Honouring Mother Theresa of Calcutta is not Enough for Orthodox Christians

Three Christian Missionaries who lived for the poor and downtrodden regardless of their religious affiliation in the Indian Sub-continent. Saintly Mother Teresa, Saintly Metropolitan Alvares Mar Julius, and Saintly Mother Gerontissa Gabriela.

George Alexander
Dept. of Church Research and Studies – Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE- 23/1/16

Read More about – Gerontissa Gabrielia: 
http://orthodoxwiki.org/Gabrielia_(Papayannis)

Purchase a copy of the Book: 
Mother Gavrilia: The Ascetic of Love

Read More about Metropolitan Alvares Julius and his Life:
http://ocpsociety.org/alvares/

Also, Read -Champions of the Reunion Movement in India – Metropolitan Alvares Julius & Padre Rock Zeferino Beatified:
http://ocpsociety.org/blog/news/?p=45276

Mother of the poor, Teresa of Calcutta (1910 -1997) is well-known to all. There is no need for any introduction or explanation of her life and work. People from all walks of life revere Mother Teresa and her missionary works in India. Many Orthodox Christians love and admire her. At the same time, Orthodox Christian forget to talk about two legendary missionaries who lived and worked in India. They are Metropolitan Alvares Julius (Oriental Orthodox) and Mother Graveliea (Eastern Orthodox).

The Missionary life of Metropolitan Alvares Julius (1836 –1923)
Alvares Julius of Goa was a former Roman Catholic priest who reunited with the Indian Orthodox Malankara Church. He is known as the ‘Apostle of Charity.’ He was a true missionary champion who established several Orthodox Missions in Goa, North East India, South Indi a and Sri Lanka. He had a reach even to the UK and Europe. He took care of poor and the sick. The Bishop was a great educator, social worker, and philanthropist. He started some newspapers and magazines, published many books and generated awareness among the people of Goa on the bad effects of contagious diseases. In Panaji, Goa he ran a house for poor destitute as well as leprosy and tuberculosis patients. There is an interesting incident that happened in the life of Metropolitan Alvares. Once Metropolitan Alvares begged in front of a shopkeeper for contributions and the angry shopkeeper spat on his bowl. –Alvares said, “All right, I shall keep this for me. Now, give something for the poor.” This response made the shopkeeper in contributing generously. He lived as a beggar; he lived for Christ, he lived for the poor and less privileged ones.

The Missionary Life of Mother Graveliea (1897-1992)
Born as Avrilia Papayanni in Constantinople 1897, her family moved to Thessaloniki in 1923. She got trained as chiropodist and physiotherapist in England. She also opened her clinic in Athens. After her mum’s death, she moved to India to work for the poor and sick. Elder Graviela lived a simple life and also served at Baba Amte’s Anandwan (a Caring institution for Leprosy Patients) several years taking care of leprosy patients. Gravilea was among the first foreign workers to serve at the institution. A disciple of Swami Sivananda of Hrishikesh, she was known by the name Sister Leela to the inmates of Anandwan. She lived simple and devoted her life for the sick and poor. Sister Graviela was a good friend of Fr Lazarus Moore, the great Orthodox Missionary Champion, who took care of the families of the sick and downtrodden in India and several other parts of the world.

Treating Indira Gandhi
The then Prime Minister of India, Indira Gandhi was suffering from shoulder and neck pain. She consulted several doctors and tried numerous medicines with no success. Finally, she consulted Sister Graviela. Sister Gravelia applied her physiotherapy skills to the great leader of India. Indira felt much better. The Prime Minister was at peace from the long-time pain. At the same time, she was astonished by the treating skills of this simple Orthodox Christian nun. Indira thanked Mother and said, “You have fairy hands.” Indira was pretty impressed with the psychotherapy skills of Mother Gabrielia. Mother Gabriella used to visit the office of the iconic Indian leader. Their friendship was precious by all means. Their story is mentioned in the book ‘Mother Gavrilia: The Ascetic of Love.’ But their relationship remains unknown to many people.

Unknown Missionaries of Charity and Love
Unfortunately, Metropolitan Alvares Julius and Mother Graviela remain unknown to many people in Indian and abroad. They have never received worldwide recognition like Mother Teresa of Calcutta. Some experts have even commented that many activities of Mother Teresa were modeled upon the Charity and Missionary works of Metropolitan Alvares Julius. Am not sure whether Mother Teresa knew Metropolitan Julius or Elder Graviela. Unlike Mother Teresa, Alvares Julius and Graviela did not have the financial, material, religious or political back up. Their sacrifice for Christ and the poor remains buried deep inside somewhere. Mother Teresa did something others could not do; she was a person who lived for and with the poor. But neither Elder Graviela nor Metropolitan Alvares did anything less than that of Mother Teresa. The world should know their pious act of love, charity, and human service.

Orthodox Christians have a great responsibility to promote Metropolitan Alvares and Mother Graviela. Unfortunately due to the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox divisions, lack of a common platform for Orthodox churches and lack of unified promotions, these two great personalities remain unknown to most of the people. The Oriental Orthodox Christians have not shown that much of interest in Mother Graviela as she belonged to Eastern Orthodox Communion and Eastern Orthodox faithful seems to be less interested with Metropolitan Alvares as he belonged to Oriental Orthodox Communion. Above all these factors, the most important aspect is that both personalities were not given worldwide coverage by Orthodox Churches nor the international media. The first step should come from the Orthodox Church. The push should come from their respective Orthodox jurisdictions and should be circulated on global secular and non-secular platforms.

The legacy of Metropolitan Alvares was not taken care until recent times. In 2015, the Indian Orthodox Malankara Church declared him as a regional saint. Reports from Greece says that Mother Graveila shall be canonized. She remains well-known in Greece and some Eastern Orthodox circles, but I doubt her fame beyond that. Metropolitan Alvares is not known beyond the Indian and Syriac Orthodox circles, not even among the entire Oriental Orthodox communion. This is the case with many of the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox missionary champions and saints. St Francis Xavier, St Francis of Assisi and St. Therese of Lisieux (St. Little Teresa) are widely known among the Orthodox faithful and the public, thanks to the enormous financial, social and political influence of Vatican.

It is not about creating personality cults, but it is all about propagating the goodness and love of these two revered people. If Mother Teresa is known worldwide, then why not Metropolitan Alvares and Mother Graveila?

Source:
Dept. of Church Research and Studies
Orthodoxy Cognate PAGE