Fr. Harold Kiliroor CMI Birthcentenary

JANMASATHABDI OF REV. FR. HAROLD KILIROOR CMI

In October 2010 we dedicate one day as a day of remembrance of Rev. Fr. Harold Kiliroor C.M.I. In this month falls his 100th Birthday. Achan Kochayan (as we all in the family used to call him) was born on 27th October 1910 at Kariyil House, Pulincunnoo as the eldest son of Kiliroor Mathappichan (Idikkula Mathan) and Kariyil Oromma (Rosamma). Although his official name was K.M. Chacko, at home he was better known in the pet name of Kuriakochen. He had his school education at St. Aloysisus Edathua and because of his excellence in studies he earned the admiration of his teachers and classmates. Once, by the school inspection, his answers to the questions of the inspector were so good that the inspector himself praised him for his academic excellence.

From his father he had imbibed a solid Eucharistic spirituality and a deep piety to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Perhaps because of this inheritance, after having passed the Schoolfinal examinations with the E.S.L.C., he wanted to become a Carmelite priest. The close contacts with his two priest grand uncles Rev. Frs. Kusumos and Damianose Chittoothra and his two priest grand cousins and Rev. Frs. Joseph Elias B.A. L.T. and Ananias B.A. Punnoor (through his grand mother Pulincunnoo Punnoor Mariamma), especially that of Rev. Fr. Joseph Elias prompted his decision to join the Carmelites. Later Achan Kochayan himself has described the scene as his father, full of tears, said fare well and good bye to him at Mannanam. It was in 1930 that he joined the religious order of T.O.C.D. (The name of the order was later changed to C.M.I.) and began his studies for priesthood. On November 26th 1932 he made his First Vows. As it is custom in the religious orders, at the time of profession, he received a new name: Harold.

On 18th May 1940 he was ordained a priest by Bishop Mar James Kalassery. The first station of his monastic priestly ministry was at Poonjar. Later on he came to Pavaratty. During his stay at Pavaratty monastery, he joined the Teacher's Training School there and successfully completed the course which gave him a T.T.C. and paved the way for his apostolate in the school. Fr. Harold was interested in the liturgical language of Syriac and he took the degree of Malpan from the Madras university and so he was known as Malpanachan among his brethren. Later he used to teach this liturgical language to the candidates to priesthood at Mannanam. However, his life apostolate was dedicated to the youngsters in the middle school. He lives even now in the hearts and memories of ever so many hundreds of his pupils. Although he lived and served in different Carmelite monasteries at Poonjar, Pavaratty, Mannanam, Champakulam, Pulincunnoo and Muttar, the longest of his school teacher's life was at the Sacred Heart U.P. School attached to Gagultha Monastery Champakualm. He joined the School first as a teacher and later as Fr. Climakkus retired from the post of Head Master, he became the Head Master of the school. It was his untiring efforts that kept the school going. Often he has spoken of the difficulty to get children, so that the school may continue without division fall. There were times when on inspection days the Valavara Vallam of the monastery was sent to the houses of children to get them in time to the school. His students remember even now his special interest to organize and conduct a boat race with Churulan Vallam on the Feast of Sacred Heart. Through that he inspired many youngsters and many of them were later leading paddlers for the famous Chundan Vallams of Champakulam. In order to get physical exercise, he invented a new ball play with wooden bat so that in a matter of minutes he could get enough exercise. He served in this school till his retirement at the age. Then he was transferred to the Carmelite Monastery at Pulincunnoo.

That his main field of activity was in the school doesn't mean that other fields of priestly ministry were neglected. Fr. Harold was a good retreat preacher in the parishes and convents. The pastoral care of the present parish of Narbonapuram (at that time a filial Church of Chennamkary) was in the hands of Fr. Harold for many years. At that time, when road facilities were very meagre in Kuttanadu, he had to come to Chempumpuram (that was its name at that time) with the help of monastery's vallam. He was also the chaplain of the adoration sisters at Bethlehem church (Kochupally) Champakulam. He was a very patient confessor who sat for hours in the confessional. Students of St. Aloysius Edathua remember him as a regular confessor of students on First Fridays. Even on the eve of his death on Friday the 20th of January 1978, he had helped to hear confession at the Muttar New Church. He was an ardent worker for the cause of canonization of Chavara Kuriakose Elias achan, Sr. Alphonsa and Sr. Mercy. Wherever he went for retreats, he didn't forget to give all the participants pictures of these three with prayers for their being raised to the honour of the altar printed behind. However, he didn't have the fortune to witness the raising of the first two to the status of Blessed in January 1986.

Perhaps another field of his activity is also to be mentioned - namely the literary field. Fr. Harold was an author of a number of books - many of them one-act-plays. The other two books, of which I know, are one on vocation and the other a biography of St. Francis of Assisi. He was a pioneer in the field of biblical-one-act-plays. Many of them were written for competitions in the school. Later, they were published as Collections of 2, 10, 12 and 24 one-act-plays. The life of many Kuttanadan families is well reflected in these plays. In a foreword written to one of the collections, the famous author of Malayalam - Thakazhy Sivasankara Pillai - wrote about the ability of Fr. Harold to go deep into the details of everyday life of ordinary people in Kuttanadu. The first books of Fr. Harold were printed at Velankalam Printers, Champakulam. The later ones came out from Vidyarthimithram, Kottayam.

I would like to mention a speciality of his character: his child-like simplicity. Even at the time of his retired life, he was so simple as a child - his innocent laughter, childlike phantasy, ability to wonder at things as children do and his readiness to believe have touched me very much. Sometimes I did doubt whether this simplicity is good at all. But now I am of opinion, it is a blessing from the Almighty, which we have to take care to develop as long as we live. He could be wonderfully happy about small things or events. I could experience it very often as he was Prior at Muttar Monastery. He used to come to Changanassery market for purchasing things for the monastery and at noon he was my guest at the Cathedral parish house and later at the St. Joseph's Orphanage Press.

What his relatives remember even now about Fr. Harold is his ability to enlarge and keep up the connections with our family relatives. There was seldom a burial or a marriage among our relatives in which he did not take part. Whenever and wherever he went for pastoral duties, he made use of those opportunities to come into personal contact with our family relatives. I remember how he used to explain to me in my first years of priesthood our family's relation to this or that family in detail. Sorry to say that in those younger days one is not interested in this narration of relations. Today, at an advanced age, I would have welcomed such a source very much. But he is no more there. I am very sure that if he were alive, we would have had a more complete, correct and comprehensive history of our family even earlier. Since I knew that it was his dream, in his absence, I began to take initiatives for a Kudumbayogam and family history from 1985 on. In this case too, when it was realized in 1997, he was no more there to see the book, in which his dream came true.

The Immaculate Conception Carmelite Monastery at Muttar was Fr. Harold's last field of activity. He was transferred from Pulicunnoo to this monastery in 1973 and appointed it’s Prior. Since there was nobody at this time in the monastery to take up the job of Procurator, he had to take up that too. He was much concerned about the liturgical life of the people who came to the monastery chapel for religious functions. During his time, the chapel was renewed. Transfer of faith to the coming generation was an important aspect in his pastoral activity. With this in view he organized the Sunday School catechism more efficiently and built a Sunday School building for this sake. He saw the need of caring for the formation of children already in the pre-primary age. With this in mind, under his inspiration the monastery donated the necessary plot of land at the eastern side of the compound, so that Mahila Samajam could build a Balavady. The money for this purpose was collected from the public and from funding agencies. For him faith in Christ, declared in the most solemn way at the Eucharist, the summit and source of religious life, had to be incarnated in daily life. Privation and poverty stood against the fullness of life, which we aim at. So social work was something which naturally followed from the declaration of faith. His attempts to start a tailoring institute for unemployed girls of the locality show this conviction. Step by step, the monastery became an integral part of the social development activities organized by the archdiocese.

As mentioned above on 19th January 1978 Thursday evening, he helped at Muttar New Church in hearing confessions during St. Antony’s Feast. He was also the President of the meeting at the Church yard in the evening. He had chronic Asthma problems. On Friday morning as he was doing morning washing, he felt chest pain. He called Fr. Pius and told him about the pain. They both decided to go the hospital. At that time the only way to travel was Vallam and the servant was alerted and they began the journey. On the way perhaps because of his pain, he repeatedly recited the name of Jesus - Fr. Pius recollected later that "Eeso, Amme" these were the words on his lips. Fr. Pius asked him whether he would like to go to the hospital at Edathua or Muttar. He preferred to go to Edathua. Having reached the hospital of Ettil at Edathua, he himself walked up to the hospital. There followed a check up by the doctor and he was admitted in the hospital. Fr. Pius told me that Fr. Harold was given an injection by a sister. Shortly after 9' O Clock he died. How did he die? What was the cause of his death? Was it a heavy cardiac arrest? Questions which remain open even today.

Fr. Pius, a simple elderly priest, was perplexed. He didn't know what to do. He went to the parish church. On his way he happened to meet Vaypoor Kuttappan, owner Peediackal Stores, and told him that Fr. Harold Kiliroor is dead. He immediately telephoned the procurator (Fr. John Kallarackal) at the Archbishop's house who in turn gave me the news per telephone to the Press that my uncle Fr. Harold is seriously sick at Edathua hospital and the only jeep (at that time) at the Archbishop's house was ready to take me to Edathua. This offer of the jeep made be a little bit suspicious about the seriousness of the situation. As I came to the hospital, there were the close relatives already there. I had to face the reality that my uncle is no more. The adoration sisters of the convent were very helpful. The dead body was washed and dressed in priestly vestments, donated from his home parish church of Edathua and transferred to a coffin. The body was taken to the parish church and we had an office for the dead. Then in a special boat the dead body was transferred to the monastery chapel at Muttar. In the mean time the sad news of his death had spread in the neighbourhood of the monastery. A good number of faithful were gathered in front of the monastery as we arrived there at about 3.p.m. The coffin was set on an Esthi in the middle of the Church and we sung the office of the dead with all those who were gathered there.

We - his four brothers and sister Sr. Crisantham and some of the relatives - spent the night in prayer. For my aunt Sr. Crisantham, this was perhaps the most sorrowful night in her life. Nobody was prepared to communicate the news of his death to his mother - my grand mother. Finally, I was delegated to do that. One can imagine the sorrow of the mother who had hoped all thorough out her life that her priest son would be at the side of her death bed. That was the first time that I saw this strong lady weeping. The burial was on the next day. We began with a Holy Mass in concelebration of six priests. The Provincial Very Rev. Fr. Lucas Vithuvattikkal CMI was the main celebrant. Rev. Fr. Ayithmattam held the funeral oration. And then the rite of burial followed. There were about 70 sisters and 50 priests and more than 500 people who took part in the lunch after the burial. A good number of people returned already before the lunch. He was buried in a special grave carved out in the monastery chapel. I do not know whether it is a coincidence that his priest grand cousin Fr. Joseph Elias Punnoor also died at Muttar and is buried there in the monastery chapel. There in the church rest the mortal remains of Fr. Harold, a religious man, a simple priest, a zealous teacher, a literary writer, an ardent preacher, a patient confessor and above all a loving person. May the Lord grant him eternal peace in his heavenly kingdom.

Fr. Dr. Mathew Kiliroor

Fr. Harold Kiliroor CMI Birthcentenary

Sunday 8 August 2010

Remembering Fr. Harold CMI

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