PATHANAMATHITTA, FEB. 22. The week-long Maramon Convention held on the sandbed of river Pampa at Maramon in this south-central district concluded on Sunday.

Delivering the valedictory address, Dr Philipose Mar Chrisostem Mar Thoma Metropolitan, the supreme head of the Mar Thoma Church, called upon the devout to be selfless and help peole regardless of caste, creed and colour.

He said: ``Man loses humaneness when he fails to see the presence of God in his fellow beings''. Recalling the war imposed on Iraq by the U.S., Mar Chrysostum said it was due to the failure of the Americans to see the presence of God in the Iraqi people. He said that religion and religious teachings should be translated into positive forces that could infuse humaneness into society.

``The omnipresence of God is the basic philosophy of all major religions and service to the poor and the needy should be taken as the service to God almighty,'' Mar Chrysostum said.


According to the Mar Thoma church, it is one of the oldest indigenous missionary movements in India.

The origin and growth of the congregation can be traced to the revival movement started in the wake of reformation in the Syrian Church in Kerala pioneered by the Martin Luther King of the East, Abraham Malpan, about 160 years ago.

It was Malpan's work that brought about the resurgence in Kerala of the ancient apolostic church founded by St Thomas.


Cleophus J. Larue (U.S.) delivered the keynote address.

The MTEA president, Geevarghese Mar Athanaseus presided over the valedictory meet.

Joseph Mar Irenaeus Saffragn Metropolitan, the Episcopas of the Church, Zacharias Mar Theophilus, Geevarghese Mar Theodocius, Yuyakim Mar Coorilos, Joseph Mar Barnabas, Thomas Mar Themothios, Isaac Mar Phelexinos and the MTEA general secretary, T.O. Joseph, were also present.

Malethu Saraladevi, Elizabeth Mammen Mathai, K.K. Shaju, Joseph M. Puthusserry, Raju Abraham, all MLAs, the Congress leaders, Ramesh Chennithala, P.J. Kurien and P.C. Chacko, the CPI(M) leader, C.S. Sujatha, the district panchayat president, Mathew Kulathumkal, the District Cooperative Bank president, Peelipose Thomas, and the Serifed chairman, Victor T. Thomas, were among those who attended.