Rev. Fr. Basilius Panat was born on 15th February 1891 in Pazhooparambil at Kothanalloor at his mother's house. His parents were Mathai and Eleswa. Lonachen was his eldest brother and Mathachen youngest. On the seventh day he was christened and named Thomas. Thomas grew up in the village of Chalil near Cherthala at his father's house called Panat. In1907 Thomas completed his studies at the middle school. In 1908 he joined the diocesan Seminary at Ernakulam. Fr. Augustine Kandathil (later Archbishop of Ernakulam) was his minor seminary Rector. After his high school studies at St. Albert's High School, Ernakulam and at St. Mary's High School, Aluva he completed his seminary studies at Puthenpally from 1913 to 1918. On 26 December 1918 the then Auxiliarybishop Mar Augustine Kandathil ordained him Priest. Fr. Thomas Panat was appointed Asst. Parish Priest in the Forane church of Vaikom in 1919 where Fr. Kuruvila Alumkara was parish priest. In December 1919 Fr. Panat was appointed parish priest in Uzhuva Church. In May 1920 Fr. Panat got appointment as parish priest at Kuzhuppilly. On February 3, 1924 Fr. Thomas took up his assignment as the parish priest at Mookkannur. A couple of days after he was called to Archbishop's House and asked to take over the charge of the Sacred Heart Orphanage which later paved the way to start the Little Flower Congregation on March 19, 1931. Till 1941 Fr. Panat was considered a personal consulter to Archbishop Kandathil. From 1941 to 1954 he was appointed a member of the consulting body of the Archbishop.

He was Superior General of the Congregation he started, from 1955 to 1967. He was Rector and Superior of our major seminary and First Councillor from 1967 to 1973. From 1973 till his death he was staying at Vijnan Bhavan (Little Flower Generalate) Thrikkakara. He was called to his eternal reward on 4th October 1976 and his mortal remains are buried in the Ashram Cemetery at Mookkannur on 6th October 1976.

The Little Flower Congregation, under the Patronage of St.Therese of Lisieux, has its origin on 19th March 1931 at Mookannur, a village 7 kilometers north east of Angamaly, Kerala, India. Father (Thomas Panat) (1891-1976) known in religion as Fr. Basilius is the Founder of our Congregation. He started the Congregation out of his God-experience in Christ enhanced by his very personal devotion to St.Therese of Child Jesus. Simplicity and childlike surrender of the Little Flower to the will of God the Father hadstruck deep roots in his heart when he translated the four chapters of her autobiography entitled "Navamalika". In his memoirs Fr. Basilius says "With that (translation) I became enamoured of the life and the spirit of the Little Flower that erupted within me and overflowed from the interior of my heart". He intensely desired to share this experience with a few dedicated young men whom he eventually formed as the Little Flower Brotherhood (Cherupushpa Sahodara Sangham). Fr. Thomas Panat (Fr. Basilius) started this 'Cherupushpa Sahodara Sangham' at Mookkannur on March 19, 1931, with the oral permission of Mar Augustine Kandathil, the then Archbishop of Ernakulam.

On 27th December 1945 Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil accepted the formal petition of Fr. Thomas Panat seeking permission to admit candidates for priesthood into the 'Cherupushpa Sahodara Sangham' which then became a clerical religious institute known as Little Flower Congregation.

The presence of the destitute and the orphan boys in the Sacred Heart Orphanage, Mookkannur, of which he was the manager, the backwardness as well as the underdevelopment of the village of Mookkannur, his closeness to the poor villagers and the contact he had with Mahatma Gandhi who dominated the national scene at that time were the other factors which shaped the vision and charism of our Father Founder. His response to these varied experiences had further been inspired by the words of our Lord "go and do likewise" (Lk.10:37).

The first Constitution of our Congregation was approved by the Archbishop Mar Augustine Kandathil on 8th October 1947.

As a charismatic community of priests, we are called to be the bearers of a sacred trust and heritage, of a life of prayer and action in a community of love bequeathed to us by our founder. The opportunities for evangelisation present to us new challenges to offer the rich spiritual resources of the Syro-Malabar Church and its noble traditions for the spread and development of the Kingdom to the farthest boundaries .