St. Knai Thoma

St. Knai Thoma

The commemoration of the dukhrono of St. Knai Thoma according to the Liturgical Calendar of the Syriac Orthodox Church in Malankara. Annually on the 36th day (Sixth Sunday) of the Great Lent Mor Knai Thoma was a wealthy Syriac Orthodox merchant who, on a trade expedition to India, found a Christian community who were descendants of the indigenous population & Jewish migrants evangelized by St. Thomas the Holy Apostle. Tradition states that bishop Joseph of Edessa had a vision of the Christian community in India in dire need of assistance. It was soon after this revelation that Knai Thoma would personally visit bishop Joseph, upon return form India, telling him about the Malankara Nasrani community. The two would receive Apostolic blessings & permission from the bishop of Antioch Mor Osthatheos to send a mission to India. It is important to note that Canon 6 of the Holy Ecumenical Council of Nicaea affirmed the authority of the Bishop of Antioch over regions of the East including India. Historical records indicate Mor Yousef (known as Ethalaha/Aitahalla in the Chronicle of Edessa) was a loyal supporter of Mor Osthatheos, joining him at the Council of Nicaea against the Arian heretics. With the blessings of the Patriarch of Antioch, Knai Thoma brought with him Mor Yousef (who was succeeded in Edessa by Mor Abraham) along with 72 families from Edessa (Urhoy), a 400 member delegation of faithful Syriac Christians. The group included men, woman, children, priests & deacons. Upon reaching Malankara, the local ruler with the honorific Cheraman Perumal, welcomed the delegation which had many traders & successful businessmen. The community was granted privileges recorded in what is known as the 'Knai-Thomman Chepped'. Through the mission work of Mor Yousef & the clergy, the Malankara Nasrani (a mixture of local individuals, ethnic Jews & earlier Syriac Christian faithful) accepted the spiritual authority of the Patriarch of Antioch and all the East. Thus the Malankara Church became an integral part of the Syriac Orthodox Church, accepting the Syriac Liturgy, traditions & customs. Soon afterwards, further cementing the eternal fraternity between Malankara & Antioch; the Holy Relics of St. Thomas the Holy Apostle were transferred to Edessa (Urhoy) on July 3rd AD394 & interred on August 22nd. When Mor Knai Thoma died, he was entombed in the church he had built in honor of St. Thomas the Holy Apostle. Sadly, this church was destroyed in the 1500s during wars between local rulers. While sharing the same faith with the Malankara Nasrani, the descendants of those who came with St. Knai Thoma would exist as a separate community. Along with having separate churches, the community known as Knanaya practice Endogamy & have their own unique traditions & customs. The Knanaya leaders & faithful, ever loyal to the Holy Apostolic See of Antioch continue to play an important role in the history of the Syriac Orthodox Church in India. Their counterparts in the Middle East are today known as the Urfalee. In March 1990 vis Patriarchal Apostolic Bull No. EI 30/90, the thrice blessed late Patriarch HH Moran Mor Ignatius Zakka I Iwas of blessed memory declared Mor Knai Thoma as a saint, & granted permission to recite his name in the 5th Dypthic (Thubden d-Qadishe) of the Holy Qurbono. The dukhrono of St. Knai Thoma is remembered annually on the 36th day (Sixth Sunday) of the Great Lent in the Syriac Orthodox Church Oh Mor Knai Thoma! Plead for us before God's throne of grace. Amen. First Syrian Migration to Malabar AD345 by Dr. Sarah Knight (courtesy Hymonutho): https://bit.ly/AD345Hymonutho