05. Joseph Thamby in Kerala

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.

By then, Archbishop Joseph Attipetty started ‘Theresian Brothers’, an archdiocesan congregation for taking care of the institutions and to render services in the parishes. They were very few and lacked proper formation. Archbishop felt that Joseph Thamby was the right person to give formation or training to the Theresian Brothers. When archbishop asked, Joseph Thamby joyfully accepted it.

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.