THOMAS
688
THOMAS
charge were successful in retaining them as a body in
the unity of Holy Church.
XVI. The Mellusian schism, though broken by the adverse judgments of the Madras High Court, was by no means yet extinct when in the autumn of 1878 the Holy See decided on placing the SjTian Clu-istians un- der separate administration, appointing two vicars Apostolic of the Latin Rite for the purpose. These were Rev. A. E. Medlycott, Ph.D., Mihtary Chaplain in the Punjab, educated in the Propaganda College, Rome, and consecrated by the Apostolic Delegate Mgr. A. Ajuti on 18 Dec, 1887, at Ootacamund, titu- lar Bishop of Tricomia, appointed to the Vicariate Apostolic of Trichur; and the Rev. Charles Lavigne S.J., former private secretary of the late Father Beckx, General of the Society, consecrated in Belgium before coming out, appointed to the See of Kottayam, later called of Changanacherry. Under the Concordat of Leo XIII with the King of Portugal an important advantage had been gained by the suppression of the Padroado jurisdiction (Cranganore Archbishops) over the Syrian churches. The first task the new bishops had to face was to amalgamate into one harmonious whole the two sections of this Church, that which had been under the Carmelites with that which had be- longed to the Goan or Padroado jurisdiction, for the two had been for long years in open antagonism. This union fortunately was successfully effected. The other task was to establish something like a proper administration and control over the churches. This took longer time. The northern churches belonging to Trichur had not seen their prelates for perhaps a century, the two Chaldean Bishops had utilized the fact to their own advantage, and the troubles caused by them in these churches can be easily imagined; but with firmne.ss and patience a fair working administra- tion was introduced.
The result may thus be briefly summed up. The Vicariate of Trichur had a Catholic Syrian popula- tion of 108,422 with eighty-three parish churches and twenty-two chapels-of-ease, served by 118 priests of the Syrian Rite, besides 23 Syrian Carmelite Tertiary monks, in two monasteries; there was also a convent of 24 native Tertiary nuns with a middle-class school of 33 girls. The bishop on taking charge found that there were practically no schools, except one provided for clerics; he took early steps to open as many ele- mentary parish schools as possible; within nine years (1888-96) the vicariate was provided with no less than 231 elementary parish schools for both sexes, educat- ing over 12,000 children, besides a high school (St. Thomas's College), with 95 students; there were also 56 boys in St. Aloysius's High School, under the Ter- tiary monks. A catechumenate was opened, where annually about 150 heathen converts were baptized; a fine building was under construction for a suitable resi- dence, and plans were prepared to house the above college in a handsome .structure. This was the condi- tion of things when the bishop went to Europe on sick leave. The Vicariate of Kottayam had a Catholic population of 150,000, with 108 parish churches and 50 dependent cliapels, served by a numerous clergy of over 300 priests; it had 35 Tertiary monks, besides novices, in five monasteries; also three convents of na- tive Tertiary Carmelite nuns educating girls, two or- phanages under Tertiary Sisters of St. Francis, four catechumenates, two seminaries, with 96 students. The higher class clerical students of both vicariates attended the central Pontifical Seminary at Putten- pally. The parochial schools numbered 200, but the number of pupils was not publislied. There were three Kngli-ih Sduinls: Manaiiam, 60; Campalam, 80; and .■uiothcT with 20 .students.
In 1S95 lioth vicars .Vpostolic happened to be absent on leave. During this [HTioil the Holy See decided on a change of n'giiMc, yielding to the wi.shes of the people to grant them native bishops.
XVII. The two vicariates described above were
split into three, and they were .styled Trichur, Erna-
kulam, and Changanacherry; the new vicariate was
formed of the southern portion of that of Trichur and
of the northern portion of Changanacherry. The
changes were carried out under Leo XIII by Brief of
28 July, 1896, "Quoe Rei Sacra;". Rev. John Mena-
chery, as Bishop of Paralus, was appointed to Trichur.
Rev. Aloysius Pareparambil, titular Bishop of Tio, was
appointed to Ernakulam, and Rev. Matthew Makil,
Bishop of Tralles, was appointed to Changanacherry;
all three received consecration from the Apos-
tohc Delegate Mgr. Zaleski, at Kandy on 15 Oct.,
1896.
The latest ecclesiastical returns of these three vicariates (1911) give: Trichur: CathoUc population, 91,064; children being educated, 19,092; Ernakulam: Catholic population, 94,357; children being educated, 9950; Changanacherry: Cathohc population, 134,791; children being educated, 2844.
The future of this people depends very largely on education for their welfare and technical training for their development.
AssEMANi, Bihliotheca Orientalis (Rome, 1719-28); de Sooza, Oriente Conquistado (2 vols., Indian reprint. Examiner Press, Bombav); CJor\ ka. Jornada do Arccbispo Aleixo de Menezes quando'joi: . ■. " /• Malauvar (Coimbra, 1606); Fr. tr. de Glen, //i ' i " ■to. (Brussels, 1609); duJarric, Thesau-
rus rerum r India Orient (3 vols.. Cologne, 1615);
Paulinls a s>_-, I ,o [ '. uiTHOLOM.EO, India Orientalis Christiana (Rome, 1794); Macki;nzie. Christianity in Travancore, with Cen- sus Report of 1901 (Trevandrum); Medlycott, India and the Apostle St. Thomas (London, 1905).
A. E. Medlycott.
Thomas Cottam, Blessed, martjrr, b. 1549, in Lancashire; executed at Tyburn, 30 May, 1582. His parents, Laurence Cottam of Dilworth and Anne Brewer, were Protestants. Having completed his studies at Brasenose, Oxford (M.A., 14 July, 1572) he became master of a grammar school in London. Converted there to the faith by Thomas Pound he went over to Douai, and was ordained deacon at Cambrai, Dec, 1577. Desirous of the Indian mis- sion, he went to Rome and wsis received (8 April, 1579) as a Jesuit novice at Sant' Andrea. Attacked by fever about October, he was sent to Lyons to re- cuperate, and went thence to the College at Reims, considering himself as accepted for India, if his health improved by a visit to England. In May (probably 28th), 1580, he was ordained priest at Soissons, and started (5 June) with four companions for England. Through the treachery of an English spy by the name of Sledd he was immediately arrested at t)over, but by a ruse of Dr. Ely, one of his fellow-travellers, reached London safely. Ely being imperilled through this friendly act, Cottam voluntarily surrendered himself and was committed "close prisoner" to the Marshalsea, where he perhaps said his first Mass. After being tortured, he was removed, 4 December, 1580 (Catholic Record Society, III, 10) to the Tower, where he endured the rack and the "Scavenger's Daughter". He was arraigned with Campion and others and (16 November, 1.581) condemned to death. His execution was deferred till 30 May, 1582 (see Munday's "Breefe Reporte"), when with WiUiara Filby, Luke Kirhv and Laurence Richardson, secular priests (till l)eatificd 29 Dec. ISSfi), he wtis drawn to Tyburn and executed. His portrait, with martyrdom misdated, is reiiroilucril in Foley, "Records", VII (1) 174; his relics are the .Mass corporal used by him and four other nuirtyrs in the Tower (cf. Camm, English Martyrs, II, 563) and perhaps his autograph in the registers of Sant' Andrea.
Challoneu. Memoirs: Foley, Records. II, 145 aqq., with ample bihliographv and VII (1) 174; Gillow, Bihl. Did. Eng. Calh., I; Diel. Nat. Biog., Xll; Camm, English Martyrs. II (London, 1905). .536-63.
Patrick Ryan.
