Kerala Catholic Society (KCS) was established under the Societies Act on December 15, 1996, with 81 like-minded Kerala Catholic families in Chennai. Rev. Dr. Kurian Thomas of Asha Nivas (A well-known charitable organization in Chennai) is the Patron of the Society. The society has now 135 families as regular members.
The main objective of the Society is to encourage fellowship among its members and charitable activities towards the downtrodden. The vision statement adopted by the society states as follows:
KCS shall evolve into a premier organisation:
• By instilling a sense of pride in being associated with it and thereby motivating the young and the old of the Kerala Catholic families to join the society wholeheartedly.
• By creating an image in the city of Chennai and elsewhere by initiating special projects for the community, working in tandem with similar organisations, if necessary.
• By utilising the inherent talents and strengths of all its members to initiate activities that will install a sense of belonging and promote fellowship.
• By creating an atmosphere for constant, innovative, and timely improvements in the organisation and its structure.
KCS has 4 Helpline Zones to help each other at the time of need, to meet regularly for fellowship, and undertake charitable activities. The registered office is at 23 Halls Road, Kilpauk, Chennai.
The KCS celebrated its 10th Anniversary on 9th July 2006 and plans its silver jubilee in December 2021. Various sections of this web site will illustrate its achievements and the plans for the future to make the KCS a focus point of the Kerala Catholics in Chennai.
July 22, 1996. It was to become a red- letter day in the history of Kerala Catholic Society although no one would have imagined so then. On that day Mr. B. Jacob and Mr. C.K. Devassy, after much deliberation among themselves and others, decided to write a letter to many prominent Kerala Catholics of Chennai on a matter close to their hearts. The well-crafted letter came with a proposal to found an organization to bring together like-minded Catholics of Kerala to share the joys and sorrows of the community. They felt strongly to have a forum to meet the immediate needs of a family if a tragedy struck, by rallying their brethren in the city to give a helping hand. The call struck a chord. About 40 people responded. The rest, as they say, is history. The six epoch-making events leading to the inception of KCS are extracted from the first issue of KCS News which was authored by Mr. Babu Jacob, the first Editor.
1. The first meeting on the 14th of July
Mr. Paul Cherian hosted a tea meeting at his residence, which was attended by 8 persons. Mr. Jacob and Mr. Devassy were elected as joint conveners. Mr. C.D. Jose suggested going ahead with the idea and all consented.
2. The second meeting on the 21st of July 1996
Mr. Devassy hosted a tea meeting at his residence, attended by 9 persons. It was decided to convene a larger meeting with people mainly from South Madras.
3. Meeting at Asha Nivas on 15th August
About 40 people attended the meeting. Fr. Kurian Thomas invoked the blessings of God. Mr. B. Jacob initiated the discussions. Mr. T.J. George acted as the moderator, and he did a good job. A committee of ten members consisting of:
4. Meeting at Asha Nivas on 29th September
About 60 persons attended this meeting chaired by Mr. C.D. Jose. It was decided to name the forum as Kerala Catholic Society and to go ahead with the formalities of registering it. 25 members joined the society on the spot by paying Rs. 6500 each.
Mr. C.D. Jose drafted the Memorandum of Association (MOA). The committee of ten held ten marathon meetings to give a final shape to the Memorandum of Association of the Society. Rev. Fr. Kurian Thomas, Mr. C.D. Jose, Mr. T.J. George, Mr. V.A. George, Mr. C.K. Devassy and Mr. KJ. Joseph deserves special praise for the enormous efforts put in by them. Kudos to Mr. C.K. Devassy for the fantastic work done by him.
5. The First General Body Meeting on 1st December 1996
Asha Nivas was the venue of this historic meeting attended by over 100 members. Active floor participation, animated debates and a positive attitude exhibited by members made it a memorable event.
The MOA was adopted after lengthy discussions. A unique feature of the MOA was the concept of Family Life members with voting rights for both husband and wife. Rev. Dr. Kurian Thomas suggested that the members of the interim committee, having done a good job, may be allowed to continue as the first Governing Council. The house approved the suggestion unanimously. Mr. KJ. Joseph outlined his grand plans for a mega event i.e., inauguration of the Society and Christmas celebrations on 15th December, to be jointly hosted by three "gems", Mr. Wilson of Kerala Jewellery, Mr. Princeson of Prince Jewellery and Babu Emmanuel of Original Kerala Jewellery. Mr. K.J. Joseph also informed the house of the decision of the committee to bring out a Directory of Members and to release it on 15th December. He said that he would co-ordinate the work and ensure that the directory was released on time. Mr. B. Jacob, Editor of KCS News, announced his plan to bring out the first issue on 15th December to coincide with the Christmas celebrations.
6. The First Governing Council Meeting
Immediately after the General Body meeting, the Governing Council held its first meeting. Mr. Paul Cherian expressed his desire to step down as a member of the GC. In his place and for the vacancies which already existed, 3 new members were co-opted to the GC. They were Mr. N.T. Kadavil, Mr. Sunny Akkara, and Mr. Pius Joseph. The council decided to make the Christmas celebration a grand success by involving talented members/their children in music, dance, mimicry, etc. The council elected the following members as office bearers:
• President : Mr. C.D. Jose
• Vice President : Mr. V.A. George
• Secretary : Mr. T.J. George
• Treasurer : Mr. C.K. Devassy
Social Media Links
Address
23 Halls Road, Kilpauk, Chennai-600 010, India.