About Us

CHETHANA INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY

Chethana has been working for the overall development of the poor and especially the marginalized people of the Kerala State. Chethana facilitates self-help organizations, organizing and empowering the poor, women, widows, handicapped, aged, children and also the unorganized and marginalized sections of the society irrespective of caste, creed and religion. It is within 6Regions such as Chengannur, Kadampanad, Kattanam, Kollam, Mavelikara arid Puthoor consisting of 23Local Units having 470 Self Help Groups (SHGs), 15 CBR groups, 10 Senior Citizens groups and 54 Children groups.The coverage-geographical area includes 95 villages of the revenues districts of Kollam, Pathanamthitta and.Alappuzha having a total population of about 3 million. The inhabitants comprise of heterogeneous population of Hindus, Muslims, and Christians. Majority of the population are engaged in agriculture allied activities and other occupations of traditional nature.

Bishop of Mavelikara Diocese

Most Rev. Dr. Mathews Mar Polycarpos
Born on November 10, 1955, in Puthur, Kollam district, Most Rev. Dr. Mathews Mar Polycarpos joined the seminary after completing his school education. He completed his priestly studies at St. Aloysius Minor Seminary in Thiruvananthapuram and St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary in Vadavathoor, Kottayam. On December 18, 1983, he was ordained a priest by Archbishop Benedict Mar Gregorios Thirumeni. He began his priestly ministry in the Aayoor parish of the Thiruvananthapuram Archdiocese and in 1988, he earned a degree in History from Loyola College, Madras. From 1990 to 1995, he obtained a postgraduate degree and M.Phil in French Literature from Madurai Kamaraj University. He then pursued further studies at the Catholic University of Paris. In 2010, he received his doctorate in French Literature from M.S. University, Tirunelveli.
Following this, in 1990, he joined Mar Ivanios College as a teacher. He served for a long period as the Bursar and Principal of Mar Ivanios College. During this time, he also served as the Convener of the South Western Region for the UGC’s eleventh plan and as the Chairman of the Board of Studies for French, Latin, and other language departments at Kerala University. He was also a member of the Kerala Public Service Commission and numerous governmental and non-governmental advisory committees.
From 1983 to 2013, Most Rev. Dr. Mathews Mar Polycarpos served in about thirty-five parish mission centers of the undivided Thiruvananthapuram Major Archdiocese. After retiring from Mar Ivanios College, he served as the Vicar General of the Thiruvananthapuram Major Archdiocese. Proficient in several languages including French and German, he received the Rotary International Award for Best Educational Activist in 2010{C}. In 2021, he published the book ‘Facets of Love’. He was elected Auxiliary Bishop of the Thiruvananthapuram Major Archdiocese in the Malankara Syriac Catholic Church on May 7, 2022. Today, June 29, 2025, Most Rev. Dr. Mathews Mar Polycarpos will assume office as the second head of the Mavelikkara Diocese.