While serving as Assistant Vicar at Muttom Forane Church in the Archeparchy of Ernakulam–Angamaly, Monsignor Joseph Kandathil visited Cherthala and its neighboring villages. The sights he encountered there deeply moved his heart: poverty everywhere; leprosy patients ostracized from society; people who had lost hope; the unemployed; families and individuals living in darkness.
After prayerful reflection on how he might bring light into these lives, he arrived at a decision. Thus, in 1942, he founded a hospital for leprosy patients, and in 1949, he established the religious congregation Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI). Through these foundations, Monsignor Joseph Kandathil became a living witness of the Gospel, radiating Christian love to his surroundings. Like Damien of Molokai, he lived among and served leprosy patients, striving to restore their dignity and hope. Before long, the people gave him a title: “Kerala Damien.” Even today, years later, he continues to be known by that name.
Monsignor Joseph Kandathil was born on October 27, 1904, at Vaikom, in Chempu, into the Kandathil family, as the son of Varghese Thomas and Clara. In 1933, he was ordained a priest through the laying on of hands by Augustine Kandathil.
Today, the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) carry forward the vision of their founder through Gospel-centered service among the poor, the sick, the elderly, and the abandoned in India and in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania, Madagascar, Papua New Guinea, Italy, and Germany. The congregation runs schools for the deaf and mute, schools for the blind, special schools for children with intellectual disabilities, upper primary schools for poor and marginalized children, dispensaries, counseling centers, general hospitals, homes for the aged, and numerous other charitable institutions.
These institutions function in fidelity to the Servant of God’s vision, listening to the suffering of the sick, opening doors of hope for children denied education, and creating opportunities for those facing physical and mental challenges to live with dignity and self-respect.
In 1969, the Vatican conferred on him the title of Monsignor in recognition of his services. On December 12, 1991, Monsignor Joseph Kandathil entered into eternal rest. His mortal remains are interred at the Sacred Heart Church, Greengardens, Cherthala. Today, that place has become a center of prayer, consolation, and hope for many.
On October 24, 2019, the Church elevated him to the title of Servant of God. The faithful hold a firm hope in their hearts that the holy life he dedicated entirely to the poor and the suffering will one day be raised to the honors of sainthood.
