Introduction : Pasumalai Seminary [near Madurai ] established by the American Madura Mission's missionaries, played an important role in imparting education to the people living in and around Madurai even during the 19th century. By 1870, Pasumalai Seminary was made distinctively a Theological School.
Pasumalai Seminary cum School and Santiago's education : Young V. Santiago was admitted in the Pasumalai Seminary School at Pasumalai for his School education . V. Santiago was a brilliant and studious student and he passed his Lower Secondary School Examination[ middle School ] in the year 1884 in first class and he Passed his Matriculation Examination in First Class in the year 1886. V. Santiago meritoriously passed his First in Arts[F.A] Examination in First class in 1888.
Rev.V. Santiago resigned from the American College to become a full time Christian Minister :Mr Vetham Santiago worked as a Teacher at the Pasumalai High School for nearly 14 years from 1891 till 1905. and he was elevated to work in the American College as Mathematics Assistant Professor. Mr. V Santiago was working as a Professor of Mathematics in a efficacious and enviable manner at the famous American College Madurai. Mr. V. Santiago was spontaneously pulled towards evangelical work and so he resigned his prestigious teaching job in the American College. In this context it is better and apt to mention that Prof. V Santiago's son Prof. John S. Edward had the privilege to work as Physical Director at the American College from 1931 till 1965. Prof. John S Edward was a great lover of sports and a visionary so he created a Sports Fund for the promotion of sports and that Fund was later used by the College to establish a Concrete Basket Ball Court in 1991.Moreover Prof. John S. Edward donated a conspicuously huge trophy to the American College as memorial remembrance of his beloved and sportsman Son Mr Hans Raj who died in an air crash when he was a Training Pilot. and This Hansraj Santiago Trophy is being given to the Athletic Champion of American College , every year.
Rev. V.Santaigo was elected as the Moderator of SIUC in 1919: Rev Vetham Santiago pursued his Theological studies and successfully completed his Theological Studies and consequently he was ordained as full time Pastor in the American Madura Mission. Rev. V. Santiago worked as Pastor at Battlagundu Madura Mission Church from 1908 till 1911. And then he was transferred to Pasumalai American Madura Church in 1911. Rev Santiago worked as the Pastor of Pasumalai Congregation [American Madura Mission] for 14 years since 1911 till 1925. In 1917 Rev V.Santiago was elected as the President of the SIUC [South India United Churches] and in 1919 he was elected as the Moderator of the S.I.U.C.
Rev.V. Santiago was one of the main Signatories of the Tranquebar Manifesto 1919: Rev V. Santiago was a visionary and so he played a vital role for the amalgamation of the Procalled testant Churches in South India . To meet this end a meeting of Pastors of the Lutheran , Mehodist, South India United Church [SIUC ] and Anglican Churches was convened by Rev Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah of Dornakal and Rev, V Santiago in Tranquebar in 1919. This milestone conference for Church Union held at Tranquebar is as Tranquebar 1919. This historical Tranquebar Manifesto was signed by 6 Anglican Pastors headed by Rev, V.S. Azariah and 25 SIUC Pastors headed by Rev V, Santiago. This Tranquebar Manifesto served as reference document for the succeeding conferences in this respect. the establishment of C.S.I. on the 27th September, 1947 [ Church of South India ] owes a lot to the historical Tranquebar Manifesto of 1919.
Rev V Santiago was a great born Tamil Christian Writer and Poet with great creativity: Rev. V Santiago was a born poet with natural creative aptitude and talents. Dr Jones of Madura American Mission was also serving as the Manger of the Press and Publishing Department of Madura American Mission during the last decade of nineteenth century and first decade of the 20th century , at. Pasumalai. and Rev V Santiago was assisting Dr. Jones . The Press and Publishing Department at Pasumali printed pamphlets both in English and Tamil. During that period , Mr V. Santiago wrote a booklet in Tamil called 'Pasumalai Devotional Booklet .This Booklet of spiritual songs for revival meetings was prepared by Mr V Santiago.. The first edition of this booklet was exhausted as soon as it came out from the Printing Press . Thus the songs written and prepared by Rev V Santiago got the reception from the people spontaneously and instantly.
Mr. V. Santiago , ably assisted Dr. Jones for the successful publications of two magazines namely the TRUE NEWS, and the JOYFUL NEWS . The True News was a bilingual semi monthly News Paper and the Joyful News was monthly vernacular [Tamil ] missionary paper. Apart from this journalist work Rev V. Santiago had written some immortal Tamil Lyrics which are being sung in Tamil Worship services throughout the world in countries like India , Srilanka, Singapore , Malaysia , Canada, USA, Australia. U.K and in so many other countries also. The following songs are a few of the famous Chirstian Lyrics written by Rev .V. Santiago :
1] Varavenum Paranaaeeya ......
2] ,Vinthai kiristhaasu Raja ........
3] Thevana Naan Vumathanddiyil.....
4] Yesu Naan Nirkum kanmalaiyaa....
5] Thanthen Yennai Yesuva.......
6] Thaasara Iththaraniai Anbai , etc,
.
Rev V. Santiago's lines in his Lyrics vividly proclaim his spiritual understanding and social thinking, and message . Specially his iconic Tamil Christian Lyric , Thasara Iththaraniai Anabi , Yesuvukku Sonthamakkuvom, was/is one of the most popular Tamil Chritian Lyrics ever written and sung it is living song.
Conclusion :The great Tamil Christian poet, Writer, Visionary, Social Thinker, Teacher, Journalist and Christian leader, Moderator. Rev V Santiago passed away from this world on 28th November, 1929 and now is not living with us physically. Rev V. Santiago's intellectual and prayerful sincere contribution for the union of the Protestant Churches of South India is second to none. He was a witnessing Christian , He was very honest , he loved the fellow human-beings without any prejudice and bias; specially he loved the poor people and firmly believed that Christ's teaching will liberate and lift the poor and underprivileged people in all fronts. His children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are decorating very high places in life , and in tune with his faith and hope, the poor people whom he really cared are progressing in a spectacular and unimaginable manner in all fronts, both in India and abroad . Really Rev.Vetham Santiago was a Great Soul and Visionary.
By P. Babu Manoharan M.A, [ Rights reserved . This Article will be enlarged ,modified and corrected later , if needed ].
Rev. V.Santaigo was elected as the Moderator of SIUC in 1919: Rev Vetham Santiago pursued his Theological studies and successfully completed his Theological Studies and consequently he was ordained as full time Pastor in the American Madura Mission. Rev. V. Santiago worked as Pastor at Battlagundu Madura Mission Church from 1908 till 1911. And then he was transferred to Pasumalai American Madura Church in 1911. Rev Santiago worked as the Pastor of Pasumalai Congregation [American Madura Mission] for 14 years since 1911 till 1925. In 1917 Rev V.Santiago was elected as the President of the SIUC [South India United Churches] and in 1919 he was elected as the Moderator of the S.I.U.C.
Rev.V. Santiago was one of the main Signatories of the Tranquebar Manifesto 1919: Rev V. Santiago was a visionary and so he played a vital role for the amalgamation of the Procalled testant Churches in South India . To meet this end a meeting of Pastors of the Lutheran , Mehodist, South India United Church [SIUC ] and Anglican Churches was convened by Rev Vedanayagam Samuel Azariah of Dornakal and Rev, V Santiago in Tranquebar in 1919. This milestone conference for Church Union held at Tranquebar is as Tranquebar 1919. This historical Tranquebar Manifesto was signed by 6 Anglican Pastors headed by Rev, V.S. Azariah and 25 SIUC Pastors headed by Rev V, Santiago. This Tranquebar Manifesto served as reference document for the succeeding conferences in this respect. the establishment of C.S.I. on the 27th September, 1947 [ Church of South India ] owes a lot to the historical Tranquebar Manifesto of 1919.
Rev V Santiago was a great born Tamil Christian Writer and Poet with great creativity: Rev. V Santiago was a born poet with natural creative aptitude and talents. Dr Jones of Madura American Mission was also serving as the Manger of the Press and Publishing Department of Madura American Mission during the last decade of nineteenth century and first decade of the 20th century , at. Pasumalai. and Rev V Santiago was assisting Dr. Jones . The Press and Publishing Department at Pasumali printed pamphlets both in English and Tamil. During that period , Mr V. Santiago wrote a booklet in Tamil called 'Pasumalai Devotional Booklet .This Booklet of spiritual songs for revival meetings was prepared by Mr V Santiago.. The first edition of this booklet was exhausted as soon as it came out from the Printing Press . Thus the songs written and prepared by Rev V Santiago got the reception from the people spontaneously and instantly.
Mr. V. Santiago , ably assisted Dr. Jones for the successful publications of two magazines namely the TRUE NEWS, and the JOYFUL NEWS . The True News was a bilingual semi monthly News Paper and the Joyful News was monthly vernacular [Tamil ] missionary paper. Apart from this journalist work Rev V. Santiago had written some immortal Tamil Lyrics which are being sung in Tamil Worship services throughout the world in countries like India , Srilanka, Singapore , Malaysia , Canada, USA, Australia. U.K and in so many other countries also. The following songs are a few of the famous Chirstian Lyrics written by Rev .V. Santiago :
1] Varavenum Paranaaeeya ......
2] ,Vinthai kiristhaasu Raja ........
3] Thevana Naan Vumathanddiyil.....
4] Yesu Naan Nirkum kanmalaiyaa....
5] Thanthen Yennai Yesuva.......
6] Thaasara Iththaraniai Anbai , etc,
.
Rev V. Santiago's lines in his Lyrics vividly proclaim his spiritual understanding and social thinking, and message . Specially his iconic Tamil Christian Lyric , Thasara Iththaraniai Anabi , Yesuvukku Sonthamakkuvom, was/is one of the most popular Tamil Chritian Lyrics ever written and sung it is living song.
Conclusion :The great Tamil Christian poet, Writer, Visionary, Social Thinker, Teacher, Journalist and Christian leader, Moderator. Rev V Santiago passed away from this world on 28th November, 1929 and now is not living with us physically. Rev V. Santiago's intellectual and prayerful sincere contribution for the union of the Protestant Churches of South India is second to none. He was a witnessing Christian , He was very honest , he loved the fellow human-beings without any prejudice and bias; specially he loved the poor people and firmly believed that Christ's teaching will liberate and lift the poor and underprivileged people in all fronts. His children, grandchildren and great grandchildren are decorating very high places in life , and in tune with his faith and hope, the poor people whom he really cared are progressing in a spectacular and unimaginable manner in all fronts, both in India and abroad . Really Rev.Vetham Santiago was a Great Soul and Visionary.
By P. Babu Manoharan M.A, [ Rights reserved . This Article will be enlarged ,modified and corrected later , if needed ].
