in Chowannur as a residing priest. The vicar was Fr. Augustine John Ukken (+ 1956) who on 21 November 1944 founded the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity (CSC) with the approval of Mar George Alapatt. Fr. Paul was helping Fr. Augustine in forming the Congregation.
Fr. Paul testified that it was one of the desires of Joseph Thamby, expressed to Fr. Joseph Chungath, that a Congregation for the uneducated girls was to be founded and this was realized in Chowannur.
After 1939 Lent, Fr. Joseph Chungath met Joseph Thamby again in Royapuram in Madras in the year 1941. Before that Fr. Chungath was receiving letters written by Joseph Thamby from Jhansi and Andhra Pradesh (Vijayawada).
Fr. Joseph Chungath came to Madras General Hospital to take back his sick mother. On that day, he arrived at Egmore at 9.30 a.m. and went to Royapuram to celebrate Mass in the Church there. He reached there at 10 a.m. hoping to get the sacristan of the Church to arrange for Mass. As soon as he reached there, to his surprise, Joseph Thamby came out of the Church and greeted him, “FATHER” and said that there was no Mass on that day as the parish priest had gone for retreat.
Joseph Thamby immediately asked Fr. Chungath to hear his confession. Fr. Chungath testified, “Really on that day I heard a saint’s confession.” Fr. Chungath celebrated Mass and Joseph Thamby and some men received Communion.
From there, both of them went to the Madras General Hospital and visited the sick mother. Joseph Thamby promised his prayers for her and went out to the corridor and sat there for a while praying.
Next day morning, when Fr. Chungath visited the chapel of Park Town, Joseph Thamby was praying sitting on the first row of the bench. Mr. Lonappan P.D. a medical student who accompanied Fr. Chungath made confession.
Fr. Joseph Chungath returned to the hospital alone. Mr. Lonappan took Joseph Thamby to the medical college. Seeing Joseph Thamby, the students including Lonappan laughed at him. Later Mr. Lonappan realized his mistake and was very sorry for it.
Fr. Joseph Chungath used to send money at times to Joseph Thamby, especially while he was in Jhansi. Once he wrote to his brother, namely, C. V. Varghese who was in Ceylon, who used to help Joseph Thamby.
Fr. Joseph Chungath received letters from Joseph Thamby till 1944. When Fr. Joseph Chungath visited Vijayawada in 1945, he went to St. Ann’s Hospital and inquired about Joseph Thamby who by then went to his eternal abode.
Fr. Joseph Chungath testified that Joseph Thamby visited him several times and he witnessed the Stigmata for about 6 times. He also testified that Joseph Thamby had been to so many places like Jhansi and other places in northern India.
Fr. Paul Chazoor testified that there was divine power in the words and actions of Joseph Thamby who promised him to pray for him till his last breath. Through the intercessory prayers of Joseph Thamby, he was experiencing some extraordinary spiritual power in his words and actions. For example, with the short notice, when he preached a retreat in his parish Wadakkanchery, people were astonished hearing him. The following week when he preached a 10 day retreat to sisters at Chilakara, sisters shed their tears upon hearing the Word of God. Fr. Paul testified that it was possible only because of the prayers of Joseph Thamby who had received Stigmata.
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