Mor Osthatheos Sleebo the Saintly Syrian Father who is venerated with great affection by the Malankara Church, was born in November AD 1854 in the village of 'Kfarze' in Mesopotamia, situated in the eastern part of Turkey.  He belonged to the 'Abakker' family, his father was Salbi and mother Nabuna.  The boy was baptized by name 'SALIBA' (Sleebo or Sleeba is the local Malayalam pronunciation).  His father died when he was only three.  A few years later his two brothers and two sisters died of a deadly disease.  Only Sleeba, his mother and one sister, were fortunate to survive from the epidemic. 

At the age of seven, Sleeba started his education with his uncle Fr.Danaha.  Later his studies continued under Rabban Shem`un at the Damascus church.  His greatest enthusiasm during this period was to learn Syriac (Aramaic), the local dialect which is recognized as one of the most ancient languages, and which was used by our Lord Jesus Christ during his ministry, and which is still being used by the Syriac Orthodox Church.  By the time young Sleeba completed his early education, he became a master in the language.  While continuing his studies, he worked in nearby villages for his livelihood.  In 1880, he was ordained Deacon by his Malpan (teacher) who by then had been consecrated Metropolitan Mor Athanasius Shem`un. (the patriarchal delegate who is entombed at Kottayam PuthenPally). 

Malankara Church in the late 19th century

Meanwhile in Malabar (South India) the Malankara Syrian Church was gradually re-establishing its foothold under the leadership of Metropolitan Pulikottil Joseph Mor Dionysius II after a difficult era of protestant missionary aggressions. The situations changed for better with the arrival of Mor Ignatius Peter IV, the Patriarch of Antioch to India in 1875.  Earlier the judiciary and administration under the British rulers, were publicly supporting the protestant outfit and the Malankara Church was continuously tortured for not following the Western reformed faith. The Patriarch's discussions with the directors of the East India company at London before he reached Malankara, helped to change this unfair attitude of the Indo-British authorities.  His Holiness stayed in Malankara for more than a year and helped to reorganize the administration of the local Church.   In June 1876, the Patriarch convened the historic Mulanthuruthy Synod that gave birth to the popular and democratic 'Malankara Syrian Christian Association' and elevated Mor Dionysius Joseph (Pulikottil Thirumeni) as its first metropolitan President, designated as Malankara Metropolitan. Soon after H.H. ordained six Metropolitans for the newly formed dioceses; Saint Mor Gregorios (Parumala Thirumeni) was one among them.

The Malankara Church was very thankful for the sincere efforts of the Holy See for all the help they received, particularly during the period of great crisis.  For the continuance of the crusade against the western protestant missionaries, they preferred to have a representative of the Holy See, as before, to profess the true Apostolic faith of the Syrian Church.  This request was again submitted before their spiritual supreme, the Patriarch of Antioch & all the East.   But His Holiness left for the Patriarchal Headquarters at Mardin in Turkey, without taking a final decision.  The Patriarch was very reluctant in sending another delegate from the Middle East, since there were already six metropolitans besides the Malankara Metropolitan 'Mor Dionysius V' to administer the Malankara Syrian Christian community.  Anyhow a few years later, on the continuous requests of the Malankara Church, the Patriarch Mor Ignatius Peter IV decided to send a delegate of the Holy See and Mor Athanasius Shem`un was entrusted with this mission.  

Deacon Sleebo in India

Deacon Sleebo, who was then 27, accompanied the newly appointed Patriarchal delegate, Shem`un Mor Athanasius to Malankara and reached Cochin on 1<sup>st</sup>  January 1881.  They stayed at Kottayam 'PuthenPally' and preached the Holy Gospel of Our Lord, both within our Church and outside.   During this period, the nearby Kottayam 'St.Mary's CheriaPally' and 'Old Seminary' were under the influence of reformists (later Marthoma Syrian Church).  In 1889, when the Old Seminary was returned to the Jacobite Syrian Church following a court verdict,  Dn. Sleeba and  Shem`un Mor Athanasius stayed there and taught Syriac.

The sudden demise of the Patriarchal delegate Mor Athanasius Shem`un on 11^th June 1889 was an unexpected blow for Dn.Sleeba.  He is said to have remained alone for many days.  He may have felt lonely in a land far away from his native place.   Subsequently our Lord gave him strength to overcome the situation and after a short interval, he continued to preach the Holy Gospel, travelling throughout Malankara.   His speeches were in Syriac and the main translators were Dn. Mathew (later Catholicos Augen I ), Dn. M.J.Michael of Kayamkulam (later Michael Mor Dionysius of Kottayam & southern dioceses) and  Fr. P.P. Joseph (father of late Catholicos Baselios Paulose II).  The annual conventions held during those times in Aluva Manalpuram (river side), were very famous with his speeches and attracted many to our Holy Church.   He used to stay at the convention site for the entire period, without much food, thus saving the money and kind he received and donated it to the needy.  His dedication made him so popular; the poor considered him as great prophet and as a friend in need.  (The annual conventions held at Aluva Manalpuram were the first of its kind, anywhere in Malankara. The famous Maramon Convention started only a few years later).

Deacon Sleebo  and  Chathuruthy Mor Gregorios (Parumala Thirumeni)

After the demise of his teacher, Dn.Sleeba came closer with Mor Gregorios Geevarghese (Parumala Thirumeni).  Dn.Sleeba's thorough knowledge of Syriac was one of the primary reasons for their intimate relationship which continued until the last of Thirumeni.   St.Anthony of Egypt, the Coptic monk who lived in the 3rd century was the Patron Saint of both.   Like Parumala Thirumeni, Dn.Sleeba too was very conscious in regular Prayers, lent & meditation.   All these factors may have been ingredients for their increased intimacy.   During the pilgrimage to the holy city of Jerusalem in 1895, Dn.Sleeba accompanied the delegation on the special request of Parumala Thirumeni.   Also among the group were Kochuparambil Paulose Ramban (later Paulose Mor Kurillos - Panampady Church, the Malankara Metropolitan of the Jacobite Syrian Church, 1911-1917) and  Wattasseril Fr. Geevarghese (Malankara Metropolitan, 1909).   St Gregorious in his famous travelogue "Oorsalem Yatra", has mentioned about Dn.Sleeba's help at many occasions and also about their stay at the 'Sehion Malika'/Dayaro of Markose at Jerusalem.   The passing away of Parumala Thirumeni on 2^nd Nov 1902 is said to be one of the saddest moments in the life of Dn.Sleeba after the demise of his teacher Mor Athanasius Shem`un.   He was at Parumala during the last ceremonies of the saintly Thirumeni and remained there for many more days.

Dn.Sleeba, though only 6 years younger than Parumala Thirumeni, remained as a Deacon until he reached 52 in 1906.   During these days his emphasize was on the preaching of Holy Gospel among the mass and guided the theological students.   The ordination of Dn. Sleeba as the Metropolitan was at the age of 54, six years after the demise of Parumala Thirumeni. 

Journey to the Patriarchal Dayro at Turkey

In 1906 a Patriarchal bull reached Malankara, requesting Dn. Sleebo to reach the Dayro at Mosul (Iraq) for his ordination as Metropolitan.  Before his departure to Mosul, a grand public reception was given to Dn.Sleeba  by Joseph Mor Dionysius, the Malankara Metropolitan and was presented with a gold chain and Cross as a gift of the Malankara Church.  He together with Deacon Mathai of Cheettalathumkara (later Catholicos Mor Augen I) left for Mosul the same year. Thus after 25 years in Malankara as a deacon, in 1906 Deacon Sleebo was ordained as Kassisso (Full Priest) at the age of 52 and two weeks later as 'RAMBAN' (Monk Priest) by Mor Kurillos Elias Qudsho, at the Monastery of Mor Mattay, near Mosul.  The Priestly consecration ceremony of Deacon Mathai was also held on the same occasion.

Monastery of Mor Mattai - Iraq

{Source: Hidden Pearl}

Later 'Ramban Sleebo' and 'Mathai Kassisso'  went to  'Kurkkuma Dayro'  (Deir'ul Zaffaran Monastery in Turkey) and stayed with the new Patriarch Mor Ignatius Abded'Aloho (Abdullah II) for  some days.  From there they went to the house of our Sleebo Ramban at the 'Kapferzo' village in Tur'Abdin (Present Turkey).   Ramban Sleebo's only sister was living there.   For the next two years, Ramban Sleeba together with Deacon Mathai visited many of the nearby Syriac churches and preached the Holy Gospel.  (Deacon Mathai became well versed in Syriac during his long stay with his close friend Ramban Sleebo.   He was later ordained as Metropolitan by Patriarch H H Ignatius Elias III in 1927  and as Catholicos Augen I by Patriarch H H Ignatius Yakoob III  in 1964). 

METROPOLITAN  CONSECRATION

In March 1908, 'Ramban Sleebo'  was consecrated Metropolitan with the title MOR OSTHATHEOS,  by the Patriarch of Antioch Moran Mor Ignatius Abded'Aloho (Abdullah II), at the church of the 'Forty Martyrs' in Mosul and appointed him as the Apostolic Delegate of the Holy See to India, succeeding his mentor Mor Athanasius Shem`un.   

On 31st May the same year, Kochuparambil Paulose Mor Kurillos and  Wattasseril Geevarghese Mor Dionysius were also ordained as Metropolitans at the St.Mark's Dayro in Jerusalem by Patriarch Mor Ignatius Abded' Aloho (Abdulla II).  RAMBAN ordination of Deacon Mathai (later Mor Augen Thimotheos) was also on that occasion. (Wattesseril Mor Dionysius become the Malankara Metropolitan in 1909 following the demise of Pulikottil Joseph Mor Dionysius the previous year.  Two years later, the saintly Kochuparambil Paulose Mor Kurillos was elevated to the highest order of Malankara Metropolitan.) 

Mor Osthatheos Sleebo  appointed  the Patriarchal delegate to India

After the Metropolitan consecration, Mor Osthatheos Sleebo, along with the other two newly ordained bishops and Ramban Augen, returned to India and assumed the responsibility of the Patriarchal representative in Malankara.  When the Malankara Metropolitan Mor Dionysius Joseph passed away in 1908, Mor Osthatheos Sleebo was given charge of the Malankara church administration temporarily.  In 1909 the Apostolic Bull appointing Wattasseril Mor Dionysius as Malankara Metropolitan was issued by the Patriarch Mor Ignatius Abdulla II.  Unfortunately, a major split occurred in the Malankara Syrian community just two years later in 1911; Wattasseril Mor Dionysius emerged as the leader of the dissident group.  It was actually the disputes between Wattasseril Thirumeni and his co-trustees, Fr. Konattu Mathen Malpan (Priest trustee) and Akkara C.J. Kurien (lay trustee), that led to the sad split.  The conflict intensified with the co-trustees openly demanding for more transparency in financial matters which the Metropolitan trustee Mor Dionysius Wattasseril could not accept at all.  When complaints against the Methran reached the visiting Patriarch Moran Mor Ignatius Abdulla II, His Holiness asked for explanation; this prompted the agitated Wattasseril Methran to revolt against the supreme pontiff.  Since then a group called "Methran's party" started functioning in Malankara under the leadership of Wattasseril Mar Dionysius Methran and his colleagues.

These disputes made the responsibility of Mor Osthatheos Bava even more greater; he along with the newly elected Malankara Metropolitan Paulose Mor Kurillos (Panampady) and Paulose Mor Athanasius (Valiya Thirumeni) worked tirelessly to retain the true apostolic faith of the Syrian Church. 

Founding of the Arthat St.Mary's Simhasana church,  Kunnamkulam

Consequent to the separation of section from the Malankara Syrian Church, disputes started to erupt in many of the parishes. Though almost the entire faithful in North Kerala remained in the Holy Church, there was a vertical split in Kunnamkulam, a prominent Syrian Christian centre.  The intensive disputes in the Kunnamkulam St. Mary's church (Arthat Valiyapally) resulted in great hardships for supporters of  both the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Christians as well as for the faction under Wattasseril Thirumeni.   Mor Osthatheos Bava tried his maximum to avert the sad split, but when he understood that his mission is failing, he requested the Jacobite faithful to find a suitable place for worship and thus to avoid direct confrontation with the opposite group.   But this decision of our Holy Father was not acceptable for the prominent persons of the Syrian community; they wanted to retain their rights in the ancient church.  However, Mor Osthatheos Bava was finally successful in convincing them on the need for a peaceful atmosphere for worshipping.  Thus a place near the Old Church was bought in 1919 and was registered in the name of the Holy See of Antioch.  During the construction of this church which lasted for many years, Mor Osthatheos Bava stayed in a house made of bamboo and thatched with coconut leaves.  With the efforts of Mor Osthatheos Bava, a small church was built and was  named "ST.MARY'S SIMHASANA CHURCH".  The church was consecrated on 12^th October 1919.

The St. Mary's church at Vadavukodu (near Karingachira Church), was another famous parish established and consecrated by Mor Osthatheos Bava.  During his stay at the church, many were cured through the Holy relics of MOR QAWMO which he brought from the Syrian Orthodox Church in Turabdin.  Portions of the Holy relic are interred in many other churches also.  The Malecuriz St.George Dayro near Puthencuriz, was established during this period.  The St. George's Church at Nedumbasserry (near Cochin International Airport) was founded at the place were Mor Osthatheos Sleebo insisted.  Mor Osthatheos travelled to a great number of churches and led many peace negotiations in spite of his age and health.  Unfortunately he was unsuccessful due to the stubborn attitude of the dissidents.  

HEAVENLY ABODE OF THE HOLY FATHER  &  THE PATRIARCHAL PROCLAMATION

On 19th  March 1930 at the age of 76, Mor Osthatheos Bava passed away and his mortal remains were interred at the Arthat St.Mary's Simhasana church, Kunnamkulam.  This church is now a major pilgrim centre of the Malankara Syrian Christians.  Because of the tomb of the saintly father, the church came to be popularly known as 'Bava Pally' (the church of Mor Osthatheos Bava). 

In 2000, the visiting Patriarch of Antioch & all the East, through bull dated 9th April, officially proclaimed Mor Osthatheos Sleebo and Mor Gregorios`Abdul Galeel as Saintly Holy Fathers, thereby permitting to recite the 'Quqalya' hymns and prayers of the 'Zadeeqo' (saints) at their tombs and  beseech their intercession. (Patriarchal Encyclical dated April 9th, 2000).

Mor Osthatheos Bava, the Saintly Father 

Mor Osthatheos Bava was one of the pioneers of the Sunday School movement in Malankara.  He ministered for the Church in Malankara, establishing and consecrating many number of Parishes.  St. Paulose Mor Athanasius, (Malankara Metropolitan, 1917-53) & Malankara Malpan Konatt Mathen Corepiscopa were his closest companions during his stay in Malankara as Patriarchal delegate.  Many of his students became famous personalities in the Syrian Church.  Mookencheril Pathros Mor Osthatheos, the late Metropolitan of the Methran faction was one of his disciples. 

("Sleeba Daasa Samooham", a missionary group in the Malankara Church was started by Mookkencheril Pathros Mor Osthatheos, under the initiative and guidance of St. Sleeba Mor Osthatheos Bava, in 1924.  Mookkencheril Thirumeni who was the first administrator of the organization, was then a Kassisso (Priest) of the Jacobite Syrian Orthodox Church under the Holy See of Antioch.)

The two famous scholarly books, "Misiha Aiyaka Swabhawam" ('Messianic Character', published in 1904) & "Yakkobayakkar" ('Jacobites', published in 1905), originally written in Syriac by Mor Osthatheos Bava and translated into Malayalam by Rev. Fr. P P Joseph, are some of his masterpieces. It was in circulation until recently. During his life time itself he was considered as a holy person.  His tireless efforts  in spreading the Word of God attracted many to the faith.  Mor Osthatheos lived a life of extreme simplicity spending most of his time in prayer and meditation.  His concentration & dedication in prayer was extraordinary.  His piety was known far and wide.  He hardly had any material possessions, yet was happy to help the poor and needy.  His foods at many times were only prayer & meditation.  Even during these circumstances he helped the needy by donating whatever he had.  His prayers healed many sick, and those who were childless were blessed with children.  Many are baptized in the name 'SLEEBA'.  The church were his mortal remains are interred is often mentioned as "BAVA PALLY", so called after the saintly Bava.   Annual pilgrimage on the remembrance day to his Holy Tomb is very popular.  

Photos

Short  Biographies of  Mor Osthatheos Bava  in  Malayalam