Founder and His Vision

Late Rev. Dr. Thomas Thyparampil from the parish of Kainakary, Kerala is the founder of Denahalaya. Born on 16th December, 1933, he completed his schooling from St. Mary’s, Kainakary; St. George, Edathua; and SVD, Alappuzha. Having his priestly formation at Parel Minor Seminary and Mangalapuzha Pontifical Seminary, he was ordained a priest on 12th March 1961. A zealous pastor from the very beginning, he rendered his services to the Church as the Assistant Vicar at Champakulam and as the Vicar at Karumady and Kumarakom. Later he was sent to Rome for higher studies in Theology.

A team member of CBCI (Catholic Bishops Conference of India) from 1971 to 1990, he was one of the co-founders of the National Vocation Service Centre, Pune, where he was on its staff for 19 years and worked as its Director from 1977 to 1990. He also served on the Joint CBCI-CRI Vocation Commission as its Secretary from 1977 to 1982. He was the pioneer in organising advanced and systematic courses for formators in India, the first of which took place in 1978-79 at NVSC, Pune. These experiences along with his specialisation in Theology, Spirituality, Counselling, Psychology, Formation, Leadership, and Comparative Religion, gave him ample opportunities to study and review the problems that confront the life and works of priests, religious, and laity today and led him to establish Denahalayaon 1st June 1992. Fr. Thomas Thyparampil passed away on 9th June, 2011 at the age of 78. His Beatitude Mar George Alencherry, the Major Archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church wrote in a condolence message: “Fr. Thomas was a formator strict to himself and to others. He stood for freedom of persons and fostered communion in the Church. He was well aware of the problems arising from lack of personal discipline and communitarian commitment for the good of the Church. May the legacy of Fr. Thomas be a lasting inspiration for the staff and students of Denahalaya!”