Thomas Kurialacherry

Returning to India at the end of 1899, Father Thomas Kurialacherry dedicated himself fully to his pastoral ministry and social reform. The heart of his work lies in the foundation of the religious institute of the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (SABS). Inspired by his Roman experience, he wished to establish a community of women dedicated to the perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and to apostolic action. On December 8, 1908, with the collaboration of Philomina Vallayil (Mother Mary Francesca de Chantal), the congregation was officially founded in Edathua. The first house was established in Champakulam on December 10, 1908. On August 30, 1911, Pope Pius X appointed him Vicar Apostolic of Changanacherry. He received episcopal consecration on December 3, 1911, in Kandy at the hands of the Apostolic Delegate Mgr. Ladislao Michele Zaleski, choosing as his motto: "To renew all things in Christ." In 1923, during the establishment of the Syro-Malabar hierarchy by Pope Pius XI, he became the first bishop of the diocese of Changanacherry. As a pastor, he founded numerous educational institutions, notably St. Berchmans College in 1922, campaigned for women's education, worked for the integration of Dalits, and fought against caste discrimination, while being a pioneer of ecumenism in Kerala.

The life of Bishop Thomas Kurialacherry was marked by a constant reputation for holiness, nourished by his humility, pastoral charity, and deep Eucharistic piety. After his death in 1925 in Rome during an ad limina visit, his memory remained vivid among the faithful. In 1935, his mortal remains were repatriated to India and interred in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Changanacherry. The cause for beatification and canonization was officially opened at the diocesan level in Changanacherry in 1983. The diocesan inquiry concluded in 1991 after gathering numerous testimonies and documents. The Positio on the heroic nature of his virtues was submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome in 1996.

On March 26, 2010, the theological consultants of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints voted unanimously in favor of the recognition of the heroic virtues of the Servant of God. On April 2, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI authorized the promulgation of the decree recognizing the heroism of his virtues, officially conferring upon him the title of Venerable. The cause is currently awaiting the recognition of a miracle to pave the way for his beatification.

The spirituality of Thomas Kurialacherry is entirely centered on the Eucharistic mystery. He considered the Eucharist to be the beating heart of the Church and the remedy for the ills of society, contributing to the popularization of the Forty Hours and Thirteen Hours devotions in Kerala. His most visible legacy is the Congregation of the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament (SABS), which today counts thousands of religious sisters spread across India and abroad (Italy, Germany, East Africa). His tomb, transferred in 2014 to the Marth Mariam Kabaridapalli chapel adjacent to the Changanacherry Cathedral, remains a highly frequented place of devotion and pilgrimage.