Eparchy of Mavelikkara Inaugurated, Joshua Mar Ignathios Installed as it’s First Bishop

The New Eparchy of Mavelikkara, Kerala was inaugurated and Bishop Joshua Mar Ignathios installed its first Bishop today, Feb. 16, 2007.

Pope Benedict XVI had given his assent to the decision of the Synod of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church for the creation of the new Eparchy of Mavelikara and the election of Joshua Mar Ignathios as its first Bishop. This new Eparchy was created by bifurcating the Archieparchy of Trivandrum.

The announcement of the creation of the new Eparchy was done on Jan. 02, 2007.

The ceremonies started with a vehicle rally. Hundreds of vehicles accompanying the specially decorated carriage of the first Bishop of the new diocese– at 7 am from Panikkaruveetil house in Puthiyakavu, the ancestral home of the late Mar Ivanios. The ceremonies at the Cathedral started with a colourful welcome for the metropolitan and other guests. The mass started at 8.30 am.

Major Archbishop-designate Baselios Mar Cleemis Catholicose led the mass, where church leaders from across the country were present. Synod chancellor Fr Antony Valiyavilayil read out the decree announcing Bishop Mar Ignathios’s installation.

Archbishop Joseph Powathil inaugurated the public meeting, where he insisted that the church’s interventions and opinions on social issues should not be interpreted as an effort to control the official state machinery. Nor are they effort to communalise issues.

Archbishop Powathil pointed out that the state cannot solve all the spiritual and temporal needs of the common man, and the church had a critical role in fighting social evils. Church cannot turn a blind eye to these challenges, he said.

Malankara Catholic Church administrator Geevarghese Mar Dionysius chaired the public meeting attended by thousands of devotees. Among those who spoke were the Archbishop of Mumbai Oswald Gracious, Major Archbishop-designate Baselios Mar Cleemis Catholicose, Metropolitan of Malankara Mar Thoma Syrian Church Zacharias Mar Theophilus, Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram Latin Archdiocese Susaipakiam and Church of South India Bishop Sam Mathew.

An array of political leaders from all parties, social leaders and other representatives of major organizations also spoke at the function. Among them were the state law minister M Vijayakumar, transport minister Mathew T Thomas, opposition leader Oommen Chandy, state Congress party president Ramesh Chennithala, Members of Parliament CS Sujata and PJ Kurian, Chief Secretary Lissy Jacob, NSS taluk union president KM Rajagopala Pillai and SNDP taluk union president R Subhas.

Mar Ignathios thanked the Lord for all the blessings, and expressed his confidence to shape the new diocese with a vibrant spiritual life and active participation of the people. Bishop Ignathios is presently the secretary of Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council and the chairman of the Labour Commission of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India.

Bishop Joshua Mar Ignathios, was born on 24th May, 1950 at Kizhakketheruvu, Kottarakara, Kerala.

After his Seminary education at St. Aloysius Seminary, Pattom and at St. Paul?s Seminary, Trichy, he was ordained priest on 20th April 1978. Besides B. Th. at Urbaniana University, Rome, he gained his Master?s degree in History, M.Ed and Ph.D. in Education Administration. He served as Assistant Parish Priest at Kirathoor (Marthandom Diocese) and for fourteen years (1982-96) he was Parish Priest of St. Thomas Malankara Catholic Church, Padi, Chennai, during which period he was also Principal of the Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School, Chennai.

On 10th March, 1997, he was appointed Corepiscopo and on 15th April, 1998, Auxiliary Bishop of Trivandrum. From 1996 onwards he was Chief Vicar General of the Major Archdiocese of Trivandrum and from December 2001-2005 he held the office of Secretary of Kerala Catholic Bishops? Council (KCBC).

At present, Bishop Joshua Mar Ignathios is the Chairman of the Labour Commission (CBCI), Patron of All India Christian Council as well as Chairman of All India Christian Council (Kerala Region). He is also Chairman of the Synodal Commissions for Social Apostolate, Education, Communication, Health and Dalit Christians in Malankara Catholic Church and Chairman of KCBC Commission for Temperance Movement (Madyavirudha Samithy).