Kerala Church puts German brother on the path to sainthood

Brother Thanheuser was made Servant of God on November 22 at Kattappana in Idukki district.

Brother Forthunathus Thanhauser.

India:  The Catholic Church in Kerala on Saturday initiated the canonization process of a foreign missionary brother Forthunathus Thanhauser, who lived and died in the high ranges of Idukki.

Brother Thanheuser was made Servant of God on November 22 at Kattappana in Idukki district. Bishop Mathew Arackal of Kanjirapally was the main celebrant of a Solemn High Mass at St. George Forane Church in Kattappana.

In 1968, Brother Thanhauser founded the St. John's Hospital at Kattappana managed by the Hospitaller Brothers of St. John of God. At the time the whole High range of the present Idukki district in Kerala was a very remote area. The nearest hospital was 110 KM away.

Patients could not be transported there in time due to lack of proper roads. Most of the serious patients died on the way. Malaria also took the lives of many. Knowing the situation, Archbishop Mathew Kavukatt of Changanassery invited Brother Thanhauser from Germany to start a hospital and Kattappana was selected as the suitable place.

Thanhauser joined the league of 24 Indian Catholics in the category of servant of god, the first step towards canonization.

There is another batch of nine persons in the category of Venerable and seven others as the blessed, the last stage towards sainthood. A major chunk of these Catholics in various stages of sainthood hails from Kerala.