Prominent Figures of the Kerala Church-72
Prof. K.T. Sebastian
Professor K.T. Sebastian has been making valuable contributions to the fields of religious and cultural education for the past fifty years. He is not only known in Kerala but also at national and global levels as a prominent figure in the church. His dedication to the laity is seen as a divine calling. His leadership skills and commitment in this area have been recognized at the highest levels of the church.
In the context of the Vatican’s synod on church renewal, Prof. Sebastian was appointed as the sole representative from the Pontifical Council for the Laity. He was also the first member to be admitted to the Indian Theological Association and served as the first principal of the Theological Institute for the Laity, which was established for laity studies in India. He is known as the author of the first published book on laity theology in India, highlighting his significant contributions to church leadership that are well recognized.
Currently, he remains actively involved in educational, religious, and cultural sectors.
Born on July 13, 1927, in the Kurishungalparambu near Changanassery Metropolitan Church to parents Ouseppachan and Annamma, he received his primary education at the nearby St. Mary’s L.P. School and government school, followed by high school education at St. Berchmans, and college education up to B.A. at St. Berchmans College (1945-49), where he chose Sanskrit as his optional language. His main subject in college was Economics, taught by professors M.P. Paul and C.A. Shepherd.
After completing his B.A., he briefly worked in journalism in Bombay. He was a tutor at Tevara College for two years (1949-51) and then at S.B. College for another year. The principals of Tevara and S.B. College, Theodosius and B. Viliyamach respectively, greatly aided in shaping Sebastian’s personality. He completed his M.A. in English Language and Literature at Madras Christian College (Thambaram) from 1952-54. Along with his English studies, he gained valuable insights into college education from the Scottish missionaries, including Principal Dr. Boyd, who were part of that esteemed institution.In 1954, he returned to S.B. College as a lecturer. Archbishop Kavu katt greatly encouraged Prof. Sebastian, who was very interested in church affairs. When discussing the call of God with his father, the father said, “Sebastian can do more as a layperson than a priest.” This was a turning point in Sebastian’s life, which he viewed as a divine appointment for lay ministry.
According to the interests of Father Kavu katt, from 1960 to 1963, Prof. Sebastian studied for an M.Ed. at Loyola University in Chicago. His training for teaching was part of a plan to start a training college for the diocese in Changanassery. The father likely had greater ambitions in this regard, believing that education in Chicago would help develop theological thoughts. His studies in Chicago coincided with the Second Vatican Council, where the new perspectives and revelations from the council were topics of discussion among enlightened laypeople. The first lessons he learned on the Theology of the Laity came from his time in Chicago. He returned home in 1963 with new dreams about the church.
Except for three years spent in America, Prof. Sebastian served at S.B. College from 1954 until his retirement in 1983 as the head of the department. After retirement, he served for a short time as the principal of the ‘Gurukulam’ college started by B. Thomas Moore C.M.I. in Alappuzha and then for five years from 1986 at the ‘Yuvadipthi’ college under the archdiocese at Cherthala. Since most of the students at both institutions came from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and were not able to study well, it was indeed a form of social service.
Prof. Sebastian’s entry into public life was through social service. During his college years, the life of Frédéric Ozanam, the founder of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, inspired him. He became a member of the St. Vincent de Paul St. Mary’s Conference in Edavaka, serving as president of the Particular Council and as president of the Central Council of the Archdiocese of Changanassery, leading charitable activities. He worked in this field until he went abroad for further studies. After returning from America, he noticed a shift in social perspectives. While relief efforts provided temporary aid to the poor, he realized that it was essential to pave the way for social change through development and liberation initiatives. As a committed Catholic educator, he participated in training programs to encourage students to work towards a new social reality.From 1964 to 1970, Prof. Sebastian served as the state president of the Kerala Catholic Students’ Union (K.C.S.L), which was the main Catholic student organization for university students. He took over the leadership from Prof. P.T. Thomas, who had provided exemplary service for a long time, at an age under forty. This organization, which was once a training ground for Christian students—especially college students in Kerala—had, after Father Onera’s time, evolved into something resembling a ‘devotional organization,’ and its activities were limited to a few dioceses in central Kerala.
In the spirit of the Vatican’s synod, there was a positive response to the efforts of the new president to renew this organization and expand its activities across all dioceses in Kerala in a meaningful way. When the organization celebrated its golden jubilee in 1967 at Alappuzha Leo XIII School, it received support and cooperation from priests across all dioceses in Kerala. The differences did not hinder the organized activities and unity of K.C.S.L. The jubilee marked the beginning of a new chapter in the growth of K.C.S.L.
Although he stepped down from the presidency in 1970, he continued to work for the renewal and growth of this student movement, considering its importance and the benefits it could bring to the church and society. He had the opportunity to renew the organization in accordance with the evolving social circumstances under the spirit of the Vatican’s synod, alongside a few youth animators from Kerala. This opportunity arose from an intensive training program organized for youth animators in Bangalore in 1973.
With the help of experts at national and international levels, this month-long training covered topics such as theology, liturgy, social justice, Christian education, group dynamics, and counseling, providing many new insights and practical training. This training program helped increase commitment to church activities, especially youth ministry programs. The program significantly assisted him and the new leadership in timely renewing and strengthening K.C.S.L in line with the Vatican’s spirit.
After lengthy discussions and reflections, a new roadmap for K.C.S.L’s activities was developed. Prof. Sebastian was pleased to have been able to initiate events that became turning points in the history of the organization.
The following two to three decades marked a continuous period of activity for him at the local, national, and global church levels. His work as a college professor was carried out without any barriers, fully engaging with the college and the students.
Following the Vatican Synod, when the directive to form diocesan pastoral councils came from Rome, the then Archbishop of Changanassery, Father Kavukattu, initiated the necessary actions. Since the first pastoral council was convened in 1967, Prof. Sebastian has been the only continuous member of this council. When Father Padiyara, a successor to Father Kavukattu, came from the Udhagamandalam diocese, he provided full support for the renewal and reorganization of the pastoral council. The constitution that Prof. Sebastian drafted for the Changanassery Archdiocesan Pastoral Council later became a model for all dioceses in India.
In line with the spirit of the Second Vatican Council and its documents, Prof. Sebastian played a significant role in organizing the regional seminar held in Aluva as part of the Church in India Seminar aimed at renewing the Indian Church. Subsequently, he also led discussions at the national seminar held in Bangalore in 1969, focusing on leadership in the Church.
Based on the documents from the Vatican Synod and the recommendations from the Church in India Seminar, Prof. Sebastian was elected to a national advisory committee formed to provide suggestions for renewing the Indian Church. He served continuously on this committee from 1974 to 1983. He presented reports assessing the Indian Church and instructed how the Church should respond to contemporary issues in India, leading discussions on these matters. Participating in these conferences across various dioceses provided him with opportunities to study the Indian Church in depth.
There had been complaints from the beginning that the bishops’ committee was not advancing according to the recommendations of the national advisory committee. Prof. Sebastian was tasked with addressing what the national advisory committee expected from the bishops’ committee during a joint meeting of the NAC and CBCI. At a conference held in Bombay in 1977, he proposed several recommendations to strengthen the national advisory committee. Based on these, the bishops’ committee appointed a three-member committee to reorganize the NAC and make its operations more effective. Father John Vallamattam, the then Deputy Secretary of CBCI, served as the convenor, and both Prof. V.V. John and Prof. Sebastian were members of this committee. It was based on this committee’s recommendations that the NAC (National Advisory Committee) was reorganized into the Catholic Council of India (CCI).
During this period, Prof. Sebastian was also a member of various commissions in the bishops’ committee related to laity, Christian life, and education. He took the initiative to form a special commission for the laity. The recommendations he submitted regarding this commission were approved at the bishops’ committee general assembly held in Ranchi in 1979. Prior to this, there was only a general commission for the laity and families. The formation of a special commission for the laity, with Bishop Patrick D’Souza as its chair and Father Benedict Jose from Thiruvananthapuram as its secretary, marked a new development in the ministry of the laity within the Indian Church.Since the establishment of the NBCLC (National Biblical Catechetical and Liturgical Centre) in Bangalore and the P.O.C. (Public Office of Catechesis) as a central catechetical hub in Kerala, Prof. Sebastian has been closely associated with these institutions, which have greatly aided in understanding the pulse of the Indian Church and the Kerala Church.
As a recognition of his contributions to the laity’s ministry at the national level, Pope Paul VI appointed him as the sole representative from India (and one of three from the Asian continent) to the newly established Pontifical Council for the Laity in the Vatican. From the council’s formation in 1977 until 1983, during the papacies of Paul VI, John Paul I, and John Paul II, he actively participated in the council’s activities. He was able to attend the funeral of Pope John Paul I, who passed away unexpectedly on the eve of the second year’s meeting. His membership in the council and the discussions in Rome enabled him to conduct in-depth studies on lay theology. This culminated in his book “The Era of the Lay People,” which was published by the National Biblical Catechetical Centre (N.B.C.L.C.) in Bangalore.
Given his membership in the Pontifical Council and his contributions to lay theology, he was granted membership in the Indian Theological Association, the association of theologians in India. Thus, he became its first lay member and continues to participate in all of its events. Additionally, he is an invited participant in colloquia conducted by the bishops’ conference in India.
In his capacity as a member of the Pontifical Council and as a lay theologian, Prof. Sebastian participated in several international conferences, presenting papers as well. In 1987, the topic of the bishops’ synod held in Rome was “The Lay Mission in the Church and the World.” Prof. Sebastian attended the preparatory brainstorming session convened in Rome. With his profound knowledge of the lay mission and experience in lay ministry, he served as a visiting professor at the Jesuit School of Theology in Delhi for some time. Moreover, he also teaches at the “Jñanasamiksha,” a training ground for lay leaders associated with the Jesuits.
During his time at the Mar Thoma Vidya Niketan (Changanassery), he served as a professor of lay theology. As a college teacher, Prof. Sebastian has been a significant lay leader who has reflected on and actively engaged in religious education for adults. He recognized that the main reason for the spiritual apathy observed among our educated youth is the lack of growth in their knowledge of religious matters, in line with their increased understanding of material subjects. While he was a teacher at Thiruvalla College, he was influenced by a statement from Rev. Dr. Theodosius Sachin, the then principal: “Know your Faith and Live your Faith.” During his tenure at S.B. College, under the leadership of Father Matthew Nadakkal, an adult religious education initiative named “Adhyayan Mandalam” was formed with the goal of learning and teaching, which received heartfelt support from Father Kavukattu. For nearly a decade, Prof. Sebastian actively conducted religious education programs in the Changanassery diocese and beyond, without compromising his college responsibilities.After the Second Vatican Council, there was increased emphasis on lay training from the Pope and the national bishops’ conference. Against this backdrop, under the guidance of the Reverend Father Padiyara and with the enthusiasm of then-Archbishop B. Joseph Karimpanalil, there was a proposal to start a theological institute for the Changanassery diocese. The plan was to affiliate with the Vadavathoor seminary and offer degree-level courses. Father Padiyara had great hope and faith in this initiative and appointed Professor Sebastian as the principal in April 1984. The establishment received significant attention, both in India and globally, for two reasons: it was to be a national training center for laypersons and the appointment of a lay principal.
However, as practicalities unfolded, there were significant challenges in theological studies. Many were skeptical about appointing a layperson to lead a center traditionally meant for clergy. There were concerns that there wouldn’t be enough opportunities for ordained ministers, as appointments in institutions with degrees typically favored them. Furthermore, individual personalities and their reasons often overshadowed collective interests, making it clear that the institute wouldn’t operate as initially intended. Prof. Sebastian was receptive to the opinions of the fathers on this matter. However, a lay institution named Mar Thoma Vidya Niketan was eventually established on July 3, 1990, and he provided unwavering support to this new establishment.
While working as a lay missionary in the global church, he has consistently honored his roots and the invaluable traditions of his Eastern heritage. He strongly advocates for the participation of the laity in church governance, particularly emphasizing the need to restore the heritage of church governance within the Syro-Malabar Church, which has been recognized as a major episcopal church. Following its elevation, he has written to bishops and published articles to reclaim the participatory heritage of governance for the church. Even those who agreed with his arguments hesitated to elevate the laity to a decision-making body.
When a new diocese under the name “Syro-Malabar” was established, it faced resistance, especially from believers within Kerala. Some clergy and laity affiliated with the Latin church also opposed the new diocese. The reasons for this opposition were not purely doctrinal; rather, they stemmed from personal biases and vested interests. Recognizing this, Prof. Sebastian wrote an article titled “Who is afraid of perestroika in the Indian Church?” in the Examiner, the official publication of the Archdiocese of Bombay, in December 1989. Without belittling the sentiments of the dissenters, he justified the establishment of the Kalyan diocese based on the Bible, theology, and the church’s tradition, earning praise from the Archbishop of Bombay and other Latin bishops.
Prof. Sebastian has had a close association with the Catholic Congress for nearly three decades. As a lifelong member, he has served on the working committee and advisory board for a long time. He has been the chief speaker at several leadership meetings of the Congress. In 1986, he received the AKCC Award at the annual meeting in Chalakkudy, presented by Cardinal Mar Anthony Padiyara. In 2002, the Catholic Congress honored him during his 75th birthday celebration with an award in the Syro-Malabar tradition.
In addition to his contributions to literary and cultural activities, Prof. Sebastian has made significant contributions to social life. He has written numerous articles and papers in both English and Malayalam for various publications, including essays promoting language preservation. He has served as the director of the cultural organization “Manisha,” which was initiated with the support of Archbishop Joseph.Although he generally had no interest in party politics, he served a term as a municipal councilor in Changanassery. During that time, he also experienced a month of imprisonment during the liberation struggle. In recognition of his unique contributions to the field of religious and cultural education, he received the Shev. I.C. Chacko Award from the Changanassery Archdiocese in 1997.
Reading new theological texts and literary works is a major hobby of Sebastian. Although he can no longer travel long distances, he presented a paper on the mission activities of the third millennium of the laity in Shillong, Meghalaya. His wife, Lissy, is the daughter of Thomas and Annamma Pullankulam from Changanassery.
