Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious I

Pulikkottil Joseph Mar Dionysious I (Mar Dionysius II) was the Metropolitan for nine months, but he made lasting contributions to the Malankara church. He was able to keep up the traditions, to improve the knowledge of the people and to decree that the assets of the Metropolitan would be assets of the Church. During his lifetime, he renovated and managed one of the oldest churches in Kerala, Masterminded in opening of the first formal educational institution, in Kerala the Orthodox Pazhaya Semianry

Joseph Ittoop was born on January 15, 1742 in Pulikkottil an ancient family which moved from Aarthattu to Kunnamkulam. He was ordained as a priest by Mar Thoma VI and was known as Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop Kathanar. He was the vicar of his parish, Chattukulangara Aarthattu church.

Mysore ruler Tippu Sulthan invaded Guruvayur and adjacent areas, in AD 1740. The people of Kunnamkulam defended the attack with all their effort. The soldiers of Tippu Sultan set fire on Aarthattu church and murdered a number of people. One of them was killed inside the sanctuary Witnessing all these atrocities Pulikkottil Joseph Kathanar was hiding inside this church. A large number of refugees left Aarthattu and settled in Kunnamkulam under the leadership of Joseph Kathanar. After Tippu Sultan left, Joseph Kathanar returned to the parish and renovated the church, removing that area of the sanctuary where the man was killed.

As Ramban

As per the decision of the meeting of the representatives from parishes at Kandanad, on September 14, 1809, Pulikkottil Joseph Ittoop Kathanar was ordained as a Ramban...

As Bishop

Mar Thoma VIII died on January 26, 1816. Before his death, he consecrated Mar Thoma XI. Due to certain problems in the Church, Pulikottil Joseph Ittoop Ramban was selected as the next Metropolitan. But there were no bishops to consecrate him. So he went to Thozhyoor a place outside the Travancore and Cochin tates and was consecrated by Geevarghese Mar Philexenos (Kidangan) (1811–1829) of the Thozhyoor Church on March 22, 1815. He was given the episcopal title Dionysius a Graeco-Roman name, the second bishop in the Malankara Church to get this title Dionysius.