Early Life

It is the story of an ordinary mortal who led an extraordinary life. It is life of a catholic missionary who tread unusual paths in the most unusual ways. His sole intention was to give witness to Jesus Christ in the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi.

Br. Joseph Thamby’s life goes on to prove how God occasionally enters into history of people by raising individuals with remarkable qualities to lead others to the path of righteousness. Thus we see that God brought Francis of Assisi to give a new impetus to the evangelical life in the 12th and 13th centuries; closer home we see the same evangelical life in the ministry of the ‘holy Franciscan of Avutapally’ – Br. Joseph Thamby. He led many people to the path shown by Jesus Christ. Even after his death, he is continuing to draw thousands of people to God.

Thamby means younger brother in Tamil; here it is exclusively used as a surname or rather as a family name. In fact, Thamby has been a well-known family at Karaikal in Pondichery. Joseph Thamby was born in September 1883 in Pondichery. He had a younger brother, and their mother Annamalle died when Joseph was seven years and his brother two years. Their father Savarimuthu Thamby married a second time, and had one daughter by name Mary. When Thamby was twelve years old he joined the group of children being prepared for First Communion and Confirmation. Joseph left the house due to some circumstances at his home. He reached Kerala where he was taken care of and educated by a pious lady. After some years Thamby came to his native place, where he begged for alms, but nobody could recognize him including his own father who gave him one anna (about 10 paise).

Though Joseph Thamby used to visit Pondichery occasionally, he was not recognized by anyone until 1928 when his grandmother identified him while attending a funeral service of a relative. He used to wear the Third Order habit. He would never reveal to which monastery he belonged, but when asked he used to say that he had to return to his monastery at Quilon in Kerala. He used to collect money and clothes for the poor. On Fridays he was seen in agony by many, and at times in ecstasy, which means he might have been participating in the passion of Jesus Christ. He used to heal people of their various illnesses and perform the ministry of exorcism when called upon to do so.

He was considered to be having the gift of bi-location. He had a workable knowledge of Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, French and English. It is said he was in the habit of reciting the divine office in Latin as it was the official language of the Church.

In the footsteps of St. Francis of Assisi

Br. Joseph Thamby accepted St. Francis of Assisi as his model whose ideals guided his life. Francis was a challenge to him whom he followed relentlessly. According to tradition, Joseph Thamby joined the Capuchin Order; but it is not certain when and where he joined them. People considered him to be a sannyasin because of his style of life, although he was in no way different from others in his dress. He might have joined the Capuchins at Sardhana and later came down to Quilon.

Br. Roch Vengathanam of Kozhuvanal, the first Capuchin brothers from Kerala was vested with the Capuchin habit on 14 July 1930 at Monte Mariano, Mangalore. He has given witness about Joseph Thamby who had to leave the Order due to filarial and too much piety leading to ecstasy which was suspected to be fits of epilepsy. The custom was that once admitted to the Order, the postulants had to wear the Third Order habit. Thamby continued to wear the habit even after leaving the Capuchins. With the permission of the bishop the tertiaries could wear the habit, if they so desired. In all likelihood Thamby left the Capuchin Order in 1933. He remained a staunch member of the Third Order and took upon himself the mission of spreading the Order wherever possible.

Ministry of Thamby at Manathidal

Br. Thamby was a zealous and committed member of the Third Order. In 1933 or 1934, Thamby came to Manathidal, now a parish in the diocese of Kumbakonam, and established a branch of the Third Order there. He came there with two boys and established the Third Order, and then he began to take the people of this place to Michaelpetty to attend Mass because Manathidal was not a parish yet. Thamby stayed there four years rendering service to the priest with the simplicity of an altar boy. He continued to do some pastoral works among the people there like establishing peace among the people and preparing for the celebrations of the feasts of the locality.

Thamby in Avutapally, Vijayawada Diocese

Avutapally parish was the centre of the activities of Br. Joseph Thamby, where he spent the last years of his life (1939-1945) serving the faithful and trying to spread the Good News in the villages around. Staying in a hut at Avutapally, Brother Joseph Thamby drew quite a few people to Jesus Christ not so much by his eloquent speech, but mostly by his life of simplicity and austerity in imitation of the crucified Christ. Though apparently clumsy and poor, he had great sympathy and concern for the poor and suffering.

A Journey’s End

To know beforehand the exact time of one’s own death, is not that uncommon although it may look strange; and when it happens we are rather astonished. Perhaps, we associate this premonition with a saintly death. Thamby was aware of his approaching death, and he told his friends that exact time when he would die. He was leading an intense spiritual life nourished by the sacraments, especially the Holy Eucharist, which made him Christ-like and entitled to eternal life. He was not scared of death; on the contrary, it was meeting point where he could encounter his loving Master to whom he was wholly committed for many years.

During the three months preceding his death, Thamby became very austere in his life. He would fast daily on black coffee and an occasional dish of some edible roots, which was locally available. Till a week before his death, he continued his works in the villages, especially, Kesarapally, Uppaluru, Manikonda and Vatluru. After Christmas in 1944, he went t Manikonda and returned to Avutapally on 6 January 1945 with high temperature. The tedious works in the villages, daily fasting and other austerities had ruined his health and he became almost bed-ridden. Though he asked for the Anointing of the Sick the fathers refused because they did not see any danger in the sickness.

He was aware that his day to meet the Lord was approaching. Though on 14 January, he felt a little worse, there was no obvious sign of danger. The day dawned on which he had foretold that he would day, 15 January. About 4.00 in the afternoon, Thamby’s condition took a turn for the worse, and a few minutes later he expired, surrounded by the Boyapati family members whom he converted and a number of devotees and friends. He died at the age of 63.

The funeral was postponed to the following day for more people were flocking to Avutapally from various remote villages. The funeral Mass was attended by hundreds of people.

Devotees and Pilgrims

Thousands of devotees come from far and near to Thamby’s tomb at Avutapally to venerate him, to reflect on his life, to thank and praise him, and to pour out their woes and difficulties to him. This constant flow of devotes to this mortuary chapel obviously implies the presence of a great and benevolent power, which is clearly perceived by simple and confident devotees as something heavenly.

The tomb of Thamby enclosed in a mortuary chapel adjacent to the parish cemetery is the centre of veneration for the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims and devotees coming to Avutapally constantly.

Pilgrims come this grave throughout the year irrespective of caste and creed especially on the celebration of Thamby’s death anniversary and its eve, on the 14 and 15 January. They come to pray for his help. Manifold petitions are made before Thamby; to be healed from sicknesses, to get an employment, for recovery of lost person and articles, to get children after several years of married life without issues, to be secure from financial crisis and unjust exploitation and so on. Many of the pilgrims are free from worry and haste and spend two or three days here quite peacefully. They are confident that Thamby will certainly bless them.