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Fr. Antony Kurialacherry Past Director Rev.Fr.Antony Kurialacherry, OUR FOUNDING DIRECTOR was born in Champakulam, Alapuzha District on July 20, 1922. After his priestly studies at the Papal Seminary, Kandy, Sri Lanka, he had his college studies at St.Joseph's College, Trichy and Loyola College, Madras. After one year on the staff of Berchman's College, Changanassery, he joined Notre Dame University, Indiana in 1955 for his Master's Degree in Political Science. He had the Master's and Doctorate degrees in Education and Economics from Loyola University, Chicago. He returned to India in 1962 to become the founding Principal of Nirmalagiri College, Tellichery and later Principal of St. Berchman's College, Changanassery in 1970. He was appointed National Executive Director of 'Caritas India' in 1977 for a five year term. Before coming to Chicago in 1985 to organize the Syro-Malabar Ministry, he spent two years of his retirement life in New York. In April 1993, the All India Association for Christian Higher Education presented him with the prestigious award of 'Ecumenist Educator' at a colorful ceremony held at St.Teresa's College, Ernakulam. We, the Syro-Malabar Community in Chicagoland owe him a debt of gratitude for all he did for us. Let us all wish him the best of health and a long happy life. Fr. Zacharias Elappunkel Past Director Rev.Fr.Zacharias Elappunkel was born sixth in a family of nine(four brothers and four sisters) to Augustine and Eliamma Elappunkal of Vattappally in Changanassery Diocese, on April 24, 1938. After his high school education in SB High School, Changanassery, and priestly studies at Parel Minor Seminary, Mangalapuzha Seminary and Propaganda College, Rome, he was ordained by Mar Sebastian Valloppilly at Rome on November 30, 1963. He continued his higher studies in Theology and Canon Law in Rome and returned to Kerala in 1968 and served as Asst. Vicar at Changanassery Metropolitan Church and Secretary to Archbishop Mar Padiyara. He also served as Vicar in Fatimapuram, Arpukkara and Trivandrum Lourde Churches. He was also Deputy Director of 'Caritas India' for a while before coming to the United States for mission work and higher studies. He was working as an Associate Pastor at St.Peters Church in St.Paul, Minnessota when Fr.Kurialacherry had to leave for India for medical reasons. He gladly took over the duties of the Director and assisted the Mission in finding a place of its own. When Fr. Kurialacherry returned as Director in 1988, he returned to Minnessota. His untimely death on July 20, 1990 left everyone in the Mission heart-broken. His enchanting smile had endeared himself to everyone he came in contact with. A library and reading room have been built and dedicated in his name in SB High School, Changanassery. Let us all pray to God that he is rightly rewarded for the selfless love and dedication he had for our Mission. Fr. Mathew Panthalanickal Past Director Rev.Fr. Mathew Panthalanickal was our director from 1989 to 1995, the infant stage of our mission. He took care of the mission as a parent would take care of a baby and saw to it that our mission grew healthy. We owe him our sincere thanks and gratitude. Fr.Mathew was born on April 25, 1952 at Palakad, near Pala in Kottayam District. After graduating from St.Thomas High School, Pala in 1968, he joined St.George's College, Aruvithara for his Undergraduate Studies. During that time, he heard Jesus' call and decided to become a priest. In 1970, he joined Good Shepherd Minor Seminary, Pala and later on, went to St.Thomas Apostolic Seminary at Vadavathoor, Kottayam, where he completed his priestly studies and was ordained priest on December 19, 1979 by Mar Joseph Pallikamparampil. He worked as Associate Pastor and Pastor in several parishes in Kanjirappilly and Pala and at the same time completed his Masters Degree in Sociology from the University of Kerala. After that he had several teaching assignments, at Good Shepherd Minor Seminary, Madonna Institute of Home Life, Pala and Sacred Heart Study Home for the Religious. He was also an excellent preacher and team member of Family Apostolate Ministry and Pala Catholic Gospel Society and has conducted several retreats. All these excellent abilities made him the choice for the Director of Syro-Malabar Catholic Mission in Chicago, to which post he was appointed by the Syro-Malabar Bishops' Conference in 1989. After his arrival in Chicago in September 1989, our mission saw several changes. Two organizations for youth were started in 1991: CYM (Catholic Youth Movement) for the youth, who recently came from Kerala and SYMO (Syro Malabar Youth Organization) for the young who were born and brought up here. Religious instruction classes were started in 1992 with about 60 children and in April 1993, a batch of 13 children received the First Holy Communion. Also, the first batch of 12 children who received Confirmation from Mar Gregory Karottemprel in July 1993 were given special Confirmation classes. Training in our mother-tongue was considered important and Malayalam classes were started in January 1993. A new Rectory was inaugurated in May 1992 and a new Chapel was blessed by Mar Joseph Powathil in July 1992. Feast days of St. Sebastain, Sr.Alphonsa and St.Thomas were started to be celebrated in grand style. Also, celebrations of Holy Week, Easter, 'Vanakamasam', October as Rosary month and Christmas were all done in a way reminiscent of the events celebrated in Kerala. A brand new auditorium, named Alphonsa Hall, that can seat 600 people in the main hall and another 300 in the balcony, and costing more than $300,000 was inaugurated by H.E.Cardinal Bernadin in June 1994. His successor, Rev. Fr. Jos Kandathikudi took charge in September 1995. Fr. Mathew stayed on in the Chicago area for few months more to complete the study courses he was taking. Then he moved to Florida and is now an Associate Pastor at Little Flower Church in Hollywood, Florida. The greatness of Fr.Mathew lies in the fact that he did not take credit for any of the long list of achievements given above. His belief is that it is the Lord who rewards people who work for Him. He was just happy to be of help. Let us all wish him success and happiness in the new pastures the Lord leads him to. Fr. Jos Kandathikudi Past Director Born on May 20, 1945 as the first child to his loving parents John and Thresia Kandathikudy of Kanhirapuzha, Muthukurisu, Palghat District of Kerala State, young Jos showed promise in his early life. He completed his High School studies with distinction at KTMH School, Mannarkad and entered St. Thomas Minor Seminary at Tellicherry and St. Thomas Major Seminary, at Kottayam answering the Lord's call. He completed his Masters Degrees in Philosophy and Theology from Urbana University in Rome before receiving his priestly ordination on March 27, 1971 from His Eminence Angello Cardinal Rosi. His first assignment was as Asst. parish priest at Christ the King Church, Manimooly of Tellicherry diocese. During the period 1972-1995, before coming to the Syro-Malabar Mission in Chicago, he founded several parishes and served as vicars there and was the Chancellor of Mananthavady diocese, Secretary to Bishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy, and the Diocesan Director for Family Apostolate. The list of parishes he founded include Parathottam, Kalpetta, Edapetty, Charity, Oluvumala, Coonoor, Burliar and Aruvankad in the states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. He also worked overseas during this period in several parishes in New York and West Germany. He is proficient in six languages: English, Italian, German, Malayalam, Tamil and Hindi. His appointment as the Director of the Mission in 1995 was a great blessing to the whole Community. He divided the Mission into 12 wards and started bible studies and monthly prayer meetings in each ward. He started yearly pilgrimmages to the Holy Land and Rome and several Mission-members were blessed to have him as the real guide in the Holy Land. He started several pious Associations in the Mission: St. Vincent de Paul Society, Catholic Mothers Association and Cherupushpa Mission League. His wonderful Sunday sermons attracted many faithful to the Sunday services. His weekly short talks on the local Radio program were also a joy to listen to. Of course his leadership style invited some opposition from a few members and that was very painful to him. But that does not diminish in any way his wonderful leadership abilities and the lucid Gospel preaching ability. In the final analysis, he is a priest par-excellence and his tenure as the Director was a golden period in the history of the Mission. At present, he is working as the Director of Syro-Malabar Catholic Missions in New York and New Jersey.