Monsignor Leon Augustine Tharmaraj D.D., was the Bishop of the Diocese of Kottar, India, for eighteen years, from 1989 until his death in 2007.
Born to Augustine Fernandez and Reginammal Tharmaraj on April 11, 1941, in Kovalam, near Kanyakumari, India, after completing his studies in Saint Aloysius's Minor Seminary at Nagercoil, he entered Saint Paul's Major Seminary in Tiruchirapalli and was ordained to the priesthood on March 29, 1965, by Bishop T.R. Agniswamy SJ., at Saint Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar.
Father Leon served as assistant parish priest at Siluvaipuram from 1965 till 1966, at Kottar between 1966 and 1969, and at Sarel from 1969 until 1970. He served as parish priest at Rajakkamangalam from 1970 until 1976, at Thundathuvilai for the period between 1976 and 1978 and intimately at Kottar, as parish priest of the cathedral parish from 1986 till 1988. During his tenure as parish priest of Kottar he was also the vicar forane of the Vicariate of Kottar. Before serving as pastor at Kottar he served as rector of the Diocesan Saint Aloysius' Minor Seminary from 1978 until 1986. On November 17, 1988, he was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Kottar and and received his episcopal consecration at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on January 6, 1989, from Pope John Paul II, assisted by Cardinals Edward Idris Cassidy and José Tomás Sánchez. He took canonical possession of the Diocese of Kottar on February 5. Bishop Leon was the first bishop born in the Diocese of Kottar to have assumed office as its bishop since Kottar was established as a diocese in 1930. As a priest he also functioned as the diocesan catechetical director and coordinator of the pastoral commissions.
Bishop Leon has also served as chairman of the CBCI Commission for the Welfare of Workers, chairman of the CCBI Commission for the Laity, president of different TNBC Commissions and ministered in the Commission for Migrants of the Universal Church.
During his ministry as bishop, 50 new parishes and several sub-stations were created, 109 churches, 49 community halls, 40 parochial houses and 34 new schools were built or renovated. The number of diocesan priests, which was 162 when he took charge of the diocese rose to 258. Many schools were started or upgraded and colleges of engineering, nursing and education along with two community colleges where inaugurated. The driving force behind these manifold pastoral activities was the good, simple, trustful and prayerful person of Bishop Leon A. Tharmaraj.
Bishop Leon died at the age of 65, owing to prolonged illness shortly after being recovered in a hospital in Trivandrum on Monday, January 15, 2007. Although he had been suffering from cancer, Msgr. Tharmaraj passed away quite unexpectedly, after feeling dizzy following the removal of a tooth in the same morning. He was interred in Saint Francis Xavier's Cathedral at Kottar, Nagercoil in the Kanyakumari district of state of Tamil Nadu, on January 18, following the celebration of a requiem Mass which saw the participation of hundreds.
Born to Augustine Fernandez and Reginammal Tharmaraj on April 11, 1941, in Kovalam, near Kanyakumari, India, after completing his studies in Saint Aloysius's Minor Seminary at Nagercoil, he entered Saint Paul's Major Seminary in Tiruchirapalli and was ordained to the priesthood on March 29, 1965, by Bishop T.R. Agniswamy SJ., at Saint Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar.
Father Leon served as assistant parish priest at Siluvaipuram from 1965 till 1966, at Kottar between 1966 and 1969, and at Sarel from 1969 until 1970. He served as parish priest at Rajakkamangalam from 1970 until 1976, at Thundathuvilai for the period between 1976 and 1978 and intimately at Kottar, as parish priest of the cathedral parish from 1986 till 1988. During his tenure as parish priest of Kottar he was also the vicar forane of the Vicariate of Kottar. Before serving as pastor at Kottar he served as rector of the Diocesan Saint Aloysius' Minor Seminary from 1978 until 1986. On November 17, 1988, he was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Kottar and and received his episcopal consecration at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on January 6, 1989, from Pope John Paul II, assisted by Cardinals Edward Idris Cassidy and José Tomás Sánchez. He took canonical possession of the Diocese of Kottar on February 5. Bishop Leon was the first bishop born in the Diocese of Kottar to have assumed office as its bishop since Kottar was established as a diocese in 1930. As a priest he also functioned as the diocesan catechetical director and coordinator of the pastoral commissions.
Bishop Leon has also served as chairman of the CBCI Commission for the Welfare of Workers, chairman of the CCBI Commission for the Laity, president of different TNBC Commissions and ministered in the Commission for Migrants of the Universal Church.
During his ministry as bishop, 50 new parishes and several sub-stations were created, 109 churches, 49 community halls, 40 parochial houses and 34 new schools were built or renovated. The number of diocesan priests, which was 162 when he took charge of the diocese rose to 258. Many schools were started or upgraded and colleges of engineering, nursing and education along with two community colleges where inaugurated. The driving force behind these manifold pastoral activities was the good, simple, trustful and prayerful person of Bishop Leon A. Tharmaraj.
Bishop Leon died at the age of 65, owing to prolonged illness shortly after being recovered in a hospital in Trivandrum on Monday, January 15, 2007. Although he had been suffering from cancer, Msgr. Tharmaraj passed away quite unexpectedly, after feeling dizzy following the removal of a tooth in the same morning. He was interred in Saint Francis Xavier's Cathedral at Kottar, Nagercoil in the Kanyakumari district of state of Tamil Nadu, on January 18, following the celebration of a requiem Mass which saw the participation of hundreds.
Monsignor Leon Augustine Tharmaraj D.D., was the Bishop of the Diocese of Kottar, India, for eighteen years, from 1989 until his death in 2007.
Born to Augustine Fernandez and Reginammal Tharmaraj on April 11, 1941, in Kovalam, near Kanyakumari, India, after completing his studies in Saint Aloysius's Minor Seminary at Nagercoil, he entered Saint Paul's Major Seminary in Tiruchirapalli and was ordained to the priesthood on March 29, 1965, by Bishop T.R. Agniswamy SJ., at Saint Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar.
Father Leon served as assistant parish priest at Siluvaipuram from 1965 till 1966, at Kottar between 1966 and 1969, and at Sarel from 1969 until 1970. He served as parish priest at Rajakkamangalam from 1970 until 1976, at Thundathuvilai for the period between 1976 and 1978 and intimately at Kottar, as parish priest of the cathedral parish from 1986 till 1988. During his tenure as parish priest of Kottar he was also the vicar forane of the Vicariate of Kottar. Before serving as pastor at Kottar he served as rector of the Diocesan Saint Aloysius' Minor Seminary from 1978 until 1986. On November 17, 1988, he was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Kottar and and received his episcopal consecration at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on January 6, 1989, from Pope John Paul II, assisted by Cardinals Edward Idris Cassidy and José Tomás Sánchez. He took canonical possession of the Diocese of Kottar on February 5. Bishop Leon was the first bishop born in the Diocese of Kottar to have assumed office as its bishop since Kottar was established as a diocese in 1930. As a priest he also functioned as the diocesan catechetical director and coordinator of the pastoral commissions.
Bishop Leon has also served as chairman of the CBCI Commission for the Welfare of Workers, chairman of the CCBI Commission for the Laity, president of different TNBC Commissions and ministered in the Commission for Migrants of the Universal Church.
During his ministry as bishop, 50 new parishes and several sub-stations were created, 109 churches, 49 community halls, 40 parochial houses and 34 new schools were built or renovated. The number of diocesan priests, which was 162 when he took charge of the diocese rose to 258. Many schools were started or upgraded and colleges of engineering, nursing and education along with two community colleges where inaugurated. The driving force behind these manifold pastoral activities was the good, simple, trustful and prayerful person of Bishop Leon A. Tharmaraj.
Bishop Leon died at the age of 65, owing to prolonged illness shortly after being recovered in a hospital in Trivandrum on Monday, January 15, 2007. Although he had been suffering from cancer, Msgr. Tharmaraj passed away quite unexpectedly, after feeling dizzy following the removal of a tooth in the same morning. He was interred in Saint Francis Xavier's Cathedral at Kottar, Nagercoil in the Kanyakumari district of state of Tamil Nadu, on January 18, following the celebration of a requiem Mass which saw the participation of hundreds.
Born to Augustine Fernandez and Reginammal Tharmaraj on April 11, 1941, in Kovalam, near Kanyakumari, India, after completing his studies in Saint Aloysius's Minor Seminary at Nagercoil, he entered Saint Paul's Major Seminary in Tiruchirapalli and was ordained to the priesthood on March 29, 1965, by Bishop T.R. Agniswamy SJ., at Saint Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Kottar.
Father Leon served as assistant parish priest at Siluvaipuram from 1965 till 1966, at Kottar between 1966 and 1969, and at Sarel from 1969 until 1970. He served as parish priest at Rajakkamangalam from 1970 until 1976, at Thundathuvilai for the period between 1976 and 1978 and intimately at Kottar, as parish priest of the cathedral parish from 1986 till 1988. During his tenure as parish priest of Kottar he was also the vicar forane of the Vicariate of Kottar. Before serving as pastor at Kottar he served as rector of the Diocesan Saint Aloysius' Minor Seminary from 1978 until 1986. On November 17, 1988, he was elected Bishop of the Diocese of Kottar and and received his episcopal consecration at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on January 6, 1989, from Pope John Paul II, assisted by Cardinals Edward Idris Cassidy and José Tomás Sánchez. He took canonical possession of the Diocese of Kottar on February 5. Bishop Leon was the first bishop born in the Diocese of Kottar to have assumed office as its bishop since Kottar was established as a diocese in 1930. As a priest he also functioned as the diocesan catechetical director and coordinator of the pastoral commissions.
Bishop Leon has also served as chairman of the CBCI Commission for the Welfare of Workers, chairman of the CCBI Commission for the Laity, president of different TNBC Commissions and ministered in the Commission for Migrants of the Universal Church.
During his ministry as bishop, 50 new parishes and several sub-stations were created, 109 churches, 49 community halls, 40 parochial houses and 34 new schools were built or renovated. The number of diocesan priests, which was 162 when he took charge of the diocese rose to 258. Many schools were started or upgraded and colleges of engineering, nursing and education along with two community colleges where inaugurated. The driving force behind these manifold pastoral activities was the good, simple, trustful and prayerful person of Bishop Leon A. Tharmaraj.
Bishop Leon died at the age of 65, owing to prolonged illness shortly after being recovered in a hospital in Trivandrum on Monday, January 15, 2007. Although he had been suffering from cancer, Msgr. Tharmaraj passed away quite unexpectedly, after feeling dizzy following the removal of a tooth in the same morning. He was interred in Saint Francis Xavier's Cathedral at Kottar, Nagercoil in the Kanyakumari district of state of Tamil Nadu, on January 18, following the celebration of a requiem Mass which saw the participation of hundreds.
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