About Us

A Short Biography

Travancore of Kerala was the cradle of Syromalabar Christianity from the time of St. Thomas Apostle onwards. Pala and surrounding area was a strong basin of this apostolic Church. Madahvath family belonged to the Marangattupally parish near Pala, and their faith root extends to the maniyapra family which was one of the most ancient catholic families in the area. Francis Madavath and Rosa were very devout Catholics and hardworking farmers who lived at paalakkattumala, within the area of Marangattupally parish. A fourth child was born to them on 25th November, 1930, who was baptized with the name Francis on the fifth day of birth by Rev. Fr. Joseph Theruvappuzhakathanar at Marangattupally parish Church. It was the post war time and the little Francis who was given the name paappachan spend his early childhood experiencing all the hardship of war. There was severe scarcity for food. However the family stood together under the strong canopy of devotion to God and the bond of love. Francis and Rose trained their eight children in devotion to God and parental love. For Father Armond the poor but devout family atmosphere turned out to be the perfect setting for his future journey in faith.

Education

The education process of a child in the early years of 20th century in Kerala normally started with aashan  kalari ( a single man headed system where the aasan or master would teach the students to write the alphabets and other basic lessons). 

Pappachan too was introduced to the world of learning through ashan kalari.   It was a sort of pre-schooling system.  Pappachan did his preliminary education at St. Thomas School Marangattupally. After completing the 4th form he joined the Enghlish School at the same place. As a student he was quite and friendly with others.  He would find joy in spending time in the church and to stay alone in solitude.

God’s Call

First Stage of God's Call

Pappachan   from  the very  early  years  onwards   was  very  much attracted   by the life of St. Francis  of Assisi,  the patron saint of his home parish.  He sensed the divine  call as early as 12 years  of  age.  Fr.  Leo Keeprath  a capuchin missionary  working at Ajmeer  but hailing from Kadaplamatton    happened   to preach  about   the  missionary   life  of  priests   in  the  Church. Listening  to the inspiring  preaching  of Fr.  Leo,  Pappachan’s  heart  began  to throb with the desire to become  a missionary priest. As he announced  his desire  to become  a missionary the parents  appreciated   it and  thus  he started   his  Franciscan journey  by joining   the apostolic school  at  Ajmeer.

Franciscan Capuchin Formation

After  completing  the school  at Ajmeer,  and growing   in  love for Jesus Francis   decided   to join   the capuchin   order   and  he  started  his  Franciscan   formation  at Capuchin Minor seminary Goa in 1952.    Bro.  Francis was very good at English  and Latin and was an exemplary  brother for all.  Consequently   the superiors promoted  Francis after an year to Novitiate   and he was given  the name  Armond. 

Novitiate & Philosophy

Novitiate  was a time  for Bro. Armond to deepen  his  vocation  where  he used  to  spend hours  in prayer  and solitude  on the banks of Nethravathi river at Farnakipet. Successfully   completing  the rigorous religious  experience of Novitiate  he made  his first profession  on  13th  May  1954  and became  an official  member of the  Capuchin   Order.  Next  stage  of  formation   was  philosophy  at Thillery Ashram  Quilon which  extended   for  three  years.

Theology

Theology   study  at Kottagiri,   was  a  period  of  personal struggle   for  Bro.  Armond  due to the unexpected   demise  of two of  his  elder  brothers.   But these personal   losses and the tragic  situation  at home could not make  any change in his firm resolve to follow  the Lord consequently  he made the final profession  on 13th  May, 1957.  His Excellency  Bishop  Antony Padiyara  of Ooty diocese ordained Fr. Armond  on 25th  May,  1960 and he offered  his first mass at Nadavayal Churhch  in Wayanad  as his  family had already migrated  from  Maragattupally to Wayanad.

Places of Service

St.  Bonaventure   friary   Ponnurunny,

The first appointment of Fr. Armond was at St. Bonaventure friary Ponnurunny, near Eranakulam. He was an enthusiastic young priest spending his time serving earnestly at the confessional and household duties of the friary.  There was a touch of simplicity and joy in all his services and he would find joy in taking any type of duties entrusted  to him.

Nazareth ashram Aluva

he was transferred to Nazareth ashram Aluva, where he engaged in similar  type  of services that he started  at Ponnurunni. A  deep  sense  of  God  was  very  much  visible   in  the  activities of Fr.Armond.  He  was meticulous  in punctuality   and at the same time  very considerate  to the needs  of  others.   The  spirituality  that  he  exposed through his hours of prayer  before the Blessed  Sacrament  helped the superiors  to find a good confessor in him for the novices. 

Novitiate house Farnakipet

Thus he was given  a shift of place from Aluva to Farnakipet Novitiate house as the confessor to the novices. While serving so faithfully the Lord and the novices he was appointed  as the director of the post-philosophy students who were doing their BA degree at Dharvar. Here he was both the director and a student of the college, doing his BA at the Dharvar  University.

 Loreto  Ashram Muvattupuza 

Two years after the  completion  of the degree  Fr. Armond was appointed  as the new novice  master at  Muvattupuzha  in 1969. After  two years   he  became  the  superior   of  Loreto  Ashram Muvattupuza   where he served until 1973. A young friar walking with rosary  in his hand and at the same time  working hard along with the novices in the field with spade was an inspiring image of a priest, recollect  even today  the people  around  the Ashram  when they remember Fr. Armond.

Assisi Ashram Bharananganam

Next transfer  for him was to Bharanaganam but with a new mission namely to be the director of Franciscan Third Order of the Pala Diocese, which was flourishing at that time because of the mission preaching of Fr. Leo and number of other friars.

Special Empowering of the Holy Spirit

God in His plan had preserved a precious gift for Fr. Armond which he received during the first charismatic retreat at Christ Hall in Calicut in January, 1976.   It was during this retreat that he felt an inner call of the Holy Spirit which he had deepened by participating at two more retreats at Kottayam and Bangalore  in the same year and felt fully bathed in the Spirit of the Lord.   Prompted by the Lord along with Fr. Grecian Capuchin and Fr. A.K. John and the support of few lay leaders the first Charismatic retreat was preached at Assisi Renewal Centre Bharanganganm in  Malayalam  from 24th  September to 271h, 1976.

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Today  Pattaram   is getting  known  more  in the  name  of Fr.  Armond is a clear  sign of his sanctity  and a source of consolation  for people.   All those who had some personal experience with  Fr. Armond  have said,  in one accord that they had no negative  thing to state about Fr. Armond.  This  indicates  the high  level  of spiritual  integrity  that he possessed.  People used to narrate  with tears of joy the simplicity,  care, concern and forgiveness  of Fr. Armond.  Calling Jesus  as elder brother in his own words  chettai  and the Holy Spirit as the true Friend and the God  as  Father  emotionally  reveals  the  deep  level  of oneness that  Fr. Armond experienced with God. For him God was not a matter of thought nor obligation  or “imagination  but a living reality   in  which  he  lived,  moved and and  with  which  he related  most  intimately. Thus  every ‘praise the Lord’ that his lips  uttered  was  verbal  expression  of a deep  reality that he really experienced. Placing himself  as a fool in front of others he would fill all with a divine joy and childlike  simplicity.

Into the abode of Trinity

As  years  passed  by  Fr.  Armond  was  very  much  focused  on  the  completion of  the  new building   for  the  retreat  centre.   By  the  end  of  the  year  2000  he  was  showing  signs  of prolonged   cough  for which,  he applied   some local medicines.  As the problem  still persisted he  was  taken  to better  hospitals  like Trissur  amala  where  cancer  was  diagnosed.  The real holiness  of Fr. Armond became tangible  for all by the way he accepted  sister  sickness  like a true  Franciscan.  A suggestion  to move  to Bharanganam  where he lived  for 17  years was not acceptable   to  Fr. Armond  for he wanted  to  live  at the  small house  at Pattaram  and to be buried  at Iritty. 

Endless prayers  and rosaries filled the atmosphere  of Pattaram by hundreds of people  for Fr. Armond.  However he stood  silently consoling  all those  who sympathized with him  hiding  the excruciating  pain that he experienced  with a simple smile on his face. Amidst the praise  and worship  of a lot of people  near his bead Fr. Armond’s   soul joined  the eternal abode  of Trinity  leaving his body behind  on 12th January,2001.  His mortal remains were laid to rest  at the heart of Vimalagiri  by Bishop  Paul Chittilappally  of Thamarassery  Diocese,  in the presence  of thousands  of people  belonging  to all walks  of life  and different religions.

Death  is the moment  of the birth of a saint. As the burial flowers faded away people began to replace  new  flowers  and candles  at the tomb of Fr. Armond, announcing  to the world that a saint  is living  here behind the cemented  slabs.  People began to flock  to the tomb interceding Fr. Armond’s    interventions  as they  used  to come  to him when he was  alive.  They began to experience   God’s  favours flow to their lives through the intercession  of this simple capuchin.